Top 10 Famous Songs That Were Censored

Olivia Newton-John
It might be tame by modern standards but at the time of its release, this ode to…well, getting physical, caused quite the stir. The song's racy lyrics helped the singer shed her girl-next-door image and kickstarted a new phase in her career, but they also inspired controversy. Some countries banned the song altogether. And its music video, which showed two men holding hands, was taken off some broadcasters' playlists. Even MTV, at the time considered the "cool" network, censored the video. However, none of that stopped the song from topping charts all around the world. In the US, it became the decade's biggest song on the billboard charts. As a testament to its legacy, in 2021, Doja Cat incorporated the chorus into her song, "Kiss Me More."

Radiohead
Although this song has become an enduring alt-rock classic, it didn’t instantly take off. Its use of the F word predictably caused a stir with censors, but surprisingly enough, there was another reason why the BBC excluded it from playlists. Apparently, the song was considered “too depressing” for the airwaves. However, the following year, the label re-released the single, and little by little, it caught on until it became a worldwide smash. Over the years, the band has expressed ambivalence towards the song, taking it off their concert playlist for years, but it is still their most popular single. And in 2007, VH1 ranked it #31 on their “100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.”

MC5
It’s not hard to see why this song caused controversy since the offending expletive shows up right on the opening line and again on the inside album cover. Not surprisingly, this caused problems, and the label had to edit the cover and song audio. However, they re-issued two versions of the album. One incorporated both changes, while the other altered the cover but kept the original audio. This one was kept behind store counters. Unfortunately, that didn’t appease everyone. Hudson’s department stores didn’t sell any version of the album and eventually stopped carrying any albums from the label. Ultimately the controversies got the band dropped from their label, but this song still lives on in fans’ hearts and is considered a classic.

Tom Petty
Drug use has always been a touchy subject matter for censors. Even Tom Petty, who at the time was a massive star, couldn’t get this song on the air without a bit of editing. Radio stations were in a challenging position because they wanted to play music by one of the biggest artists of the day, but they also didn’t want to offend. So, they chose to play the offending word “joint” backward. Yet another version said “hit another joint” instead of “smoke”. Regardless, the song still caught on. The track reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Tom Petty’s last song to crack the top 40.

Dire Straits
Surprisingly, lead singer Mark Knopfler wrote his band’s biggest hit after a trip to an appliance store. He overheard store workers direct a slur at an MTV video playing on the stores’ televisions. Although the lyrics don’t represent the band’s point of view, they were still considered homophobic. However, it took the song almost 30 years to be censored. In 2011, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council decided that the song’s use of the term violated their code of ethics. But many stations disagreed with the decision, and the song remains beloved to this day.

The Rolling Stones
This enduring rock and roll classic became the band’s first number one in the US. However, it wasn’t immediately embraced. The racy lyrics got the song banned in the UK, and it could only be heard on pirate radio stations. When the band performed the song on an ABC variety show, it was censored. Despite the controversy, the song became a worldwide smash, and many artists like Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, and even Britney Spears have covered it. In 1998, it entered the Grammy Hall of Fame. And we know it wasn’t their only tussle with the censors; their 1967 song “Let’s Spend the Night Together” comes to mind, but we felt this one was just more iconic.

The Kinks
It’s not 100% clear whether this song is about a cross-dressing man or a trans woman. However, the controversy around its subject matter was no mystery. It was banned in Australia until radio stations edited the song to take out a controversial line. But that wasn't the only obstacle it faced. Because the song mentions popular soft drink Coca-Cola by name, the BBC considered this product placement and banned the song. As a result, the band had to change the words to cherry cola to bypass censors. However, all the controversies didn't stop the song from becoming a beloved classic, and Rolling Stone included it in their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

The Doors
At the height of its popularity, The Ed Sullivan Show was a massive platform for any musician to perform on. Because of that, if Mr. Sullivan requested something, he usually got it. However, that didn’t happen with The Doors. The band agreed to change the line “we couldn't get much higher” because it seemed to allude to drug use but didn’t keep their word. Ed Sullivan was reportedly so upset that he didn’t shake Jim Morrison’s hands as he left the stage, and the band was never invited to the show again. However, that didn’t hurt the song’s popularity. It climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, has been covered by many artists, and stands as one of the band’s most popular songs.

Britney Spears
At first glance, the title of this song might appear to be cryptic but innocent enough. However, once it’s sung, it becomes apparent what Britney is spelling out. The Parents Television Council was not impressed and threatened to take action against the FCC. They also asked radio stations not to play the song between 6 am and 7 pm. Once it began losing airtime, the record label put out an edited version of the song, “If You See Amy”. But despite the controversy, it reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Eminem
Few artists have utilized controversy to sell records more expertly than Eminem. And the lead single off his album The Marshall Mathers LP is a prime example of just how good he was at pushing people’s buttons. The song was reportedly written just a few hours before the album’s deadline and at the label’s request. Its crude lyrics and music video targeted pop stars, actors, and just about everyone else. The song wound up being so offensive that even its edited version earned a Colorado radio station a $7,000 fine. However, it was also a huge hit, helping the accompanying album sell 21 million copies worldwide.