Top 10 Artists BANNED From Top of the Pops

[@WatchMojoUK]

Check out our LATEST TOTP Video! Top 10 Underrated Top Of The Pops Performances kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZS3kmOPiL6prZY

[@BrandonMichelle]

And yet TOTP and the BBC protected Jimmy Saville for decades...oh but it's naughty words that will harm you!

[@imalwaysright]

isn't that how the wicked work? Pretend to care about moral values while-

[@BrandonMichelle]

@@imalwaysright The fucking hypocrisy, it angers me so much.

[@RalfyCustoms]

I couldn't agree more mate, I've said it for years, BBC pedophile harbouring hypocrites

[@timdyer5903]

Totp hypocrisy.

[@Angela-cc1hd]

Yes absolutely double standards, as are still going on today?

[@leehowson440]

John Lydon was considered a monster, and Jimmy Saville was considered a hero. We ruin all the wrong people, and laud all the wrong people

[@AndyD89]

This is so true!

[@desertrose1226]

It’s disgusting. Johnny’s a good man.

[@leehowson440]

@@desertrose1226 precisely 👍

[@terrynye7034]

Lydon cashed Saville out years before and was banned on radio because of it.

[@leehowson440]

@@terrynye7034 exactly, and nobody listened

[@jo.s7993]

John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) lead singer of the Sex Pistols, lost Norah his wife & life partner of over 45 years the day before yesterday. She died from Alzheimer's at the age of eighty, & John who is sixty-seven was her sole carer until he realised quite recently that she also needed female company, for girly talks, & to paint her nails etc....He's actually a really sweet, & rather shy man who simply adored his wife, but realised he was being selfish, keeping her all to himself. They had no children of their own together, but adopted Norah's grandchildren when their mother was unable to care for them. He will be absolutely heartbroken & I'm sure that I won't be alone in sending much love & sympathy to John & his family.

[@U2QuoZepplin]

The BBC banning your song is more like a a license to print money . Most of these songs are legendary. Whether that's down to a BBC ban or not it kind of suggests that getting your song banned is the best way to get it rocketing up to the top of the charts.

[@raypsychodad]

To true. Mike Reid did frankie goes to Hollywood a huge favour

[@pkhodges1169]

exactly, Mongo Boogie....that's why i say it is set up....banning is one way ...

[@sticktothefacts8905]

It didnt work for Split Enz & their song Six Months in a Leaky Boat, which only charted 83 in the UK. The song was released during the Falklands war & the BBC didnt like the reference to a leaky boat

[@pkhodges1169]

@@sticktothefacts8905 i do. i like the reference to a leaky boat.

[@sticktothefacts8905]

@@pkhodges1169 The song was about the length of time it took the original explorers/pioneers to sail to New Zealand where the band came from. But that didnt stop the BBC banning it.

[@ramalama9650]

And while the BBC were listening to music to ban, Jimmy Saville sailed through safely with their blessing!

[@pianoman1396]

The Serge Gainsbourg record was banned all over the BBC at the time, not just on TOTP. I recall reading somewhere that there was an announcement on the news at the time, so what happens when it’s announced that a certain record is banned? That’s right - everyone goes out and buys it. It was a #1 hit in the UK as a result.

[@12presspart]

yes they would not even play it on pick of the pops on a sunday night Iremember oh well by fleetwood mack being played bot not this one even though it was no1 for 3 weeks in oct/nov 69

[@totaltwit]

It had and still has the sexiest organ ever! I dream of having my organ like that ;) I do have a Hammond but that one they used is reallly seductive, it's what makes the track.

[@barrieainge4937]

There was a fully instrumental version by a band called 'Sounds Nice' , if memory serves, that was a lesser hit but was played.

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

@@totaltwit it’s always good to have a sexy organ. 😳

[@MrWildcat2009]

I never heard of that song til just now, but that’s probably because it likely never made it to the States.

[@sandraweilbrenner67]

Rest in peace Keith Flint

[@redblade8160]

Keith Flint committed suicide by hanging himself; his body was discovered on 4 March 2019

[@rayhoughton8046]

Not missed

[@ninagill1407]

Rip. Sorely missed.

[@mattiassvanberg8292]

RIP Keith Levene

[@MrPomdownunder]

I hated his music but apparently a nice bloke...

[@eddyrussell6250]

this seems a bit petty when ya think the BBC employed Jim Saville

[@pkhodges1169]

how set up was this? VERY.

