4 Songs Banned by the BBC

From Little Richard to Elvis Presley, rock and roll seems designed to offend.

The window of acceptability widens with evolving culture and changing norms. John Lennon received death threats and protests when he said The Beatles were bigger than Jesus. And Madonna reliably pushed boundaries, causing the public to celebrate or protest each time she released a new music video.

Meanwhile, people have always clamored to ban what’s perceived to be offensive. In 1985, Tipper Gore co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center to label albums with warning stickers. But the only thing the stickers accomplished was increase sales.

The BBC has also banned some of the most iconic rock songs in history. Here’s a look at a few that didn’t make it past the censors.

“Lola” by The Kinks from Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970)

“Lola” describes a man’s night out in a Soho club with a trans woman. But that’s not why the BBC banned Ray Davies’ song. Davies sings “Coca-Cola” in the opening verse, which triggered the BBC’s policy against product placement. So he returned to London from an American tour to overdub the new lyric, “cherry cola,” in its place.

I met her in a club down in old Soho
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like Coca-Cola

“Anarchy in the U.K.” by Sex Pistols from Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

“Anarchy in the U.K.” had been played on the BBC until the Sex Pistols appeared with Bill Grundy on Thames Television’s Today. They let loose a tirade of swearing on TV and caused an outrage. Though they were banished from the airwaves, the uproar made them more popular. However, their antics became what the media focused on, and guitarist Steve Jones later said “it was the beginning of the end” for the Sex Pistols.

I am an Antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don’t know what I want but I know how to get it
I wanna destroy passersby
Cause I wanna be anarchy

“I Want Your Sex” by George Michael from Faith (1987)

The BBC thought George Michael’s solo debut was too risqué. There was also concern the song’s message might be carelessly promoting casual sex amidst the AIDS epidemic. But Michael said the song is about the primal instinct of love, “not just to strangers.” Despite the controversy, his steamy hit still reached No. 3 in the UK.

There’s little things you hide
And little things that you show
Sometimes you think you’re gonna get it
But you don’t and that’s just the way it goes

“Creep” by Radiohead from Pablo Honey (1993)

Radiohead’s first single had two issues. First, the f-word—You’re so f—ing special. An easy fix, Thom Yorke swapped “very” in place of “f–k.” But the second issue couldn’t be fixed. When the band released “Creep” in 1992, the BBC thought it was too depressing. They must not have received the memo on sad-sack ’90s alt-rock tunes. EMI rereleased the single in 1993, and it reached No. 7 in the UK. It’s also a defining anthem of the ’90s.

But I’m a creep
I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here

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