The 10 Most Controversial Songs of All Time

Have you ever wondered which the 10 most controversial songs or all time are? Artists and
musicians have always crossed the barriers of what is politically correct, and what is not. Rock and
Roll has had, since its beginning, the urge to provoke, to rebel against constraining social
structures, installing controversies and loosening the tight boundaries of societies. Moreover,
music is also a medium to make political claims, and it has been used, and is still, as a political
expression, raising the voices of those who have been oppressed by diverse systems, and seeking
to introduce cultural, social and economic changes.

Some songs have kicked up such serious controversy, that they were banned by the BBC and MTV,
which refused to play those songs as part of their chart rundowns. Presenting sexual content,
sometimes explicit, and raising up subjects such as racism, sexism, drugs and religion, these artists
have presented through their songs strong claims to burgesss last-century societies.

Some of these songs have made history, and some have reached the most popular songs charts. I
you were curious about The 10 Most Popular Songs of All-Time, check out the list weve made,
featuring some of those timeless songs, tracks which will always be popular, despite the variation
of music trends. Huge artists, such as the Rolling Stones, The Beatles or Bob Dylan hit the top of
the chart, with popular songs like (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction, Like a Rolling Stone, or
Imagine, by John Lennon.

Other tracks have made history not precisely because of their inspiring lyrics or beautiful melody,
but rather because of the controversy they roused. So, if you were wondering which are these
famous tracks which caused unease and in some cases even produced a revolution, and which
were often either censored or banned altogether, take a look at the list we have compiled,
gathering the 10 most controversial songs or all time. With no specific order, some you might
already know, but some of these songs might as well surprise you!

No. 10 Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax

When Relax was released in October 1983, Frankie Goes to Hollywoods debut single, it reached
the top 40s charts. But it wasnt long until Radio 1s DJ Mike Read, decided to ban it from the air,
objecting it had provocative lyrics. Successively, the BBC also banned the song from all radio and
TV broadcasts. Undeniably, the song evocated homosexual activity, and woke controversy upon
sexuality and its restrains. The publicity this song received through its banning and prohibition
soon made it reach the no. 1 position in the music charts.

No. 9 The Prodigy "Smack My Bitch Up"

The Prodigy released in 1997 its album "Fat of the Land". The song Smack My Bitch Up instantly
gained popularity, putting the band on every newspapers headline. This song evoked drug use,
sex, vandalism and violence, told from a first-person view a young woman. The song was rapidly
banned by the BBC and other television broadcast. Yet, its popularity led MTV to admit its
broadcasting, but only after midnight and following an MTV News warning.
No. 8 Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin "Je taime moi non plus"

This allege of sexuality produced an intense commotion. Serge Gainsbourgs Je taime moi non
plus presents, in a duet with Jane Birkin, basically a recording or something that sounds like and
orgasm. The song was banned in different countries, and even the Vatican publicly condemned it.

No. 7 Body Count "Cop Killer"

Rapper Ice-T along with Body Count decided to mix hip-hop and heavy metal, in order to create
one of the most controversial songs of all time: Cop Killer, released in 1992. This song poses a
strong critic against the police forces violence, narrating the story of a victim of police brutality.
The song was quickly banned, and received public censures, leading even to death threats, set to
Warner Bros.

No. 6 Sex Pistols "God Save the Queen"

When the Sex Pistols released God Save The Queen, the whole British nation was shocked. The
song sat a strong critic to the British monarchy, and particularly to the Queens authority. The BBC
and the Independent Broadcasting Authority banned the track.

No. 5 Rage Against the Machine "Killing in the Name"

Killing in the Name is indeed one of the most controversial songs of all time. When Rage Against
the Machine released its album in 1991, featuring a knocker on the U.S military industrial complex,
police violence, and institutionalized racism, the band soon got into trouble. Television and radio
broadcasting banned the song from being released on the air, in different countries. Yet, in 1993,
during a Top 40 countdown, a British DJ played the uncensored version in full, drawing diverse
complaints from listeners.

No. 4 Prince "Darling Nikki"

Prince is indeed one of the most controversial artists of all time. His song, Darling Nikki has a
strong sexual content, and it inspired huge controversy. The song led Tipper Gore to create the
Parents Music Resource Center to fight against explicit lyrics in pop tunes.

No. 3 XTC "Dear God"

British pop band XTC released, in 1986, Dear God. This explicitly anti-religious song portrays
human suffering, and wonders how God could allow it. The song rose hundreds of critics from
diverse religious figures. Moreover, a Florida radio station which played the track on-air received
firebombing threats from religious fanatics. Yet, none of these uprisings stopped this song from
becoming one of the bands biggest hits.

No. 2 Michael Jackson "They Dont Care About Us"

Michael Jackson raised multiple controversies throughout his career. When They Dont Care
About Us was released, within the album from 1996 "HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book 1",
the world was stirred. The song contained anti-Semitic lyrics like Jew me, sue me, everybody do
me / Kick me, kike me, dont you black or white me. M. J. was forced to re-record the track with
changed lyrics.

No. 1 Paris "Bush Killa"

This 902 track, from Paris, a San Francisco-based rapper, got him into trouble. This song was
explicitly condemning George Bush, Sr. The content was immediately banned, and the record
Sleeping with the enemy was released without this song.