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Jul 22 2023 02:38pm
Quote (GuyLadouche @ 22 Jul 2023 15:02)
please provide some form of the following to back this statement up: context, evidence, proof, example(s).


u uneducated mutt




Everything Zoomer

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13 Classic Songs You Didn’t Know Were Banned
Laura Grande | September 1st, 2017

Photo: Getty Images
The banning of classic songs has a long, storied—and often ridiculous—history. We look back at some of the more famous ones.

While having your song publicly admonished by censorship boards may sound like a death knell to musicians trying to make it onto the charts, it would appear that, for the most part, a banned ditty results in a monstrous hit. You’d think the censorship boards would’ve pick up on that by now—the more you ban something, the more likely people are to seek it out and embrace it.

1. “Strange Fruit” (Billie Holiday, 1939)
Reason: Controversial subject matter

Based on a 1937 poem by Abel Meeropol, “Strange Fruit” was a protest against racism in America, particularly the lynchings of African-Americans in the South. Although accounts vary as to how Billie Holiday was first introduced to the song, she was initially turned down by her recording label, Columbia, when she approached them about recording it. Fearing it would be too controversial and receive negative reactions from the South, her producer, John Hammond, refused to work with her on it. Instead, Holiday turned to Commodore producer Milt Gabler. Holiday requested—and received—a one-day release from her studio contract to record “Strange Fruit” with Gabler. Although it was immediately banned in the Deep South (which came as no surprise), it went on to become a massive success for Holiday. In 1978, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.


2. “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead” (from The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
Reason: “A celebration of death”

This one may raise a few eyebrows: “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead”—that colourful little ditty from The Wizard of Oz—was briefly banned by the BBC Trust following the April 2013 death of former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Following the passing of the divisive Thatcher, the Oz track reached number two on the BBC Radio One charts. Thatcher opponents had started a campaign to get the song to reach the top of the charts, but their attempts were thwarted when Radio One refused to give the song airtime, saying it “was clearly a celebration of death.”

3. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (Jimmy Boyd, 1952)
Reason: For mingling Christmas with kissing/sex

Who knew a little holiday song commissioned by Saks Fifth Avenue (to promote their Christmas cards) could stir up such controversy? After reaching No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart in December 1952, the song came under fire from the Roman Catholic Church in Boston on the grounds that it mingled “Christmas” with “kissing.” The short-lived ban was ultimately lifted when the song’s 13-year-old singer, Jimmy Boyd, met with the Archdiocese to explain the song.

4. “Wake Up Little Susie” (The Everly Brothers, 1958)
Reason: Teen sex

It’s fairly innocent stuff: Told from the point of view of a teen and his girlfriend, Susie, the song revolves around the young couple’s date in which they accidentally fall asleep and don’t wake up until 4:00 in the morning. Once again, the Roman Catholic Church in Boston were up in arms, claiming the song was too vague about what exactly had transpired between the lovebirds before they fell asleep. The Everly Brothers, known for their wholesome brand of rock n’ roll, were surprised by the ban, but it ultimately had little affect on the songs popularity.

5. “Splish Splash” (Bobby Darin, 1958)
Reason: Nudity

A man, a bathtub, a towel—the controversy! A handful of radio stations across North America banned this catchy ditty because some listeners were uncomfortable with its subject matter—a man takes a bath, climbs out of the tub and walks into another room before wrapping a towel around his nether regions. For some, it conjured inappropriate images of Bobby Darin nude. The horror! Regardless of the ban, the kids dug it and “Splish Splash” became one of Darrin’s most famous songs.

6. “Puff the Magic Dragon” (Peter, Paul and Mary, 1962)
Reason: Alleged drug references

It wasn’t until 1970, eight years after its initial release, that “Puff the Magic Dragon” came under fire. American Vice-President Spiro Agnew believed that rock music and its “blatant drug culture propaganda” was threatening to “sap our national strength unless we move hard and fast to bring it under control.” And that little magic dragon made Agnew’s hit list (along with The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”). Sure, the song references “autumn mist”, “little Jackie paper” and, well, a “dragon,” but the song’s composer, Peter Yarrow, denied that the song was anything more than fantasy.

7. “Louie Louie” (The Kingsmen, 1963)
Reason: Questionable (read: confusing) lyrics

The rhythm and blues hit was originally a 1955 Richard Berry track, but it was The Kingsmen’s 1963 cover that caught the attention of the censorship boards. Admittedly, the lyrics are a little garbled on this song—much like the reasoning behind its ban. Due to the incomprehensible lyrics on the poor-quality track, it was automatically assumed that it was done intentionally to cover foul language. The FBI were asked to intervene and gauge whether it violated laws on the transportation of obscene material. No official lyrics were ever published for the song and, after a two-year investigation that yielded little, the FBI closed the file on “Louie Louie.”

8. “My Generation” (The Who, 1965)
Reason: Allegedly pokes fun at people who stammer

No, it didn’t create a storm of controversy for the fact that it was a youth rebellion anthem—it actually started with a simple mistake. When Roger Daltry was first recording it in the studio, he stumbled over Pete Townshend’s lyrics: “Why don’t you all fade away” became “why don’t you f-f-fade away.” Townshend loved the accidental stammer so much that he suggested Daltry do it again elsewhere in the song (“don’t try to dig what we all s-s-say”). And while some objected to the “f-f-fade” because it sounded like the beginnings of a certain other four-letter F-word, the BBC actually took offense to the lyric for an entirely different reason—they believed it poked fun at people who stammer.

