Music videos have been an important part of rock music for decades. During the MTV era, tons of big names in rock music released countless music videos for their songs. However, times were different back in the 1980s through the early 2000s. Quite a few of those famed rock music videos were considered too controversial for television and were banned for years. Let’s dive into a few taboo examples!
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “Girls, Girls, Girl” by Mötley Crüe
This is a very popular example of rock music videos that got banned for being too controversial. Mötley Crüe was once the go-to band for decadence, hedonism, and excess in the mid-1980s. Their song “Girls, Girls, Girls” was on the tamer side compared to some of their other hit songs. However, the music video for that particular track was considered way too explicit for public television.
The now-famous MV was shot at a well-known strip club in Los Angeles, and the original video featured quite a bit of nudity. MTV banned that version from even making it to their network, though they did accept a significantly cut and censored version later on.
2. “Happiness In Slavery” by Nine Inch Nails
You’ll be hard-pressed to find the full music video for “Happiness In Slavery” anywhere online. This 1993 MV was quite the kinky release, complete with visual depictions of pain, pleasure, blood, violence, nudity, and death. It was banned by almost every TV network in the United States and beyond.
3. “Body Language” by Queen
Music videos were still considered quite new in 1982. When it came to censorship, things were still on the conservative side back then. So, it’s not very surprising that the music video for “Body Language” was considered too hot and heavy for television. One particular shot of a group of men and women covered in sweat and leather made MTV decide to ban it for a while, even though no actual nudity was shown.
4. “Low” by Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are known for their killer music videos, but rarely has a television network ever outright banned one of them. “Low” never gets too crazy, though it does depict Dave Grohl and Jack Black in drag, getting wasted, and tearing apart a hotel room. MTV banned it in 2003.
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5. “Prison Sex” by Tool
“Prison Sex” is one of the few rock music videos on our list that was banned despite not featuring any nudity or violence. Rather, this extremely creative stop-motion film from Tool was thought-provoking and disturbing. According to MTV, that was enough to ban it from their network. Ironically, the video ended up winning an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects in 1995.
6. “Jesus Christ Pose” by Soundgarden
If sex and violence were no-gos in the 1990s on MTV, then depicting women, skeletons, and vegetables on crosses was definitely also a no-go. “Jesus Christ Pose” pushed the envelope with its depictions of the Christian cross in a variety of ways. Soundgarden received quite a few death threats over this one, and MTV banned the video soon after.
Photo by Mark Weiss
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