14 Iconic Songs That Were Considered Too Political Or Shocking When They Were First Released
TIL that the song Waterfalls by TLC is about HIV
Some songs hit the airwaves and immediately make people uncomfortable, but that discomfort is often exactly why they last. A lot of the most iconic tracks in music history were once dismissed as too political, too blunt, or too shocking for their time.
This list looks at 14 songs that pushed back against censorship, challenged social norms, and sparked backlash when they first came out. From protest anthems to sexually explicit lyrics, each one stirred up debate before becoming part of music history.
Decades later, they still sound bold. Read on.
1. What's Going On (1971) - Marvin Gaye
This song speaks about the Vietnam War and the atrocities that occurred during that time. Barry Gordy, the founder of Motown, initially refused to release the song because it was "too political."
Marvin Gaye protested and went on a recording strike until Gordy agreed to release What's Going On. The song became Motown's fastest-selling record during that period.
Jim Britt / Getty ImagesListen to the song here:
2. 9 to 5 (1980) - Dolly Parton
Anything Dolly Parton touches sparkles, but the song 9 to 5 was especially groundbreaking at that time. It addresses the blatant sexism experienced by women in their workplaces.
20th Century Fox / Courtesy of Everett CollectionListen to the song here:
3. Hurricane (1976) - Bob Dylan
Hurricane by Bob Dylan is an ode to the legendary boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. The boxer was racially profiled, wrongfully accused, and arrested for murder.
Steve Morley / Getty Images
Listen to the song here:
4. Strange Fruit (1939) - Billie Holiday
In this song, Billie Holiday talks about the inhumane lynchings suffered by innocent Black people in the United States. The singer bravely sang about an issue that most people chose to turn a blind eye to and refused to acknowledge.
RTÉ
Listen to the song here:
5. You Don't Own Me (1963) - Lesley Gore
This certified hit was released in the 60s when women were starting to assert their independence from men in society. It's made even more special when Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn sang it in the film The First Wives Club.
American International Pictures
Listen to the song here:
6. Let's Talk About Sex (1991) - Salt-N-Peppa
The catchy tune of this hit belies the important issue it tackles. The group aimed to lessen the stigma surrounding conversations about sex; the opening salvo of, "Let's talk about sex, baby," should be a hint.
Michael Putland / Getty Images
Carrie Underwood taking boos on American Idol is the same kind of comeback pressure, see how she handled it.
Listen to the song here:
7. Under Pressure (1981) - Queen and David Bowie
Queen and David Bowie are possibly two of the biggest names in the music industry even now. Under Pressure has a catchy beat, but it actually discusses the deep-seated hatred and violence embedded in American society and the resulting feeling: pressure.
They encourage people to focus on love instead to change things little by little. The chilling lyrics sung by Bowie are: "Why can't we give love one more chance? Why can't we give love — 'cause love's such an old-fashioned word, and love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night."
Koh Hasebe / Shinko Music / Armando Gallo / Getty Images
Listen to the song here:
8. Waterfalls (1994) - TLC
The bop that is Waterfalls by the girl group TLC tackles the HIV epidemic. People affected by HIV were ostracized by the rest of society and were labeled as dirty, thinking they could get infected by being in close proximity.
LaFace / Arista
Listen to the song here:
9. What Would You Do (2001) - City High
What Would You Do candidly speaks of the harsh realities of sex work. The song attempts to eliminate the unfair labels and judgments cast on sex workers; by asking, "What would you do?" they touch on people's sense of empathy.
Interscope / Rockland
Listen to the song here:
10. Big Yellow Taxi (1970) - Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is one of the most prolific musicians of her time. In this song, released in the 70s, she paints a picture of the dangers of destroying our environment; who can forget the line, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone? / They paved paradise, put up a parking lot."
GAB Archive / Getty Images
Listen to the song here:
11. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (1972) - The Temptations
The song is written from the point of view of a child who has never met their deadbeat father. They were raised by their mother alone and only heard negative things about their dad from the townspeople.
Metromedia Square
Listen to the song here:
12. Eve Of Destruction (1965) - Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire spoke for the young people in the U.S. during the 60s in this song. He articulated the anger felt by a majority of the youth regarding the Vietnam War and racism in the country.
CA / Redferns / Getty Images
Listen to the song here:
13. Shave 'Em Dry (1935) - Lucille Bogan
Quite possibly the boldest song on this list is Shave 'Em Dry by Lucille Bogan, released in the 30s. It explicitly discusses a woman's sexual pleasure and taking charge of her sex life all night (and some more).
Document Records
Listen to the song here:
14. Head (1980) - Prince
Did the Artist Formerly Known as Prince release music that wasn't at least suggestive? We'll have to go through his discography to know for sure, but in his song Head, he talks about the pleasures of performing oral sex on a woman.
Michael Ochs Archives / Icon and Image / Getty Images
Listen to the song here:
These iconic artists spoke of the issues that plagued their time decades ago. They put a melody to the words our hearts were too scared to let out.
They faced harsh criticism and fought censorship to give power to our cries for equality and freedom. Their music will live long after we're all gone, which is awe-inspiring and sad at the same time because it means the issues they fought for are still poisoning our society.
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