9. “God Only Knows” (The Beach Boys, 1966)
Reason: Blasphemy

Prior to the track’s release, “God” rarely ever appeared in titles for mainstream songs. Although the song never refers to a specific religious figure (Brian Wilson said it could refer to “any higher force” and was about moving forward after loss), it was banned by some radio stations across the US. It’s purported crime was blasphemy.

10. “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison, 1967)
Reason: Suggestive lyrics

It came down to one specific lyric: “Making love in the green grass.” Deemed too suggestive by numerous radio stations across North America, “Brown Eyed Girl” was nevertheless a monumental success for Van Morrison. Many stations compromised by releasing a radio-friendly edit of the song, replacing “making love in the green grass” with a lyric sung earlier in the song, “laughin’ and a-runnin’, hey hey.”

11. “Happiness is a Warm Gun” (The Beatles, 1968)
Reason: Sexual content

This list could easily be made up entirely of Beatles’ songs that have been banned over the years. The Fab Four were known to stir up controversy across the globe for their revolutionary sound and unconventional lyrics. But it’s this John Lennon-penned track that really had the BBC up in arms. Lennon was accused of referring to his sexual desire for Yoko Ono as a “warm gun.” The phallic imagery didn’t go over well and both British and American censors refused to give it air time.

12. “Lola” (The Kinks, 1970)
Reason: Free advertising

The upbeat track about a young man who has a romantic encounter with a transvestite in Soho, London didn’t court controversy for the reason you’d think. Sure, the subject matter was controversial and a handful of stations banned it specifically for that reason alone; however, it was BBC Radio’s objections to the lyric “Where they drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola” that garnered the most attention. The reason for their concern? It was free advertising for Coca-Cola, a big no-no for the strictly non-commercial station. Singer Ray Davies re-recorded the track and changed “Coca-Cola” to “cherry cola.”

13. “Love to Love You, Baby” (Donna Summer, 1975)
Reason: Simulated orgasms

TIME referred to Donna Summer’s hit 17-minute single as a “marathon of 22 orgasms.” Yes…they actually counted. In a 1976 interview, Summer was asked about the recording. When the journalist wondered if she’d touched herself when she first sang it, Summer’s slyly responded: “Yes, well, actually I had my hand on my knee.” But not everyone found it amusing. The track was banned from numerous radio stations across North America, yet the disco hit found mass appeal regardless.

https://www.everythingzoomer.com/arts-entertainment/2023/07/21/marom/

This post was edited by Crunkt on Jul 22 2023 02:38pm
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Jul 22 2023 02:39pm
Quote (GuyLadouche @ 22 Jul 2023 15:02)
please provide some form of the following to back this statement up: context, evidence, proof, example(s).


u uneducated mutt



Turn That Down! 40 Banned and Censored Songs
Previous Next

Sex, violence, drugs, politics, religion and just plain loud noise have all been grounds for music censorship. Whether referencing taboo subject matter, challenging the government and commercialism or just upsetting the masses (directly or indirectly), musicians are targeted out of fear of their power over listeners. In honor of Music Freedom Day, NCAC has compiled a list of 40 banned and censored songs that we doubt your parents would approve of!

40. “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” Tom Petty (October 1994) In Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How it Feels,” the common practice of censoring drug-related content was demonstrated. The line “let’s roll another joint” is almost always censored during airplay. The word “joint” was obscured by MTV as well through a technique where the word is reversed, making it indecipherable.

39. “Red Nation,” The Game (April 12, 2011) MTV, BET and numerous radio stations banned the rapper The Game’s “Red Nation” due to its references to gang life. This did not affect the song’s popularity though, and the music video received over 10 million views on YouTube. The Game has actually said that he wished more of his songs were banned because it seems to make him even more popular.

38. “Greased Lightning,” John Travolta (1978)* The song “Greased Lightning” from the musical and film Grease, surprisingly features some fairly crude content. The line, “it ain’t no shit” is usually cut from radio airplay. But ironically, when the character Rizzo used the Italian curse word “fongool” in the song “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” it was not censored.

37. “Brown Eyed Girl,” Van Morrison (June, 1967) This rock classic, originally called “Brown Skinned Girl,” is about an interracial relationship. Morrison changed the title because he believed it would make it more radio-friendly. Some stations banned the song anyway for the line, “making love in the green grass.” However, an edited version was released later on, changing it to “laughin’ and a-runnin’, hey, hey.” Rock stations everywhere now play “Brown Eyed Girl” consistently

.

36. “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back),” Eamon (November 23, 2003) Despite the fact that profanity on the radio has not been completely prohibited in the UK for some time, many stations refused to play this song due to its language. It topped the charts for four weeks but DJs simply referred to it as “I Don’t Want You Back.” A version of the song came out a year later with all 33 expletives silenced.

35. “Strange Fruit,” Billie Holiday (1939) This song was a profound and powerful depiction of Billie Holiday’s horror over a lynching. It was banned from U.S. radio for its heavy, morbid content upon its release in 1939. As dark as the lyrics were, this was a song that the public truly needed to hear at the time. In 1965, Billie Holiday’s music was censored again when ABC radio refused to play “Love for Sale” as the song’s lyrics were about prostitution.

34. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” The Shirelles (November, 1960) “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” is a song about the day following an intimate encounter with a man. It is nothing less than an American classic and made history by becoming the first #1 hit by a black female group. It was also the first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, which debuted in 1958. The song was banned by radio stations for its mild sexual content, but it still sold over a million copies

.

33. “LoveGame,” Lady Gaga (March 23, 2009) This nightclub hit was banned on the radio for its heavily suggestive themes– especially the infamous line, “I want to take a ride on your disco stick.” Gaga believed that radio authorities were too hard on her, but admitted that the line was not intended to be subtle by any means. The pop artist has faced additional censorship worldwide when her song “Judas” was banned in Lebanon for being offensive to Christianity.

32. “My Generation,” The Who (October 29, 1965) A rather unique case, “My Generation” was banned from the radio for a reason unrelated to its lyrical content. The song featured vocals that resembled stuttering; afraid to offend people with actual stuttering problems, the BBC prohibited the song from receiving airplay. Later, when the song proved to be a huge hit, they allowed it.

31. “The Pill,” Loretta Lynn (1975) Upon its release in 1975, radio stations refused to give Loretta Lynn’s song “The Pill” airplay because of its content regarding birth control, which was widely looked down upon at the time.

30. “Sailing,” Rod Stewart (June 1972) Rod Stewart’s “Sailing” is an example of wartime censorship. When Britain recaptured the South Atlantic Falkland Islands after the Argentine invasion in April 1982, British radio programmers banned certain songs with nautical themes. “Sailing” was only one of them.

29. “Paper Planes,” M.I.A. (August, 2007) This song was subjected to censorship on MTV and “Late Night With David Letterman” due to gunshot sounds heard in the song’s chorus.

28. “Radio Radio,” Elvis Costello and the Attractions (December 1977) Elvis Costello and the Attractions were prohibited from playing “Radio, Radio” on Saturday Night Live in 1977 because they believe the song expressed anti-media sentiments. A few seconds into performing a different song, they rebelliously switched to “Radio, Radio” without telling anyone. Costello was reportedly banned from the show for 12 years.

27. “Hey Joe,” Jimi Hendrix (December 16, 1966) Radio behemoth Clear Channel Communications barred this song after 9/11 because of its violent subject matter. Censorship around Hendrix and this song also took place during his appearance on the BBC show Happening for Lulu, where he abruptly stopped his performance to transfer from “Hey Joe” to a noisy instrumental version of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” (seen after 2 1/2 minutes in the video below). Displeased to say the least, the producer pulled Hendrix and his band off the air and banned them from BBC.

26. “Love to Love You Baby,” Donna Summer (August 27, 1975) This sexually charged disco anthem was Donna Summer’s first hit. It became popular worldwide, but broadcasters including BBC banned it due to its blatant sexual content. These included sounds of orgasms and crude lyrics. Summer said that she did in fact understand the bans and regrets that this was her first popular single, which subsequently shaped her image as an artist.

25. “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele (November 29, 2010) Many radio stations censored part of the song’s first verse due to ambiguity between whether Adele used the word “ship” or “shit” in one line. “Go ahead and sell me out and I’ll lay your shit bare.” Online lyrics stated that the word was “ship” while Adele’s handwritten lyrics featured the expletive instead. Also suggesting that the intended word was in fact “shit,” Adele replaced the word in question with “stuff” during a televised performance of the song. The line “reaching the fever pitch” has been mistaken as “reaching the fever bitch,” and was censored by some radio stations as well.

24. “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke (March 26, 2013) The original version of the music video for “Blurred Lines” was initially pulled from YouTube because it featured nudity. An edited version was put up, but that was not the end of the song’s controversy. At least four universities in the UK forbid this song from being played on campus due to its misogynistic lyrics.

23. “God Only Knows,” The Beach Boys (July 11, 1966) This soft, harmonious ballad off The Beach Boys’ most unique album, Pet Sounds, was forbidden in some parts of the U.S. for “blasphemy.” Even without any negative connotation, it was considered unacceptable at the time to use the word “God” in a song. The writers anticipated the controversy and did have second thoughts at one point about including the word in the title and chorus. Once they chose to keep it though, they were happy with their decision–and so were their fans.

22. “In the Air Tonight,” Phil Collins (January 5, 1981) This seemingly harmless song by Phil Collins has been banned on two separate occasions. The first time was in 1991, after BBC forbid 67 songs from airplay due to their perceived connection to the war occurring in the Persian Gulf. The second time was in 2001, when Clear Channel Communications prohibited 162 songs from the airwaves after the 9/11 attacks.

21. “Juicy,” The Notorious B.I.G. (August 8, 1994) Rapper Notorious B.I.G.’s song “Juicy” is another example of how tragic events can provoke censorship. The line “time to get paid/blow up like the World Trade” was removed from the song after the September 11 attacks. This line was initially referencing the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, using the phrase “blow up” as slang for achieving quick and sudden fame.

