3 Banned Songs From the 2000s That Might Just Shock You

Art is often supposed to push boundaries. For every pop song that seems to underscore the status quo, there are protest songs or other tracks that highlight indignities around the world. On top of that, some songs—yes, even famous pop songs—push boundaries of sexuality or other social norms. It’s what’s great about creativity. The world can be reshaped thanks to a piece of music.

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Here below, we wanted to examine three instances when some thought certain songs went too far. These are a trio of tracks from the 2000s that earned pushback from the powers that be. Indeed, these are three songs from the 2000s that were banned.

“Walk On” by U2 from ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ (2001)

The Irish rock band U2 is known for making statements. Whether writing about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Burmese academic Aung San Suu Kyi, Bono and company are not afraid to point out what’s important and ruffle a few feathers. And when it comes to this 2001 song, the group wrote about the academic from Burma, shining light on her house arrest for speaking out against her country’s government. The result was that Burma banned the track. But in the United States, the tune won a Grammy for Record of the Year.

“F*ck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” by Eamon from ‘I Don’t Want You Back’ (2003)

As you might have guessed, this song was met with criticism thanks to the curse word in its title. In the United Kingdom, many radio stations decided not to play the song because of the language its singer Eamon used. There are 33 expletives in the lyrics. Despite that, the song hit no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Some, though, said its success had to do with its very controversy and that it was all a marketing stunt. Well, either way, whatever Eamon did worked, and the pop song got the attention it was looking for.

“LoveGame” by Lady Gaga from ‘The Fame’ (2009)

While Eamon’s song was explicit, this Gaga track is rich with innuendo. And that is what got it banned from the airwaves. The dance song opens: “Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick / I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.” Any guesses as to what that means? Gaga is no shrinking violet. She knew what she was doing, and of course, she lived with the consequences. She doubled down on the sexual content in the music video and as a result, that was also banned in certain places, including Australian television channels.

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