5 Rock Songs Hits That Were Banned
The Beatles - Youtube
Rock music has always been controversial for several reasons. But, the more it’s been talked about, the more it became phenomenal. After all, bad publicity is still publicity. And so, with these 5 rock songs you didn’t know were banned, one could only wonder why the world was so against them. Check it out.
The Beatles – “The Ballad of John and Yoko” (1969)
The refrain of “Christ, they’re gonna crucify me” appears in “The Ballad of John and Yoko” by The Beatles. In the 1960s, when the United Kingdom and the United States were still more religiously-cultured, the phrase became offensive. This sentence was so divisive that the song was banned from airplay in these said countries. But the song remained famous and did well in the charts.
Melanie – “Brand New Key” (1971)
By a long by, Melanie’s “Brand New Key” is the most well-known song of hers. In an interview with The Tennessean in 2021, she opened why the song had been prohibited because some listeners saw a lyric about a “lock and key” as sexually suggestive. “It had all kinds of meanings,” she explained. “I’m gonna say, subconsciously, there could have been some sort of Freudian thing.” Still, suggestive lyrics didn’t prevent the song to top the charts.
Starland Vocal Band – “Afternoon Delight” (1976)
The lyrics of “Afternoon Pleasure” by Starland Vocal Band are unmistakably sexual in nature. Several radio stations deemed the song inappropriate and hence, refused to broadcast it. Nonetheless, the song spent two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
The Sex Pistols – “God Save the Queen” (1977)
The republican spirit expressed in “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols was deemed offensive in the UK, and BBC reportedly banned the album for being in “poor taste.” Nonetheless, the song reached No. 2 on the U.K. Song Charts.
Sam the Sham and the Pharaoh – “Wooly Bully” (1987)
The song “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and the Pharaoh is a silly novelty tune about a bull that likes to dance. As legendary rock tunes go, this one is about as harmless as it gets. However, the song still managed to stir up some discord. American Songwriter claims that several radio stations refused to play the song because listeners found the lyrics confusing.
