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Turn that down!
Whilst some songs are written to provoke, others have been heavily misinterpreted. Tom Jones' 1967 hit ‘Delilah’ was recently banned from the Six Nations tournament playlist by the Welsh Rugby union after it unofficially became their soundtrack and depicts murder. From Christian blasphemy to overly-explicit lyrics, these songs have all been banned or censored... (©BANG Showbiz)
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Lady Gaga: Judas (2011)
Lebanese officials impounded copies of ‘Born This Way’ after the albums hit single ‘Judas’ was deemed “offensive to Christianity”. Catholic officials criticised the blasphemous track as offensive to Christianity for its lines "I'm just a holy fool but I'm still in love with Judas” were insulting to Jesus and Virgin Mary. (©BANG Showbiz)
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Olivia Newton-John: Physical (1981)
The single was the most successful song of Olivia's career, selling more than 10 million copies. However, it was banned upon initial release for being “too raunchy”. The late ‘Grease’ star admitted she was hesitant about the song and even tried to stop it from being released but was later thrilled and honoured that people still loved it decades later. (©BANG Showbiz)
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David Bowie: Space Oddity (1969)
1969 marked history after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot upon the moon in spacecraft Apollo 11. Five days before the US launched mission Apollo, Bowie paradoxically released hit single ‘Space Oddity’ which depicts a darker story of an astronaut who’s sent to space but loses all communication down on Earth. The song was banned by the BBC after they were infuriated by the controversial song ahead of Apollo’s launch. (©BANG Showbiz)
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Sex Pistols: God Save The Queen (1977)
‘God Save The Queen’ was an anarchist anthem and got banned from the radio in the UK due to it being set to hit the number one spot during late Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. The Sex Pistols and their fans were known for opposing the monarchy and attempted to play the song from the Thames river, outside of Buckingham Palace on the day. The punk rock band re-released the single during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee intending to nab the UK No1 spot again. (©BANG Showbiz)
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The Beatles: Happiness is a Warm Gun (1968)
It was one of The Beatles favourite songs on the album that was banned by all radios over its “sexually suggestive” language and drug references. Whilst some interpreted the gun as a “phallic symbol of virility and power" others took it to represent practice of taking heroin. Late band member John Lennon always denied the song was about the illegal drug. Lennon - who was a user of the opioid - said: “'Happiness Is A Warm Gun’ was another one which was banned on the radio – they said it was about shooting up drugs. But they were advertising guns and I thought it was so crazy that I made a song out of it. It wasn’t about ‘H’ at all.” (©BANG Showbiz)
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Madonna: Like a Prayer (1989)
The Queen of Pop has always pushed boundaries and questioned societal norms in her songs, her videos and her shows. In 1989, Madonna released 'Like a Prayer’ and the video was deemed to be blasphemous by the Catholic church due to the depiction of an black Jesus who she kisses. Italian Roman Catholic historian Roberto Mattei said at the time: “The video is a blasphemy and insult because it shows immoral acts inside a church.” (©BANG Showbiz)
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Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin: Je T’aime Moi Non Plus (1969)
The breathy ballad has become synonymous with Marks and Spencer taste the difference advert which pushes tantalizingly tasty treats. But upon original release the song caused a huge uproar and was banned from multiple countries. Written as a love song for Brigitte Bardot, the song includes the scandalous moans of Jane Birkin. Whilst it became the first foreign language song to reach No 1 in the UK charts, it was also the first to be banned in the UK alongside Italy, Sweden and Spain. (©BANG Showbiz)
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Donna Summer: Love to Love You Baby (1975)
Inspired by the foxy French number, the late Queen of Disco replicated the euphoric groans in the track, which Donna apparently recorded sprawled across the floor in a dark room pretending to be Marilyn Monroe. The song - produced by Pete Bellotte, and written by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, Summer, and Bellotte - was banned by the BBC for being too explicit with Time magazine claiming it was a “marathon of 22 o******" Donna said at the time: "Everyone’s asking… Did you touch yourself? Yes, well, actually I had my hand on my knee.” (©BANG Showbiz)
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George Micheal: I Want Your Sex (1987)
He was one of the best-selling musicians of all time with sales of over 120 million records. Sex positive single ‘I Want Your Sex’ was certified platinum for sales in excess of two million. However, the song was restricted by the BBC post watershed claiming it was promoting casual sex as it contains the lyrics “sex is natural, sex is fun” and would hinder the efforts to contain the spread of AIDS. (©BANG Showbiz)
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Robin Thicke: Blurred Lines (2013)
Robin Thicke caused a lot of controversy when he released his 2013 R&B tune with Pharrell Williams, Some groups claimed the lyrics were misogynistic and even promoting a culture of date rape. The video - which featured dancing models, including Emily Ratajkowski, in their birthday suits - also had to be censored to make it onto TV. It was then banned from some institutions and students' unions at universities in the UK. (©BANG Showbiz)
Whilst some songs are written to provoke, others have been heavily misinterpreted.
