There are several reasons that singles don’t receive radio play. Sometimes, an artist doesn’t have enough push to get their music in front of programmers. Other artists may not fit the popular radio mold. Sometimes, though, radio stations outright refuse to play songs due to their content. This doesn’t just happen to objectively offensive songs. Some songs from legendary country artists that would be viewed as tame in today’s world were banned from the radio upon their release.
Videos by American Songwriter
Today, we’re going to turn back the clock and look at some songs from some of country music’s biggest names that were banned from radio. While these songs went against the grain of the genre when they came out, almost all of them are acceptable to play today.
[RELATED: 5 Loretta Lynn Songs That Were Banned]
1. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” by Kitty Wells (1952)
Written by J.D. Miller, Kitty Wells released “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” as the sole single from her album Country Hit Parade. The song went to No. 1 on the country chart despite being banned from country radio for daring to suggest that men take accountability for their actions.
Earlier that year, Hank Thompson had a hit with his song “Wild Side of Life.” The track blamed “wild women” who frequented bars and honky tonks, referred to as “honky tonk angels” for men’s infidelity. According to NPR, “Wild Side of Life” tapped into a greater cultural divide. The post-war era saw a rise in divorces, delinquency, and smoking. Many blamed the country’s “moral decay” on women being in the workforce and out of the home.
Wells’ song was banned on the NBC radio network and the Grand Ole Opry. According to the report, it offended both he male-dominated country music community and the general public.
2. “There Stands the Glass” by Webb Pierce (1953)
Written by Mary Jean Shurlz, Russ Hull, and Autry Greisham, Webb Pierce released “There Stands the Glass” as a single in 1953. The song climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart but was banned by country radio.
Today, songs about drinking are common on country radio. Whether it is consumed to have a good time, to relax after a hard day’s work, or to mend a broken heart, alcohol is seemingly a cornerstone of modern country music. However, that wasn’t the case in the 1950s.
At the time, those who held the genre’s reins hoped to present a more wholesome image. As a result, songs about drinking were taboo. So, Pierce’s single, which sees a man drinking to forget his broken heart, found itself on a list of banned songs. Those who made the decision claimed that the song promoted and glorified alcoholism.
3. “Blackjack County Chain” by Willie Nelson (1967)
Songwriter Red Lane initially pitched “Blackjack County Chain” to Charley Pride. However, Pride knew the song would bring backlash and passed on it. Willie Nelson was the first to record the song and released it as a standalone single in 1967. It gained popularity, rising to No. 21 on the Billboard country charts before it was banned from the radio.
In a review of the track, a Billboard writer praised Chet Atkins’ production on the track and predicted that it would climb to the top of the country chart. This prediction, coupled with the full-page ad RCA Records published to promote the single, likely helped it gain popularity. Unfortunately, country radio banned the song before it could complete its climb to the top due to its violent content. The song’s final verse sees an ill-treated chain gang taking revenge on the sheriff who forced them into what amounted to slavery.
4. “The Pill” by Loretta Lynn (1975)
Loretta Lynn co-wrote “The Pill” with Lorene Allen, Don McHan, and T.D. Bayless and released it as the sole single from Back to the Country. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. However, country radio stations wouldn’t play it. In fact, radio stations are still reluctant to play the song today, five decades after its release.
Birth control pills hit the market in 1960, and when it was universally legalized in 1972, they changed the lives of women across the country. In “The Pill,” Lynn sings about the freedom women found in taking the pill from the perspective of a woman whose husband gets her pregnant time and time again. Like many of her songs, she likely pulled the inspiration for this controversial track from her life. Lynn had six children, four of whom came while she was still in her teens.
According to a Time Magazine feature, “The Pill” was played once on a country radio station in 2022.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.