[@simonmason8582]

"Savile"

[@nez9751]

And the tried to cancel j Lyndon cos he defended him

[@foothand1595]

Yeah Savile was was getting away with touching up girls and the rest but that’s all good BBC haven’t clue serious Shite station anyway all the programs are Muck

[@simonmason8582]

@@foothand1595 "Savile"

[@debbiemckeown7626]

They should have banned more of their presenters given what we know now.

[@stephaniespragg5586]

Repeats of TOTP on BBC4 are not going to be reaired if they contain Jimmy Savile and anyone else disgraced, eg. Rolf Harris and Gary Glitter (I hope this now includes R Kelly and Lostprophets on account of singer Ian Watkins)

[@AtheistOrphan]

Dale Winton introducing The Prodigy? Now there’s something you don’t see every day!

[@TheHilikus89]

I miss Dale Winton he seemed like he didn't take himself too seriously

[@SuperPlacido1]

What your avatar mean?

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@SuperPlacido1 - It means I am vehemently opposed to the tyranny of religions. (All of them). I choose that particular one for aesthetic reasons, in that ones depicting several religious symbols appear far too small, particularly when viewed on a phone.

[@colourful_]

@@TheHilikus89 Ah Dale Winton did seem lovely! 😊✨

[@mr.evasion]

Remember Dale on R2 one Saturday afternoon playing Evil Woman by Black Sabbath saying " there's something you won't hear often on the BBC!"... Dale was fun

[@duncanhulatt8328]

For the Peaches entry, the clip says that Go Buddy Go was the B side of the single, in fact this record was a double A side. If you look closely at the start of the video from TOTP, where JJ shouts 'Boogie' he actually mouths 'Bollocks', and he & Hugh swapped guitars for the (mimed) performance. They were taking the piss because the BBC wouldn't let them play it live. That showed 'em.

[@terrythekittieful]

Same thing in Australia,..the 'Top of the Pops' equivalent 'Countdown' and its in house guru/sycophant, Ian Meldrum banned the Stranglers for playing up on other tv stations and for refusing to mime.

[@philipcooper4620]

The ultimate version of a band taking the piss has to go to Nirvana for their version of ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’ where Kurt was irritated by having to sing along to a backing track. Legendary.

[@southerner4566]

And JJ sings , I got me some speed and I'm doing fine

[@140cabins]

Just that brief clip of Kirsty MacColl dancing with Happy Mondays is so delightful.

[@petersymonds9397]

Banned Mungo Jerry's Lady Rose as the B side was about a spliff. Yet Saville was ever present.

[@duncanhulatt8328]

Have a whiff on me

[@wezcurrie4040]

I met shaun ryder, fat neck Phil and Bez when I was 14 working as a pot collector in a very busy Manchester pub. I can honestly say they was the nicest, honest and funniest guys I've met from the madchester scene. And at that point 1994 in the heart of Manchester I'd met alot.

[@andrewhatton8900]

Sorry my mistake,what I meant to say was my mate worked with Shaun's dad at the postal depo.

[@duffbaker9554]

Did you only collect pots or did you collect pans as well?

[@wezcurrie4040]

@@duffbaker9554 a few weeks later I got asked too work in the kitchen. So yeah.

[@julianaylor4351]

Ian Dury and the Blockheads got banned after they appeared on Top Of The Pops, dressed as policemen singing I Want To Be Straight, during a major corruption investigation of the police. Madness got banned for doing fake miming, because the producer had no sense of humour.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Fake miming? As opposed to REAL miming I presume?

[@julianaylor4351]

@@AtheistOrphan They mucked about, such as using another object, that wasn't an instrument, as if it was and not mouthing the words. 😁

[@barryfowles-zl5ib]

Ian DUTY?

[@julianaylor4351]

@@barryfowles-zl5ib I didn't write that, someone's altered it.🙄

[@sarahwells2623]

​@Julia Naylor they're far from the only people to do that though, Bob Geldof "played" a candelabra during a performance of Rat Trap in the late 70s and that was fine. Morrissey and his gladioli, Tracy Ullman with a hairbrush instead of a microphone, George Michael in his Wham days going on with no microphone at all, Fish from Marillion standing there with cards with the lyrics on and his mouth shut. They wouldn't "ban" anyone for that, loads of pop stars were at it!

[@Crowdies]

Split Enz song 'Six months in a Leaky Boat' was banned owing to its release during the Falklands War. Despite being recorded prior to the outbreak of the conflict, some in Britain considered the song to be veiled criticism of the war with Argentina. The song was consequently removed from many radio play lists in the United Kingdom, including the BBC.