20. “Lola,” The Kinks (June 12, 1970) The Kinks’ “Lola” was a popular single that reached #2 on UK charts and #9 in the U.S. This song faced censorship on less common ground than most. The original studio recording contained the word “Coca-Cola” in the lyrics, which violated BBC Radio’s policy against product placement. The songwriter, Ray Davies, was forced to interrupt the Kinks’ American tour so he could change the lyric to “cherry cola” for the single’s release. He made a 6,ooo mile round trip flight from New York to London and back just for this purpose.

19. “If U Seek Amy,” Britney Spears (March 10, 2009) This controversial single whose chorus and title sound like “F-U-C-K me” when sung, was censored in the U.S. and the UK. Initially unsure on whether the double entendre was in fact censorship material, U.S. radio stations changed the title to “If U See Amy” and BBC radio simply changed it to “Amy.” This was after the Parents Television Council (PTC) threatened to file complaints against the FCC if the track was played. These threats were extended to cable music channels, but they were not taken seriously.

18. “Louie, Louie,” the Kingsmen (May 1963) The Kingsmen’s version of “Louie, Louie” faced bans on U.S. radio due to obscene lyrics. The band attempted to cover up the sexual content by slurring the lyrics, beginning a 31-month FBI investigation of the song. The investigation was inconclusive as they were unable to interpret the true lyrics– but the Kingsmen’s drummer, Lynn Easton, later confessed to yelling “fuck” during the song’s recording after dropping a drumstick. Controversy over the song resurfaced in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 2005 when a school superintendent prohibited a marching band’s rendition of the song during a parade.

17. “Walk Like an Egyptian,” The Bangles (September 1986) “Walk Like an Egyptian” is another song banned by both BBC in 1991 and Clear Channel Communications in 2001. Again, the purpose of this was to avoid offending those who would relate this song and its references to Egypt to the conflicts in the Middle East.

16. “Why,” Jadakiss (July 16, 2004) “Why” was censored by radio stations and Jadakiss’ own record label, Interscope (which sent an edited version to MTV), for lyrics suggesting President Bush was involved in the 9/11 attacks.

15. “The Hand That Feeds,” Nine Inch Nails (March 28, 2005) Nine Inch Nails dropped out of the MTV Movie Awards after being prohibited from using an image of President George W. Bush as a backdrop to their performance. This song also included political statements, which MTV was uncomfortable televising.

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 song was that the music video featured a gay couple holding hands (who comically ignored Olivia’s advances throughout the video). The scene caused the video to be banned by some broadcasters, and even MTV censored it.

13. “Light My Fire,” The Doors (September 1967) The Doors were blacklisted from The Ed Sullivan Show on September 17, 1967 after failing to change the line “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher”–which seemed to be referencing drug use– to “Girl, we couldn’t get much better.” Lead singer Jim Morrison had initially agreed to self-censor during his performance; but like many artists, he could not resist presenting his work in its true form. BBC also banned this song 24 years later, this time because of the word “fire.” This was done to avoid upsetting radio listeners during by the Persian Gulf War. Another Doors song, “Unknown Soldier,” was also banned for its anti-war message.

12. “This Note’s For You,” Neil Young (April 11, 1988) This ballsy parody of commercial rock was banned by MTV for its critique of the music industry’s cozy relationship with corporate America. The song and video mocked advertisements and did not shy away from dropping company names– the title itself is a jab at Budweiser’s ad campaign of “This Bud’s For You.” The song also made fun of pop artists such as Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Jackson’s legal threats prompted MTV to ban the video. They changed their minds when the song became a hit on Canada’s MuchMusic channel

.

11. “Take the Power Back,” Rage Against the Machine (November 3, 1992) After Cholla High Magnet School teachers used this song in a Mexican-American history class, Superintendent John Huppenthal issued a “notice of noncompliance” to the Tucson Unified School District. So in January 2015, over 20 years after the song was released, Rage Against the Machine’s lyrics–along with KRS-One’s hip-hop teachings– were deemed to be against Arizona state law, which states that schools cannot “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”

10. “Relax,” Frankie Goes to Hollywood (October 24, 1983) On January 11, 1984, Radio 1 disc jockey Mike Read publicly expressed his distaste of the song “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. He said that he refused to play it and subsequently took the record off his turntable and broke it in two. Without consulting Read, Radio 1 had decided to pull the record–which ironically sent it straight to number one on the charts for a five-week stay.

9. “Your Revolution,” Sarah Jones (September 4th, 2002) After airing “Your Revolution,” a song that critiqued hip hop’s treatment of women, a radio station was issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) by the FCC, which deemed the song obscene. Jones attempted to sue the FCC which resulted in the removal of the NAL which would have fined the radio station $7,000. However, Jones’ case was dismissed.

8. “Imagine,” John Lennon (October 11, 1971) Another object of Clear Channel’s post-9/11 bans (this one rather ironic), John Lennon’s ballad about peace has been both loved and hated worldwide. Religious groups criticize it for the line “imagine there’s no heaven,” but that did not stop it from topping charts and earning widespread critical acclaim. Along with Clear Channel’s ban, BBC also took this song off the air in 1991 because of the Gulf War.

7. “God Save the Queen,” The Sex Pistols (May 27, 1977) This extremely controversial song was denied airplay by BBC in 1977 due to its criticism of the British government–despite the fact that it had reached number two in the BBC’s own charts. Later, police harassed the band when it performed the song from a boat on the Thames.

