The controversial Rolling Stones song that was banned by radio stations: “Too subversive”
For many years, The Rolling Stones boasted a reputation in the United States as troublemakers damaging society. They were the most dangerous band on the planet, and the group took this image in their stride, playing up to public perception.
Admittedly, their behaviour was the reason behind their reputation; riots frequently broke out at their concerts, and The Rolling Stones didn’t present themselves as clean-cut. That said, notoriety also had its negatives. Furthermore, unlike their peers, their lyrics were dissected to the ninth degree.
In the late 1960s, The Rolling Stones became a phenomenon in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Not only did they produce rock music that soundtracked a generation, but they also had a platform and were willing to use it to help create a better world.
Of course, The Rolling Stones aren’t a political band by nature, but they did air their grievances about the world on ‘Street Fighting Man’ in 1968. However, much to their frustration, the track was deemed too subversive to gain airtime on American radio. The song asked its listeners to take stock of the establishment and, in no uncertain terms, to take to the streets to riot. With ‘Street Fighting Man’, Mick Jagger was playing a dangerous game, and ultimately, the powers that be in charge of American radio didn’t believe it was a message befitting of the airwaves.
The anti-war message led to the blanket ban. Radio executives considered it unacceptable, fearing it would cause mass hysteria or at least plant the seeds. Despite The Rolling Stones’ status as rock gods who had acquired almost unparalleled popularity levels, the bosses kept the song off the air. ‘Street Fighting Man’ tackles the civil unrest which unravelled in Europe and America in 1968 due to the Vietnam War. Student riots broke out across Europe in London and Paris, simultaneously, similar protests across America over the continuation of the controversial conflict.
Jagger was inspired to write ‘Street Fighting Man’ after Warending a demonstration at London’s Grosvenor Square on March 17th, 1968, alongside 25,000 other disgruntled voices. The timing of the song’s release was also provocative. ‘Street Fighting Man’ arrived on August 31st, 1968, only a few days after the Democratic National Convention, which was tainted by violence as Chicago police brutally clashed with protesters.
Due to this violence, when the song was officially released, almost every radio station in the US refused to play it. Despite the song not receiving an official ban, stations knew to avoid it in case of the backlash that could come their way if it led to more violence. At this time, radio was vital to the success of a single; therefore, ‘Street Fighting Man’ only charted at 48 in America.
Reflecting on the situation, Mick Jagger later said: “The radio stations that banned the song told me that ‘Street Fighting Man’ was subversive. ‘Of course, it’s subversive,’ we said. It’s stupid to think you can start a revolution with a record. I wish you could!”
In the US, the original sleeve for the single featured an image of police beating protestors in Los Angeles. However, their label quickly removed it from sale and replaced the photo with a safer option to stop the controversy.
In 1995, Jagger revealed that he believed the song was an embodiment of the time and no longer relevant. While this may have been true in the 1990s, when the world was a healthier place than today, ‘Street Fighting Man’ continues to feel prevalent.
Jagger explained his stance: “I’m not sure if it really has any resonance for the present day. I don’t really like it that much. I thought it was a very good thing at the time. There was all this violence going on. I mean, they almost toppled the government in France; De Gaulle went into this complete funk, as he had in the past, and he went and sort of locked himself in his house in the country. And so the government was almost inactive. And the French riot police were amazing. Yeah, it was a direct inspiration, because, by contrast, London was very quiet.”
While radio stations attempted to silence ‘Street Fighting Man’, which worked temporarily by leading to it failing to chart high, their attempt to silence The Rolling Stones only amplified the track’s message.