[@ianbarnes961]

Wasn't Shipbuilding also banned for much the same reason?

[@lilymarinovic1644]

Shame, it is a great song.

[@D00M3R-SK8]

My mates Mother designed the cover for the single of "Relax!!" so by it getting banned from the BBC it also catapulted her career as well. She was only 18 at the time.

[@D00M3R-SK8]

@An Alternative Contrarian Thanks. I mean she probably would have done just alright without this, but I suppose it can't hurt. I used to go up and see him in Town and they lived in such a Gorgeous house as well, full of the most weird and wonderful things.

[@homersimpsons340]

This should be titled the top 10 songs banned, not the top 10 artists.

[@badda_boom8017]

What I was thinking too.

[@kevinsayce2248]

Er, the first one was by an artist 🙄

[@badda_boom8017]

@@kevinsayce2248 lol ok and the other 9 😂😂😂 Ps. First one was a song, not an artist ;)

[@kevinsayce2248]

@@badda_boom8017 Sung by an artist 😉👍

[@badda_boom8017]

@@kevinsayce2248 they're all sung by artists 😂 but the point is, the artist isn't banned. It was the song.

[@JF-kv1gm]

What joy to see The Mondays with Kirsty McColl. 😍

[@ashleyp.4932]

I love the bands that got round the BBC's "no songs celebrating drugs or drug use" - with The Shamen's "Ebeneezer Goode" being one of the best examples. How brilliant it was that there they were singing "E's are good, E's are good!" so many times, and all the references and descriptions of the drug ecstasy, and it seemed to fly right over the BBC censors heads. (I am not condoning drug use - just celebrating the ingenuity of the band.)

[@lilymarinovic1644]

How the heck did that get past the Beeb? It was so obvious!

[@scottm2292]

Pretty vacant by the sex pistols - "pretty vaaaaaa-c*nt!"

[@ashleyp.4932]

@@lilymarinovic1644 I have often suspected that the BBC, were more lenient than we thought. As long as they weren't overtly saying "ecstasy is good" they let it pass. I can't believe they really didn't get it.

[@jacekatalakis8316]

That song went to number 1 during Drug Awareness Week, just to really drive the point home, too. Which always makes me laugh. I mean, perfect timing.

[@IAmPez]

It was banned by the BBC though I always thought? It was even often cited as one of the most famously banned songs as I recall. Like some of the songs on this list, the artist got to play it before it was banned, but it was still banned after the fact. I'm almost 100% certain this was the case for _Ebeneezer Goode_ too.

[@watchreadplayretro]

your 1st up D-Mob lead singer Daniel Kojo Poku was honoured by the King last year and awarded an MBE for his work in the music industry. So glad after all these decades the track is seen about the house music style and not the drugs and that if listeners into the drugs wished to associate the music, that's fine, but it wasn't a 'song to corrupt kids' as the tabloids had tried to sell newspapers with titles like that back in the day. Great stuff Danny D! Well deserved and yes to honour others and set paths for the new!

[@bobsage4963]

No. 1 rule for the Tabloids: "Never let the facts get in the way of a good headline".

[@PainInTheS]

Going into the 90's I really got into metal, but always an ear out for other stuff....I like music, broad interest. The Prodigy I liked from the get go. I saw them in Amsterdam with my son, couple of months before Keith's death.....truly one of the most memorable concerts we've seen....and we saw a LOT. What an explosion of sheer joy in the crowd, it was absolutely wild and euphorious!!! 😎

[@leiwolf27]

As a fellow metal head, I bloody love The Prodigy. I wish I have seen them live

[@thearmchairjournalist566]

I got locked up 3 days before the concert and he passed away soon after and I was devastated I never got to see them 😢

[@x.s.bleeding7780]

Irony Banning Radioheads "Creep" while still paying Sicko Jimmy. Should have been an Omen.

[@michaelwilson2340]

I wonder if Paul Ryder, Keith Levene, Jet Black, and Terry Hall are jamming together right now. With Andy Fletcher clapping his hands and dancing behind an unplugged keyboard. Rest easy guys.

[@SeeDaRipper...]

No idea what this has to do with banned songs on TOTP?

[@michaelwilson2340]

@@SeeDaRipper... They all died in 2022. Research Research Research.

[@michaelwilson2340]

@@SeeDaRipper... Jet Black was in the Stranglers. And Paul Ryder was a member of The Happy Mondays. Top supergroup of the deceased.