6. “The Real Slim Shady,” Eminem (May 16, 2000) The FCC fined Colorado Springs Radio (KKMG-FM) $7,000 in June of 2001 for playing the edited – or clean – version of this song. While this version featured no explicit language, the FCC issued the fine because of the song’s sexual references and themes. The commission put guidelines in place earlier in 2001 stating that context and innuendo alone could get a station in trouble for violating its decency standards.

5. “Walk On,” U2 (February 20, 2001) U2’s album, All You Can’t Leave Behind, was banned in Burma due to its track “Walk On.” This song demonstrates support for the country’s democratic movement and was dedicated to activist Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was placed under house arrest for her activism.

4. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” The Rolling Stones (June 6, 1965) In 1965, during a performance of this world-famous chart-topper on ABC’s music variety show, Shindig!, the song’s line “trying to make some girl” was censored. Not surprisingly, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” had faced much criticism for its sexual innuendo and critical statements about commercialism. However, when the Rolling Stones performed the song again 40 years later during the February 2006 Super Bowl XL halftime show, this was the only song that wasn’t censored.

3. “Like a Prayer,” Madonna (March 3, 1989) Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” sparked major controversy worldwide. The American Family Association and The Vatican condemned the music video for its supposedly blasphemous imagery. Religious groups also began protesting the song after it was used in a Pepsi commercial. Pepsi eventually decided to cancel the advertising campaign. Meanwhile, Pope John Paul II encouraged people to boycott Madonna’s concerts in Italy in 1990 shortly after the song’s release. Madonna has also been banned in Egypt and faced restrictions in Russia.

2. “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” The Beatles (June 1, 1967) The Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, sparked a great deal of controversy upon its release due to its numerous perceived drug references. Over half of the songs were commonly believed to contain drug-related themes, specifically “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” which many believed to be a crafty acronym for the drug LSD. This resulted in the BBC banning the song from British radio, along with other popular tracks on the album such as “A Day in the Life.” “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” was also banned by Clear Channel Communications after 9/11.

1. “Cop Killer,” Body Count (March 10, 1992) When talking about controversial music, there are few more shining examples than “Cop Killer.” Recorded by Ice-T’s rock group Body Count, “Cop Killer” is a heated song about a victim of police brutality who violently takes matters into his own hands. The song faced criticism from law enforcement agencies, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), President George H.W. Bush and the public in general. Some people responded through protests and boycotts of any company associated with the distribution of the record. This caused sales to skyrocket, but also prompted certain stores to take the album off their shelves. Some countries, such as New Zealand, attempted to have the song and the rap group itself completely banned. Stockholders threatened to pull out from Warner Bros Records and executives received death threats. While Ice-T stood by his work, stating that it was a protest song meant to reflect hateful emotions rather than encourage violence, he subsequently decided to recall the album, removing the trouble-making song upon re-release.



IS THAT ENOUGH? OR DO YOU WANT MORE? LMK
Member
Posts: 12,977
Joined: Oct 30 2020
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Jul 22 2023 02:40pm
Quote (Crunkt @ Jul 22 2023 01:34pm)
google is this very very simple website you can go to and type things into it and it tells you about history

its a pretty cool thing you should try it sometime instead of licking a wall as a hobby

Believe it or not its not my job to educate you on simple facts and history and the body of knowledge. That is what school was for.. You know? The thing you spent your entire time sticking crayons in your ears?

20. Heaven 17

(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (1981)

A nervy BBC banned the Human League splinter group’s funky debut single for potentially libelling the US’s new president Ronald Reagan as a “fascist god in motion”. Reagan probably had bigger problems, given that he survived an assassination attempt later that March. Political references aside, Fascist Groove Thang remains depressingly relevant.
19. The Who

My Generation (1965)

The Who’s single didn’t fall foul of the prudish BBC for flipping off their wartime elders or espousing nihilism, but because the corporation worried that Roger Daltrey’s stutter – “Why don’t you all f-fade away” – might offend people afflicted with the condition. (It eventually backed down.)
18. Neil Young

This Note’s for You (1988)

By declaring that he “ain’t singing” for Pepsi, Young is effectively doing its bidding for free. Still, the video is a great satire of 80s corporate rock: a dog in sunglasses licks his chops at a bikini-clad girl, and a Michael Jackson lookalike catches fire, leading MTV to ban the clip after threats from MJ’s lawyers.
17. Lady Gaga

Judas (2011)

Lebanese officials unfortunately agreed with Gaga’s claim, in her single Judas – released at Easter, no less – that “in the most Biblical sense / I am beyond repentance”. It was banned from radio and police impounded boxes of its parent album, Born This Way, when they arrived at Beirut international airport. (They also eventually gave in.)
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’s dirty minds. There are plenty of things that ONJ could have be talking about doing “horizontally” with her beau. Spirit levels. Barre classes. Sanding. Breaststroke.
15. The Beatles

Happiness Is a Warm Gun (1968)

Another instance of the BBC’s gift for misinterpretation. The Beatles’ track was not censored for referencing firearms, or for its phallic implications, but, John Lennon claimed, for being “about shooting up drugs”. Given that the phrase came from Charlie Brown, it would have been an endearingly innocent heroin reference.
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14. Robin Thicke feat TI and Pharrell

Blurred Lines (2013)

