Though streaming has made the radio somewhat antiquated, there is one place where programmers still hold the keys to success: country radio. Country music continues to measure success from airplay and chart metrics. So, when a country radio station decides to blacklist a song, it can be a major blockade in an artist’s career. Sometimes the decision to ban a song is justified, but other times it’s just plain silly. The latter is true of the three rejected country songs, below.
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“Follow Your Arrow” (Kacey Musgraves)
Kacey Musgraves‘ “Follow Your Arrow” doesn’t seem too “out-there” by modern standards, but in 2013, Musgraves was one of the few touting these kinds of progressive beliefs in country music. Kiss lots of boys / Or kiss lots of girls, if that’s somethin’ you’re into / When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight / Roll up a joint, or don’t, she sings in this country song, expressing her tolerance for different walks of life.
Despite many fans appreciating Musgraves’ vote of support, more conservative leaning stations didn’t get on board. Because of this, “Follow Your Arrow” was rejected by many programmers.
[RELATED: Kacey Musgraves Wants to Clear Up a Misconception About Country Music]
“Rated X” (Loretta Lynn)
Loretta Lynn was no stranger to a radio ban. She pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in the early ’70s. Take “Rated X” for example. This song tackles the negative way women are viewed post-divorce. Why, us women don’t have a chance / ‘Cause if you’ve been married, you can’t have no fun at all / No, you’re rated X, Lynn sings. Lynn dared to say what everyone was thinking in this country song and some radio stations didn’t take kindly to her candor.
The song was banned by several stations for its content. However that didn’t stop the song from becoming a major success for Lynn. Many fans appreciated her brazen approach.
“Before He Cheats” (Carrie Underwood)
Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” was far from banned in the U.S. In fact, it received endless amounts of airplay, earning Underwood once of her biggest hits ever. However, a radio station (Kiss 105.3) in Canada did ban this country song (and all her other music) in 2011. Their reasoning had nothing to do with the violent revenge Underwood “commits” in this track. No, the reason was far sillier.
The radio station banned Underwood in response to her hockey player husband, Mike Fisher, being traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Nashville Predators. Though the ban likely didn’t hurt Underwood’s standing very much, she and Fisher reportedly didn’t take it lightly.
“I heard about it right away and Carrie heard about it and she was extremely disappointed and frustrated,” Fisher said at the time. “I think they meant it as a joke that really wasn’t funny.”
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Grand Ole Opry)
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