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'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' - The Beatles -

Both 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' and 'A Day In The Life' were banned by the BBC for what were perceived as hints of illicit drug use, which the band denied.  

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'One in a Million' - Guns N' Roses -

No strangers to controversy, this Guns N' Roses' 1988 track made waves for some homophobic, racial, and anti-police lyrics. Axl Rose defended the song, stating it was how he felt when he first came to Hollywood from Indiana.

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'Strange Fruit' - Billie Holiday -

When released in 1939, social and racial justice was at the forefront of world issues. 'Strange Fruit' protested the lynching of black people, which was quite a shock for the racist, conservative society of the time. 

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'We Can't Stop' - Miley Cyrus -

To truly separate herself from Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus moved on with a smash hit where she sings about "Molly" and "Trying to get a line in the bathroom."

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'The Pill' - Loretta Lynn -

Back in the '70s, songs about birth control were not common. So when country star Loretta Lynn came out with this track, numerous radio stations refused to play it. 

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'Blurred Lines' - Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell Williams -

The issue of writing credits for this song was a controversy in itself, but so were the lyrics that many felt were misogynistic and suggestive of intimate coercion. 

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'God Save The Queen' - S** Pistols -

As a true punk band, the S** Pistols were all about controversy. This track suggests that Queen Elizabeth II's monarchy was a fascist regime, which caused the BBC to prohibit the song from being played in the UK. However, it still got to number five in the UK charts!

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'American Skin (41 Shots)' - Bruce Springsteen -

Bruce Springsteen received a lot of heat for his musical portrait of the fatal NYPD police shooting of Amadou Diallo. While the song was praised by fans, the NYPD was not happy. 

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'Stan' - Eminem ft. Dido -

Eminem recruited British songstress Dido in what became one of his biggest hits. The song is about an alleged obsessed fan of the rapper, who tied up his pregnant partner, put her in the trunk of his car, and drove into a river while drunk. Graphic indeed!

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'God Only Knows' - The Beach Boys -

In the '60s, invoking the name of God in a pop song was regarded as blasphemy. This led to some radio stations banning this Beach Boys classic.

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'(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction' - The Rolling Stones -

Mick Jagger once complained that critics didn’t even understand the dirtiest line in this song. However, it was controversial enough to cause a commotion. 

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'Papa Don't Preach' - Madonna -

The queen of pop has caused plenty of controversy throughout her career, and this song is no different. Singing about teen pregnancy was quite a big deal in the 1980s. 

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'Puff, the Magic Dragon' - Peter, Paul and Mary -

Written by band member Peter Yarrow, and taken from a poem by Leonard Lipton, the song has a barely hidden meaning involving substance use. 

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'Famous' - Kanye West -

Upon its release, 'Famous' was met with both critical acclaim and scrutiny for controversial lyrics and a reference to Taylor Swift, partially in relation to West's interruption of her 2009 VMA acceptance speech.

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'Accidental Racist' - Brad Paisley ft. LL Cool J -

A mix of country and hip-hop, this song generated some controversy for its discussion of racism, and its message about Southern pride, which included the Confederate flag. 

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'Closer' - Nine Inch Nails -

A radio hit when it came out in 1994, 'Closer' by Nine Inch Nails is one of the band's most popular songs that had to be edited. The chorus talks about intimacy and desire. 

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'Goodbye Earl' - The Chicks -

This track was one of the country trio's more attention-grabbing hits. It's a story about a woman who suffers domestic abuse at the hands of her husband and gets her revenge by poisoning him. 

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'Brown Eyed Girl' - Van Morrison -

The original title for this song was 'Brown Skinned Girl,' which detailed an interracial relationship. While Van Morrison changed the lyrics to ensure radio play, many still took issue with it. 

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'Angel Of Death' - Slayer -

Considered the kings of thrash metal, Slayer delivered a whole song about Nazi doctor Josef Mengele's experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Many believed this was a pro-Nazi piece, which has been denied by the band. 

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'Killing in the Name' - Rage Against the Machine -

Famous for their social-political views, one of the rock band's most notable songs, 'Killing in the Name,' attacks police brutality and systemic and institutional racism. 

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'Cop Killer' - Body Count -

Looking back to when Ice-T went metal with this band, much like N.W.A.'s police-related track, 'Cop Killer' is considered to be a protest song against police brutality.  

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'Killing an Arab' - The Cure -

The first single of the British rock band is still their most controversial. Inspired by the French novel 'The Stranger' (1942), the song was highly criticized as it describes the shooting of an Arab person on a beach. 

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'Lola' - The Kinks -

'Lola' saw some backlash for its lyrics, where the singer mentions being confused about the gender of his love interest. The song was banned by some radio stations in both the UK and Australia. 

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'Dear God' - XTC -

This track by British rockers XTC caused quite a stir back in the '80s. Anti-religion themes that promoted free-thinking touched a nerve among plenty of conservatives around the world. Vocalist Andy Partridge reportedly received death threats as a result.  

Sources: (Yardbarker) (uDiscoverMusic)

See also: Who remembers these one-hit wonders? 

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