Banned by dozens of student unions for its coercive lyrics, Blurred Lines started an important conversation about pop’s sexual politics. The video is as objectionable as the lyrics, but the song remains sort of irresistible. That must be the Marvin Gaye part.
13. Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Spasticus Autisticus (1981)

Dury wrote Spasticus Autisticus to protest against what he saw as the patronising International Year of Disabled Persons, and then it was blocked by the BBC, which deemed Dury’s descriptions of physical disability offensive. Redemption finally came at the 2012 Paralympic opening ceremony, where it was sung by a group of performers with disabilities.
Wreckers of civilisation! ... Abba.
Wreckers of civilisation! ... Abba. Photograph: Olle Lindeborg/EPA
12. Abba

Waterloo (1974)

During the Gulf war, the reliably literal BBC wasn’t taking any chances, and expunged 67 songs – featuring even the vaguest and most metaphorical references to armies, fighting, boats, killing, cavalry or the Middle East – from its playlists. Among them, Abba’s notoriously hawkish hit, Waterloo. Don’t mention the ... 1974 Eurovision Song Contest?
11. NWA

Fuck Tha Police (1988)

Fuck Tha Police didn’t need banning: it was too profane for radio broadcast anyway. But that didn’t deter Australia’s Triple J, which happily played it for six months. Then the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (under pressure from a rightwing senator) banned it. Triple J protested by putting NWA’s Express Yourself on loop for 24 hours.
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10. 2 Live Crew

Me So Horny (1989)

The standout from the Florida group’s album As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which was ruled obscene and produced a cracking defence from Christopher Hitchens, who called the judge and sheriff a “pair of racist shitheads who should be told to fuck right off”. Despite being cartoonishly puerile, it seems weirdly innocent now.
9. Lil Louis

French Kiss (1989)

French Kiss features a woman having a lovely time and was initially banned by the BBC for the charmingly coy crime of “heavy breathing”. Lest you thought society was finally OK with female pleasure, Ofcom found the east London digital station 883 Centreforce in breach of its broadcast standards for playing it one lunchtime last August.
8. Queen

I Want to Break Free (1984)

Many claim that MTV banned this Corrie-spoofing video, although accounts conflict as to whether that really happened. Regardless, the US didn’t take to Freddie Mercury in drag: Brian May recalled midwestern radio programmers saying: “We can’t possibly play this. You know, it looks homosexual.” (MTV did ban the raunchier video for 1982’s less good Body Language.)
7. Madonna

Justify My Love (1990)

Justify My Love was accused of being so outrageous that Madonna had to invent a new format to contain her smuttiness: when MTV pulled the video for being too sexually explicit, she released the first ever VHS single (certified 18). It was a global hit, the clunky format a testament to the tenacity of perverts everywhere.
6. Billie Holiday

Strange Fruit (1939)

Columbia refused to let Holiday record it; when Commodore Records did, Atlantic co-founder Ahmet Ertegun called it “the beginning of the civil rights movement”. Strange Fruit – a song about lynchings – was considered so powerful that some US cities banned it, worried it would provoke civil disharmony.
Attaching lust to love ... George Michael.
Attaching lust to love ... George Michael. Photograph: Channel 4
5. George Michael

I Want Your Sex (1987)

Once again, in an attempt to protect the nation – this time from the promotion of casual sex – the BBC missed the mark and ended perpetuating dodgy stereotypes: Michael reprimanded them for “[dividing] sex and love incredibly”, and asserted that I Want Your Sex “is about attaching lust to love, not just to strangers”.
4. Loretta Lynn

The Pill (1975)

Lynn’s iconic hit details more than just the liberation from pregnancy offered by the contraceptive pill, including the fun she will have, the clothes she will wear, how “the feelin’ good comes easy now / Since I got the pill”. Naturally, country radio flipped its wig at the scandalous notion of a woman enjoying sex and banned it widely.
3. Donna Summer

Love to Love You Baby (1975)

The orgasmic obstacle strikes again as Donna Summer unleashes her majestic carnal rhapsodies amid Giorgio Moroder’s arpeggiations. What radio stations banned, discos lapped up. Why is it that the sound of female climax is prohibited in pop, yet male guitarists get to play great wanking guitar solos until kingdom, well, come?
2. Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin

Je T’aime ... Moi Non Plus (1969)

The ne plus ultra of coming on strong, this breathy 1969 (nice) single upset everyone from Portugal to the pope (whom Gainsbourg called, per Birkin, “our greatest PR man”). Little did they know that, three decades later, Birkin’s rhapsodic delivery would be appropriated by M&S ads hawking posh salmon.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Photograph: Michael Putland/Getty Images
1. Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Relax (1984)

In January 1984, Mike Read yanked Relax off Radio 1 before the song had finished playing, appalled after having realised that they weren’t singing about, you know, calisthenics. Despite his rashness, Read was pretty slow off the mark: Frankie’s label ZTT had already taken out ads that included such phrases as “all the nice boys love sea men” and “nineteen inches that must be taken always”. Of course, it went on to be a giant hit, spending 52 weeks in the Top 75. It just goes to show, the best way to suppress smut is – like a pervert on public transport – just to ignore it.


Quote (Crunkt @ Jul 22 2023 01:38pm)
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13 Classic Songs You Didn’t Know Were Banned
Laura Grande | September 1st, 2017

Photo: Getty Images
The banning of classic songs has a long, storied—and often ridiculous—history. We look back at some of the more famous ones.

