Radio edits, music video bans and other censorship proves sometimes society just can’t handle rock’n’roll.
In the US, censors frequently cut out profanity and lurid lyrics. But censors have restricted music for nudity, blasphemy and perceived anti-patriotism as well. In tribute to IFC’s the Spoils Before Dying, a three-night TV series that features content banned in the 1950s for its explicit use of jazz, here are seven examples of musicians whose work raised eyebrows – while provoking outrage and robust debate.
Billie Holiday, Strange Fruit: Often considered one of America’s first protest songs, Strange Fruit boldly tackled the South’s violent racial history in 1939. Holiday often declined to perform the song in Southern venues; numerous radio stations acted to suppress it while South African radio banned the song during apartheid. Many decried Holiday’s precious work as “propaganda”, yet Time magazine eventually named Strange Fruit the “song of the century” in 1999.
The Rolling Stones, Let’s Spend the Night Together: In 1967, the Rolling Stones were invited to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, provided they edit the lyrics of their steamy song to “let’s spend some time together”. The band complied, but other musicians – including The Doors and Bob Dylan – would not be so co-operative with Sullivan.
The Sex Pistols, God Save the Queen: The BBC banned this punk track because of its attack on the monarchy, but the Sex Pistols would not be silenced. During the Queen’s silver jubilee in 1977, the band performed the song from a boat on the Thames River, after which they were arrested.
Madonna, Justify My Love: The sexual explicitness in Madonna’s video for the song, released in 1990, even provoked an MTV ban. The video depicted various forms of sexual “deviance”, including sadomasochism, bisexuality, group sex and androgyny – all radical and shocking stuff just coming off the conservative 1980s.
The Dixie Chicks: When singer Natalie Maine told a London crowd in 2003 she was “ashamed the US president is from Texas”, many censors and fans were appalled. The Texan singers received death threats. Conservative former fans burned the Dixie Chicks’ records. Clear Channel and Cumulus Media, together owning nearly 1,500 radio stations, banned their music out of respect for the government.
Eminem, Mosh: Various radio stations and mammoth retailers such as Walmart censored this anti-war track, released shortly before the 2004 presidential election. It was famously controversial for this line: “Strap Bush with AK-47, let him go/Fight his own war, let him impress daddy that way.” Several other Eminem tracks also referenced the death of the president.
Pussy Riot: The Russian collective feminist punk group’s performances are about political protest rather than musical merit. The 11-member group stages guerrilla-style public performances, during which they cover their faces with balaclavas. Their attack of Putin and the Catholic Church, performed in a Moscow cathedral in February 2012, led to police arresting three members on hooliganism charges. All three have since been released from prison. Video footage of the event is also banned in Russia.