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Mar 3, 2015 · 14. “Physical,” Olivia Newton John (September 1981) “Physical” became extremely popular in the U.S. and the UK upon its release, but some radio stations banned the song due to its sexual content and censored lines such as “There’s nothing left to talk about unless it’s horizontally.” Another source of controversy around this ...
- 20 Banned Album Covers
On occasion of the controversy over the sexually suggestive...
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Claudia Johnson is a nationally recognized advocate for free...
- 20 Banned Album Covers
Nov 8, 2023 · Eminem. Ice-T. The Rolling Stones. Olivia Newton-John. Even though the First Amendment protects music, the list of artists whose songs have been censored or restricted is a lengthy one. Here’s how (and why) these 16 famous songs were banned. https://t.co/XcPXViBmKv pic.twitter.com/tojTMbUGSi. — Freedom Forum (@1stForAll) November 8, 2023.
- Sex Pistols: God Save The Queen
- NWA: F__K Tha Police
- The Kinks: Lola
- Neil Young: This Note’s For You
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Relax
- Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Spasticus Autisticus
- Loretta Lynn: The Pill
- Scott Walker: Jackie
- The Beatles: Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds/A Day in The Life
- Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg : Je t’aime… Moi Non Plus
While the passing of time does nothing to dull the impact of say, “Strange Fruit,” listening to Sex Pistols’ “God Save The Queen” today, it’s genuinely difficult to appreciate the furor it caused. The controversial song remains an utterly thrilling slice of rebellious rock’n’roll, but capable of causing the sort of unspeakable damage to British soc...
For young black men living in LA in the late 80s, police harassment was a fact of life. With the subtlety-named Operation Hammer, launched in 1987, the LAPD had declared war on gang violence and, by the following year, had arrested over 50,000 people. While most had no way of venting their frustrations (fewer than one percent of officers investigat...
Surprisingly, the reason that the BBC banned singer Ray Davies’ tale of ambiguous lust wasn’t the subject matter as such. Despite detailing a coming-of-age moment in which the narrator is shocked – then accepting of – the subject of his boozy affection’s gender, the song was pulled up because of this offending lyric: “Where they drink champagne and...
Never one to pander to industry expectations, Neil Youngspent his 80s wrongfooting even those who expected a certain contrariness from the singer-songwriter, releasing a string of albums that confused fans and led to his label suing him for making unrepresentative records. It’s unsurprising, then, that he viewed the then-fledgling trend for musicia...
It’s amazing what a bit of good old-fashioned scandal can do for a controversial song. Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s debut single, “Relax,” had spent a couple of months ambling up the UK Top 100 singles chart, in seemingly no particular hurry until it hit the Top 40, earning itself a spin on DJ Mike Read’s BBC Radio 1 chart rundown. Though not on the...
Having contracted polio at the age of seven, leaving him crippled for life and suffering an adolescence at the hands of what passed for disabled schools in the 50s, Ian Dury knew the harsh realities of living with disabilities. When the UN declared that 1981 would be the International Year Of Disabled Persons, Dury felt patronized by the idea that ...
“I was the first one to write it like the women lived it,” Loretta Lynn once said of her straight-talking songs. They certainly won her a devoted following, as Lynn became one of the most successful country acts of all time. But conservative country radio stations routinely banned her controversial songs, including “Fist City,” “Rated X,” “Don’t Co...
BBC Radio 1 was launched in September 1967 as the Beeb’s response to the popularity of the edgy pirate radio stations that were catering to the hip’n’happening youth of the day. Still, despite their attempts to court the cool crowd, they were a long way from accepting some of the more risqué releases. On hearing the lyrics to Scott Walker’s cover o...
By 1967, The Beatles were old hands when it came to controversy. After all, it goes with the territory when you’re constantly expanding the parameters of pop. They’d managed to offend the more fanatical elements of the US when John Lennon suggested the band might be more meaningful to young people than religion, and they’d put out an album with a c...
In 1967, the French actress Brigette Bardot was a pin-up the world over and Serge Gainsbourgwas one of many millions enraptured by her. The roguish composer’s infatuation was different, however, in that it resulted in him signing Bardot to his record label and, despite her being married, convincing her to go on a date with him. Exacerbated by booze...
- Jamie Atkins
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Feb 14, 2019 · 16. Olivia Newton-John. Physical (1981) ONJ’s single was banned from several radio stations in Utah for being “more suggestive than most songs”. But perhaps this just reveals KFMY and KSL-FM ...
- Laura Snapes
Jan 11, 2024 · All these famous tracks were either censored, suppressed, forbidden or messed around with? You'lll be surprised who's on the list. NSFW!
- The Beatles’ Entire Oeuvre. The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand/HD. The Beatles were once banned in the Philippines. Neither their music could be played, nor their records sold.
- “Wake Up, Little Susie” Wake Up Little Susie. Somehow, even the Everly Brothers found a way to make an innocent date seem risqué. The lyrics have a teenage boy awakening his date, Susie.
- “Ohio” Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Ohio – 11/3/1991 – Golden Gate Park (Official) When the Vietnam War protest on Ohio’s Kent State University resulted in the deaths of four protesters who were shot by National Guard soldiers on May 4, 1970, riots raged across the country.
- “I Don’t Want to Get Well (I’m in Love with a Beautiful Nurse)” The United States War Department banned “I Don’t Want to Get Well (I’m in Love with a Beautiful Nurse),” apparently because the brass feared its lyrics might persuade soldiers to follow the example of their fictional counterpart.
The Wham pop singer swapped his squeaky-clean persona for a daring solo career that started with 'I Want Your Sex' in 1987. This was the first song to feature the word 'sex' in its title.