[@215Gallagher]

....and of course Dave Greenfield.

[@rayhoughton8046]

I doubt it. Bellend

[@martinspalding374]

franki goes to Hollywood upset the BBC .... but oddly they was vary happy with jimmy Savile

[@pj5517]

Was Mike Read who refused to play Relax then it escalated. The Who were banned from the BBC after Townshend gave a V sign on a live TOTP doing 5-15. The ban was lifted for You Better You Bet but they released little in between the two songs

[@chrisstratton320]

I can't believe there is no mention of Judge Dread who if I remember correctly, EVERY single he ever released was banned by the BBC. He was the king of lewd and suggestive lyrics. "Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet knickers all tattered and torn. It wasn't a spider who sat down beside her but Little Boy Blue with the horn." 😂 What was the problem BBC? :0

[@davidrogan1292]

That's just as funny as rude .

[@tobybaker5187]

He never got on Top Of The Pops

[@bobair2]

Didn't they have some "Big" number songs as well? Something in my murky memory has "smoke a little and plant some seed" as one of their song lyrics but I forget it's name.

[@normandunford5747]

Mary bloody Whitehouse !!!@

[@alannevin2490]

I've got that album! " The boy stood on the burning deck playing a game of cricket, the ball rolled up his trouser leg and stumped his middle wicket! "

[@paulmajor8865]

All the music of Judge Dredd was banned from the BBC because the songs were too risqué. He stills holds the record of having the most banned hits.

[@supertouring22]

Judge Rinder was better

[@robwilliams6753]

judge dread...not the comic book character judge dredd.

[@julianaylor4351]

His songs were laiden with rude words, but good pop reggae.

[@12presspart]

@@julianaylor4351 and realy funny

[@williamgeorgefraser]

On the subject of "Je t'aime...", the BBC actually commissioned a band (Sounds Nice) to record the music without the "lyrics" and played this on TOTP when Gainsbourg got to No 1. The original Gainsbourg version with Brigitte Bardot is even better and more sensual than the Birkin one.

[@crowstylerrat2799]

If you fancy a laugh, try listening to the version by June Whitfield and Frankie Howerd!

[@centrevezgaming4862]

Rock Dj by Robbie Williams was controversial that they couldn’t play the video uncut due to its graphic nature and 15 cert by the BBFC.

[@WatchMojoUK]

certainly was a strange music video! Iconic though

[@harveyg73]

“Faster” by the Manic Street Preachers received the most complaints in TOTP’s history. Maybe but “Banned” by an a honourable mention.

[@West.Ham1964]

I also remember Lil Louis with French kiss was banned by the BBC in the late eighties. Didn't stop it from reaching #2 though.

[@PeterMackett]

What about Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a Ling"?

[@julianaylor4351]

Comedian and impressionist Phil Pope did a send up of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax, a song called Frankie does Frankie, on which he sung Relax as if he was Frank Sinatra. 😁

[@AdjustableSquelch]

Phil Pope is great, was part of the start of post pub telly with Who Dares Wins... on C4 where he did a bunch parodies, like 'Life Isn't Fair' of The Smiths. Coooeee is great as well.

[@richardingamells7213]

@@AdjustableSquelch He was part of parody band that did send ups of groups of the era

[@ianharris879]

the pistols weren't banned because of their music,they were banned because johnny rotten outed jimmy saville in a radio interview that didn't get aired

[@PNETriffid]

That interview actually came a year afterwards in 1978, so no. It was banned because, as now, the BBC is pro-monarchy.

[@geowynleda4641]

And no-one listened

[@PNETriffid]

@@geowynleda4641 I know we still have a monarchy.

[@jackasmr2691]

I loved radioheads "creep" still listen to it 😊

[@happy_123_sophia]

I think Creep is a love song from someone who doesn't feel worthy of the love he wants...

[@DarkShroom]

this is the normal interpretation... but imagine if you where a peado working for the BBC how you'd feel about these lyrics

[@___David___Savian]

Ironically, bands like Sex Pistols and Prodigy that were banned in their own territory the U.K. became massive hits here in the U.S. Even Led Zeppelin was ignored in the U.K. in their prime. Plant and Page even mentioned it on interviews of how the England press hated them. But, here Zep are considered Gods to this day.

[@julianaylor4351]

The Stranglers were also not allowed to perform Nice N Sleazy either, after they had strippers perform on the stage with them at a concert.

