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'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' and 'A Day In The Life' - The Beatles -

Both the songs 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' and 'A Day In The Life' faced BBC censorship due to what was perceived as drug-use references. The band denied such connotations.

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'Helter Skelter' - The Beatles -

But there's more. 'Helter Skelter,' meant as a playful nod to the rise and fall of empires, took a dark detour when Charles Manson tuned in. Convinced it was an apocalyptic anthem, Manson rallied his 'family' to commit terrible crimes in its name. So much for McCartney’s 'cute title.'

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'One in a Million' - Guns N' Roses -

On the other hand, Axl Rose picked up a Manson tune and did a cover version of 'Look at your game, girl' as a hidden track on the album 'Spaghetti Incident.' But much earlier, in 1988, another 'Guns N' Roses' song caused a stir because of its homophobic, racist, and anti-police lyrics. Axl Rose explained that these were his initial impressions when he first arrived in Hollywood.

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'Strange Fruit' - Billie Holiday -

When it was released in 1939, 'Strange Fruit' addressed the pressing concerns of social and racial justice. The song was a protest against the lynching of black people, and it shook the racist and conservative society of the time.

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'We Can't Stop' - Miley Cyrus -

To set herself free from Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus successfully transitioned with this hit track where she talks about 'Molly' and "Trying to get a line in the bathroom."

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'I Want Your Sex' - George Michael -

The Wham pop singer swapped his squeaky-clean persona for a daring solo career that started with 'I Want Your Sex' in 1987. This was the first song to feature the word 'sex' in its title. The consequence was that the track was banned by the BBC and several radio stations in the US. But, hey, all publicity is good publicity.

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'The Pill' - Loretta Lynn -

Songs about birth control were not common in the '70s, and when country star Loretta Lynn released this track, many radio stations refused to play it. 

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'Blurred Lines' - Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell Williams -

Let's start with the issue of songwriting credits for this tune, which itself stirred a lot of controversy. But the lyrics went a step further. Many listeners felt they were misogynistic and suggestive of coercion. 

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'God Save The Queen' - Sex Pistols -

The infamous punk rock band built its reputation on controversy. This song in particular suggests that Queen Elizabeth II's monarchy was a "fascist regime". The BBC banned the song from being broadcast in the UK, but that didn't stop it from reaching number five in the British charts. Great PR stunt!

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'American Skin (41 Shots)' - Bruce Springsteen -

Bruce Springsteen was criticized for his musical depiction of the Amadou Diallo incident, in which the NYPD fatally shot the immigrant from Guinea. Although fans loved the song, it did not sit well with the police department.

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'Stan' - Eminem ft. Dido -

Eminem enlisted the British singer Dido for this major hit. The song focuses on an alleged fixated fan of the rapper, who tied up his pregnant partner, placed her in the car's trunk, and recklessly drove into a river while drunk. What an intense story!

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'God Only Knows' - The Beach Boys -

During the 1960s, mentioning God in a pop song was seen as blasphemy. Because of this, some radio stations banned this well-known Beach Boys masterpiece.

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'(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction' - The Rolling Stones -

Mick Jagger was not at all satisfied with the fact that critics didn't understand the song's raunchy line. Nevertheless, one line was all it took to cause a stir.

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'Papa Don't Preach' - Madonna -

Throughout her career the queen of pop has stirred up controversy, and this song is no exception. Singing about teenage pregnancy was a pretty big deal in the 1980s. But she kept speeding down that highway...

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'Justify My Love' - Madonna -

Way beyond the 'Like a Virgin' hit, Madonna again crossed all boundaries when she released the song 'Justify My Love,' mainly because of the video. The song was banned by MTV and several international channels because of its explicit content.

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'Let's Talk About Sex' - Salt-N-Pepa -

Released in 1991, this song was initially controversial because of its explicit content. But it soon became a major hit, helping to open debate about unprotected sex, AIDS, and "all the good things and the bad things that may be."

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'Puff, the Magic Dragon' - Peter, Paul and Mary -

The song, written by band member Peter Yarrow and inspired by a poem written by Leonard Lipton, subtly refers to the use of marijuana. Both parties have denied any hints to drug use, but this was the 1960s, so...

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'Famous' - Kanye West -

When 'Famous' came out, it was both praised and criticized for containing controversial lyrics and mentioning Taylor Swift, partly due to West interrupting her 2009 VMA speech.

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'Accidental Racist' - Brad Paisley ft. LL Cool J -

This combo of country and hip-hop genres sparked controversy for addressing racism and lyrics about Southern pride, but from the standpoint of living in the South and past confederate issues. It's a tightrope walk between heritage and history, still in play today.

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'Closer' - Nine Inch Nails -

Released in 1994, this Nine Inch Nails song became an unlikely radio hit. However, due to its explicit sexual content and lyrics about desire, it had to be edited to make it through the airwaves.

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'Goodbye Earl' - The Chicks -

This song was one of the country trio's standout hits. It's about a woman going through domestic violence and getting her revenge by poisoning her husband.

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'Louie Louie' - The Kingsmen -

The song was actually written by Richard Perry, but The Kingsmen made it a hit. It's a classic story of a sailor returning home to his woman, but two small-town Indiana teenagers found it obscene rock 'n roll and decided to write the governor. The song was banned from the state's airwaves, but the FBI resolved the controversy by declaring it "unintelligible at any speed." The song has been covered by over 1000 artists.

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'Brown Eyed Girl' - Van Morrison -

Did you know that the original title of the song was 'Brown Skinned Girl' and was about an interracial romance? Van Morrison changed the lyrics to get radio play, but many people still had a problem with it.

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'Killing in the Name' - Rage Against the Machine -

The band is known for its social and political beliefs and became famous for the song 'Killing in the Name,' which is now an anthem against police brutality and systemic and institutional racism. It was inspired by the beating of Rodney King and the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and someone was not happy about it.

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'Cop Killer' - Body Count -

When Ice-T was the front man for the crossover band Body Count, he wrote 'Cop Killer,' which brought comparisons to N.W.A.'s controversial style of writing. The track is considered a protest anthem against police brutality.

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'Killing an Arab' - The Cure -

They didn't do anything apart from read 'The Stranger' (1942) by Albert Camus, and then singing about it. This was the first single released by British band The Cure, and still remains the most controversial of their career.

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'Lola' - The Kinks -

Seems like a fine and dandy tune about a girl named Lola... well it's not, and there was some backlash going on. The singer tells a story in which he is confused about the gender of 'Lola', leaving the rest for listeners to imagine. 'Lola' was banned by some radio stations in both the UK and Australia. 

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'Dear God' - XTC -

This song from the British rock band XTC caused huge controversy during the 1980s. Its anti-religious lyrics and advocacy for free-thinking generated strong reactions from conservatives worldwide. Singer Andy Partridge even faced death threats as a consequence. 

Sources: (Yardbarker) (uDiscoverMusic)

See also: Do you remember these one-hit wonders?

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