The two banned songs in the UK that rose to number one
Art is known for being subjective. No matter what the artist might want to bring across with their work, it’s up to the viewer/listener to decide what to make of it, with everyone walking away with a different interpretation of what they have been exposed to. For as long as songs have existed, though, there have also been snobby types that have wanted to put their stomp on it.
Rock and roll has never been a stranger to this sort of controversy, either. Upon release, the first songs by artists like Chuck Berry and Little Richard were either considered jokes by the public or dangerous music that would stir up anarchy in the minds of young people. While the UK had its fair share of phenomenal rock artists in the 1960s, they drew the line when Serge Gainsbourg came out with ‘Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus’.
Being a graphic narration from Gainsbourg, most of the track features background noises of the singer having sex with Jane Birkin. While the song was meant to be an erotic take on what a love song could be, the UK public was appalled, banning it because of its overly carnal slant.
That didn’t stop the public from buying the record in droves, however, with the sales figures rocketing the song to number one on the charts. Although plenty of other artists were getting called into question for songs that were too filthy for radio, it wasn’t until the 1980s that another controversial hit would reach the top of the charts.
Appearing on Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s debut record, ‘Relax’ came under fire at its release for its graphic depiction of sexual intercourse. While the song is still reasonably coy from a lyrical perspective, lyrics like “When you want to come” led the discussion of what was too graphic for public consumption.
Just like Gainsbourg, though, Frankie Goes to Hollywood found themselves on the hit parade precisely due to the controversy, reaching the number-one spot shortly after the song got banned. The song’s catchiness was enough to keep the song going for a few more weeks, staying at the number-one spot for five weeks before slipping down the charts.
While both Gainsbourg and Frankie Goes to Hollywood don’t invite the same types of audiences, their presence at the top of the charts speaks to how well banning something can backfire. When asked why ‘Relax’ appealed to people, one spokesperson replied, “Banning the record seems to have created an air of mystery about it. We have had people coming in asking to hear the record to find out what all the fuss is about”.
For all of the controversy that each of these songs generated at the time, their success was the first in a long line of notorious songs garnering success. Not long after ‘Relax’ began racing up the charts, the PMRC would launch in the US, bringing with it the ‘Parental Advisory’ sticker, which was to be put on every record deemed too explicit to be sold to the average child.
As any music fan knows, though, those stickers may as well be an advertisement for the record, inviting the listener to check out exciting music that isn’t generally under the safe haven of radio programmers. There might be some controversy that has to be dealt with now and again in mainstream music, but banning songs outright only makes fans more hungry to hear what artists have to offer.