While having your song publicly admonished by censorship boards may sound like a death knell to musicians trying to make it onto the charts, it would appear that, for the most part, a banned ditty results in a monstrous hit. You’d think the censorship boards would’ve pick up on that by now—the more you ban something, the more likely people are to seek it out and embrace it.

1. “Strange Fruit” (Billie Holiday, 1939)
Reason: Controversial subject matter

Based on a 1937 poem by Abel Meeropol, “Strange Fruit” was a protest against racism in America, particularly the lynchings of African-Americans in the South. Although accounts vary as to how Billie Holiday was first introduced to the song, she was initially turned down by her recording label, Columbia, when she approached them about recording it. Fearing it would be too controversial and receive negative reactions from the South, her producer, John Hammond, refused to work with her on it. Instead, Holiday turned to Commodore producer Milt Gabler. Holiday requested—and received—a one-day release from her studio contract to record “Strange Fruit” with Gabler. Although it was immediately banned in the Deep South (which came as no surprise), it went on to become a massive success for Holiday. In 1978, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.


2. “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead” (from The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
Reason: “A celebration of death”

This one may raise a few eyebrows: “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead”—that colourful little ditty from The Wizard of Oz—was briefly banned by the BBC Trust following the April 2013 death of former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Following the passing of the divisive Thatcher, the Oz track reached number two on the BBC Radio One charts. Thatcher opponents had started a campaign to get the song to reach the top of the charts, but their attempts were thwarted when Radio One refused to give the song airtime, saying it “was clearly a celebration of death.”

3. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (Jimmy Boyd, 1952)
Reason: For mingling Christmas with kissing/sex

Who knew a little holiday song commissioned by Saks Fifth Avenue (to promote their Christmas cards) could stir up such controversy? After reaching No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart in December 1952, the song came under fire from the Roman Catholic Church in Boston on the grounds that it mingled “Christmas” with “kissing.” The short-lived ban was ultimately lifted when the song’s 13-year-old singer, Jimmy Boyd, met with the Archdiocese to explain the song.

4. “Wake Up Little Susie” (The Everly Brothers, 1958)
Reason: Teen sex

It’s fairly innocent stuff: Told from the point of view of a teen and his girlfriend, Susie, the song revolves around the young couple’s date in which they accidentally fall asleep and don’t wake up until 4:00 in the morning. Once again, the Roman Catholic Church in Boston were up in arms, claiming the song was too vague about what exactly had transpired between the lovebirds before they fell asleep. The Everly Brothers, known for their wholesome brand of rock n’ roll, were surprised by the ban, but it ultimately had little affect on the songs popularity.

5. “Splish Splash” (Bobby Darin, 1958)
Reason: Nudity

A man, a bathtub, a towel—the controversy! A handful of radio stations across North America banned this catchy ditty because some listeners were uncomfortable with its subject matter—a man takes a bath, climbs out of the tub and walks into another room before wrapping a towel around his nether regions. For some, it conjured inappropriate images of Bobby Darin nude. The horror! Regardless of the ban, the kids dug it and “Splish Splash” became one of Darrin’s most famous songs.

6. “Puff the Magic Dragon” (Peter, Paul and Mary, 1962)
Reason: Alleged drug references

It wasn’t until 1970, eight years after its initial release, that “Puff the Magic Dragon” came under fire. American Vice-President Spiro Agnew believed that rock music and its “blatant drug culture propaganda” was threatening to “sap our national strength unless we move hard and fast to bring it under control.” And that little magic dragon made Agnew’s hit list (along with The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”). Sure, the song references “autumn mist”, “little Jackie paper” and, well, a “dragon,” but the song’s composer, Peter Yarrow, denied that the song was anything more than fantasy.

7. “Louie Louie” (The Kingsmen, 1963)
Reason: Questionable (read: confusing) lyrics

The rhythm and blues hit was originally a 1955 Richard Berry track, but it was The Kingsmen’s 1963 cover that caught the attention of the censorship boards. Admittedly, the lyrics are a little garbled on this song—much like the reasoning behind its ban. Due to the incomprehensible lyrics on the poor-quality track, it was automatically assumed that it was done intentionally to cover foul language. The FBI were asked to intervene and gauge whether it violated laws on the transportation of obscene material. No official lyrics were ever published for the song and, after a two-year investigation that yielded little, the FBI closed the file on “Louie Louie.”

8. “My Generation” (The Who, 1965)
Reason: Allegedly pokes fun at people who stammer

No, it didn’t create a storm of controversy for the fact that it was a youth rebellion anthem—it actually started with a simple mistake. When Roger Daltry was first recording it in the studio, he stumbled over Pete Townshend’s lyrics: “Why don’t you all fade away” became “why don’t you f-f-fade away.” Townshend loved the accidental stammer so much that he suggested Daltry do it again elsewhere in the song (“don’t try to dig what we all s-s-say”). And while some objected to the “f-f-fade” because it sounded like the beginnings of a certain other four-letter F-word, the BBC actually took offense to the lyric for an entirely different reason—they believed it poked fun at people who stammer.

