4 Classic Songs that Faced Backlash Upon Release

Music fans have several ways to find new tunes today. Digital streaming platforms, YouTube, and other bastions of art and music offer countless hours of content. However, that wasn’t the case just a few decades ago. Then, people had to rely on the radio or their local record store to find their new favorite songs, bands, or albums. Unfortunately, many classic songs faced backlash that limited their exposure upon their initial release.

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Radio stations in the United States and the United Kingdom censored or outright banned many songs for seemingly insignificant infractions. Fortunately, though, the songs and artists endured the backlash long enough for the songs to become classics. In the modern age, most wouldn’t bat an eye at the songs below. More than that, many music fans likely sing along with them on a regular basis.

[RELATED: 4 of the Most Controversial Banned Songs Ever Pulled From Radio]

“Money” by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd released “Money” as a single from their breakthrough album Dark Side of the Moon in 1973. It was the band’s first hit in the United States, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Today, the song is a staple of classic rock radio, but it faced some backlash upon its initial release.

“Money” is a sharp critique of consumerism and capitalism. Those themes raised some eyebrows at the time, especially in the United States. Additionally, the song contains the word “bullsh*t,” which led to it being either censored or banned from radio stations across the country.

“Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed

Lou Reed released “Walk on the Wild Side” as a single from Transformer in 1972. The counterculture classic became Reed’s biggest hit and signature song, but it didn’t do so without facing some backlash upon its release. References to LGBTQ+ people, sex, prostitution, and drug use made the song controversial at the time.

Many stations across the United States refused to play the song or would only play a censored version. Despite that, though, it peaked at No. 16 on the Hot 100, giving him his only appearance on the chart.

3. “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John released “Physical” as the lead single and title track of her 1981 album. The song went on to become a pop classic and Newton-John’s biggest hit, but its suggestive themes caused some early backlash. The overt sexuality of the song led many radio stations across the United States to refuse to play the song. Additionally, the song’s video faced controversy due to its depiction of a gay couple (gasp) holding hands. However, despite–or due to–the controversy, the track topped the Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks.

“Physical” marked a major change for Newton-John. She shed her squeaky-clean pop country image for something more fitting for the 1980s.

4. “The Pill” by Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn was no stranger to controversy, with many of her now classic songs facing major backlash from the country music community. However, Lynn didn’t seem to worry about the opinions of radio programmers or critics. Instead, she wrote and recorded songs that reflected the experiences of women across the United States.

“The Pill” is a celebration of birth control and the ability to have sex without the fear of getting pregnant (again). As a result, many country radio stations refused to play the song, claiming that it glorified promiscuity.

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