3 Songs That Were Banned Before They Became Major Hits

All press is good press. That might be hard to believe, but one piece of living proof is the songs that were banned and, consequently, climbed to the top of the charts. To a certain extent, human nature tells us that if someone tells us not to do something, we want to do it even more. Thus, when an entity tells us certain songs are banned, well, we end up wanting to listen to them even more for our own personal reasons. With all that in mind, here are three songs that were banned—and then became bigger hits.

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“My Generation” by The Who

You better believe that if corporate power obstructed the youth of the 1960s from listening to their music, they would find a way to do so. Well, that is precisely what transpired after the release of The Who‘s “My Generation”. Following its release, the BBC banned the single to prevent offense to those who stuttered. Thanks to this band, and surely other factors as well, this song became a massive hit in the United Kingdom.

After the BBC‘s ban, the unofficial radio stations started playing the track, and consequently, it peaked at No. 2 on the UK singles chart and sold 300,000 copies. Given the astounding success of the song, the BBC lifted its ban.

“Only The Good Die Young” by Billy Joel

Billy Joel‘s single, “Only The Good Die Young”, is a quintessential anthem articulating living life to the fullest while you’ve got the time. That means indulging, living freely, and not letting particular schools of thought obstruct that mission.

Due to this ideology and the poetic means Joel used to explain it, the Archdiocese of St. Louis and other Catholic groups pressured the radio station to ban the song. Some agreed, but this only made the single a bigger hit. Following its release, Billy Joel’s single went on to peak at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore, it helped the album, The Stranger, land at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 for six weeks.

“God Save The Queen” by The Sex Pistols

It is probably fair to assume that The Sex Pistols released “God Save The Queen” with the intention of getting it banned. Between the subject matter and the timing of the release date, it is quite apparent that this was intentional. Well there alleged intention worked, as the BBC and the IBA completely banned the song.

Bashing the Queen and the English Monarchy entirely, “God Save The Queen” certainly fared well with certain English demographics. The proof is in the pudding, as this single ended up landing at No. 2 on the UK singles chart.

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