9. “God Only Knows” (The Beach Boys, 1966)
Reason: Blasphemy

Prior to the track’s release, “God” rarely ever appeared in titles for mainstream songs. Although the song never refers to a specific religious figure (Brian Wilson said it could refer to “any higher force” and was about moving forward after loss), it was banned by some radio stations across the US. It’s purported crime was blasphemy.

10. “Brown Eyed Girl” (Van Morrison, 1967)
Reason: Suggestive lyrics

It came down to one specific lyric: “Making love in the green grass.” Deemed too suggestive by numerous radio stations across North America, “Brown Eyed Girl” was nevertheless a monumental success for Van Morrison. Many stations compromised by releasing a radio-friendly edit of the song, replacing “making love in the green grass” with a lyric sung earlier in the song, “laughin’ and a-runnin’, hey hey.”

11. “Happiness is a Warm Gun” (The Beatles, 1968)
Reason: Sexual content

This list could easily be made up entirely of Beatles’ songs that have been banned over the years. The Fab Four were known to stir up controversy across the globe for their revolutionary sound and unconventional lyrics. But it’s this John Lennon-penned track that really had the BBC up in arms. Lennon was accused of referring to his sexual desire for Yoko Ono as a “warm gun.” The phallic imagery didn’t go over well and both British and American censors refused to give it air time.

12. “Lola” (The Kinks, 1970)
Reason: Free advertising

The upbeat track about a young man who has a romantic encounter with a transvestite in Soho, London didn’t court controversy for the reason you’d think. Sure, the subject matter was controversial and a handful of stations banned it specifically for that reason alone; however, it was BBC Radio’s objections to the lyric “Where they drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola” that garnered the most attention. The reason for their concern? It was free advertising for Coca-Cola, a big no-no for the strictly non-commercial station. Singer Ray Davies re-recorded the track and changed “Coca-Cola” to “cherry cola.”

13. “Love to Love You, Baby” (Donna Summer, 1975)
Reason: Simulated orgasms

TIME referred to Donna Summer’s hit 17-minute single as a “marathon of 22 orgasms.” Yes…they actually counted. In a 1976 interview, Summer was asked about the recording. When the journalist wondered if she’d touched herself when she first sang it, Summer’s slyly responded: “Yes, well, actually I had my hand on my knee.” But not everyone found it amusing. The track was banned from numerous radio stations across North America, yet the disco hit found mass appeal regardless.

https://www.everythingzoomer.com/arts-entertainment/2023/07/21/marom/


stay woke.
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Jul 22 2023 02:42pm
Quote (Cbramgar @ 22 Jul 2023 16:40)
stay woke.


only the right says woke

telling people to wake up is a term that started in the early internet days especially after 9/11 when it became clear the billionaires take advantage of the law and all of us all of the time. The Republicans have mind fucked you plebs into thinking 'being woke' is now something completely different so that you don't actively talk about blaming billionaires for taking advantage of everyone.

That is why people told other people to wake up when this all started. Good job being the product of mind control fuckery to now take blame away from billionaires for wreking all of us plebs everyday and instead the right now has you using the same term to bitch about people who care about facts and reality.


also saw this, pretty funny ngl


This post was edited by Crunkt on Jul 22 2023 03:06pm
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Jul 22 2023 09:05pm
Quote (Crunkt @ Jul 22 2023 12:39pm)
Turn That Down! 40 Banned and Censored Songs



IS THAT ENOUGH? OR DO YOU WANT MORE? LMK



literally one song from within the last '10 years' as stated and said song:The original version of the music video for “Blurred Lines” was initially pulled from YouTube because it featured nudity. An edited version was put up


a lazy attempt at best. but i guess i see your point now.


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Jul 22 2023 09:08pm
maybe country music is not for me but i don't see much wrong with this song
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Jul 22 2023 09:28pm
country ain't really my thing, but that song is a good piece of art
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Jul 22 2023 09:41pm
Now... This might be a stupid question. But why are yall hogs upset CMT is boycotting this dude? Arent Hogs going off right now and happily boycotting Bud light because of some chick? Hogs are literally doing the same thing to Target and Barbie and Bud light and shit? and getting mad? when? CMT? Does? It? Hello? anybody home?

GOOD THING THE SUPREME COURT JUST PASSED A RULING (OVER A CASE THAT NEVER NEVER HAPPENED, AND WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO THE SUPREME COURT AS A CASE, THEY JUST FELT LIKE RULING ON IT, BECAUSE, FEELINGS, I GUESS) THAT MAKES IT OKAY FOR BUSINESSES TO DISCRIMINATE BASED ON THE PATRONS BELIEFS! HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND!


This post was edited by Crunkt on Jul 22 2023 09:43pm
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Jul 22 2023 09:58pm
1. Sucker punching someone on the sidewalk
2. Carjacking an old lady at a stoplight
3. Robbing a liquor store
4. Cussing out a cop
5. Burning an American flag

Every day shit in the small town i grew up in, the flags were australian though.

This post was edited by Plaguefear on Jul 22 2023 09:58pm
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Jul 22 2023 10:00pm
Quote (Plaguefear @ 22 Jul 2023 23:58)
1. Sucker punching someone on the sidewalk
2. Carjacking an old lady at a stoplight
3. Robbing a liquor store
4. Cussing out a cop
5. Burning an American flag

Every day shit in the small town i grew up in, the flags were australian though.




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