[@WatchMojoUK]

wow really?

[@redblade8160]

Julia Naylor The song "Golden Brown" by the Stranglers is about a drug! However, the Stranglers did appear on “Top of the Pops” with that song; maybe the BBC overlooked it because they are too thick to recognise this.

[@douglasjones2955]

The song Duchess also by the stranglers was banned by that BBC for blasphemy

[@johnanthonyp]

@@redblade8160 The Stranglers performed 'Don't Bring Harry' on TOTP too which is also about heroin.

[@GuessMyName234]

All these banned on TOTP now they are playing songs like WAP on the radio!

[@imalwaysright]

liberal empowering artists have been fighting against cancel culture and maybe its finally working

[@Matt571]

A girl in my class at primary school in 1989 drew clothes designs with acid badges on them and she wrote "aceid" on them. She was very creative and now makes and repairs clothes so I heard, she moved out of my area

[@trinaq]

I thought for sure that the song that got The Pogues banned was "Fairytale of New York", due to "crass language", but it makes sense why Brown Eyes was banned.

[@Bobbb-f3i]

They had two versions with one being a bit tamer and played the tamer version is why I remember, Shane MacGowan got stuck for "conforming"

[@markwilliamwestonwilson1503]

Where is there crass Words in the Fairy tale of New York ?

[@markwilliamwestonwilson1503]

The BBC really are the biggest bunch of wakners ever too happen , it was alright for the Kiddie Fiddler Jimmy Savile to milk the bbc for years

[@markwilliamwestonwilson1503]

And what is Queenie doing presenting totp he is a granddad

[@pj5517]

Was Mike Read who refused to play Relax. I still don't get the fuss re it.

[@Leo-sd3jt]

"we call it aciiid" wasn't banned by the BBC. It was just banned from TOTPs along with any other song with "acid" in the name

[@whoarewe7515]

Wasn't I wanna be a hippy a song that got banned aswell?

[@JohnJohnson-cn9fh]

didnt ban jimmy saville though did they,hypocritical indeed,jpj

[@evadedenbach1226]

Well, the BBC always stood for Better Be Clean, according to Davy Jones.

[@onlyme219]

Ows about that then

[@julianaylor4351]

They now cut his appearances from any repeats, whether it's whole programs and clip shows.

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@julianaylor4351 - ‘Now then now then!’

[@Muirton66]

The Pistols were never banned by TOTP, their single God Save The Queen was.

[@jimtheudb]

Weren't they banned from the BBC due to the "Dirty rotter" interview?

[@ianmaddrell2247]

@@jimtheudb No, that interview was on ITV, not the BBC. John Lydon claimed about 40 years later he was banned by the BBC, but he wasn't PiL were regulars on TOTP and he also appeared on Juke Box Jury.

[@leightonsteven7059]

They even banned magic roundabout by jasper carrott, despite it being a popular BBC programme lol

[@kathrynabbott5032]

Not to be a prude but there is a lot of profanity in that song - I do actually own several copies of it.

[@leightonsteven7059]

@@kathrynabbott5032 lol, it was a sarcastic original comment, as I too have a copy of it

[@josephsmall4270]

Wasn't Divine banned by the BBC when he appeared on TOTP , because viewers made complaints about how he was dressed?

[@judgedredd3568]

They should have banned some of the presenters 1st

[@healingenso7923]

God Save the Queen was also played at my boarding school, in the 5th form common room down in the basement - and the challenge was to see if the whole track could be played before a teacher would come running in and confiscating the 45.

[@Ken_oh545]

We also used to play Plaistow Patricia by Ian Dury

[@healingenso7923]

@@Ken_oh545 - I only just discovered the cover of Shane McGowan doing Plaistow Patricia - a nice alternative.

[@ianz9916]

Wings first single, Give Ireland Back To The Irish was banned in 1972.

[@D00M3R-SK8]

EDM wasn't a coined term till the 2010's I believe. And Prodigy are definitely not "EDM" I mean what even is "EDM"? it's basically when Americans stopped calling all Dance Music "Techno" and decided to add "electronic" to the name. Dance music is basically a blanket terms that covers all electronic music from clubs, raves etc... it's not actually a genre.

[@troubledjoe6201]

Loose Fit - unfairly overlooked masterpiece

[@Horror_N_M3tal]

Radiohead's Creep is about Thom having a crush on a girl at Exeter University and not having the confidence to ask her out.

[@scottw.3258]

Yeah. And? How is that relevant to them being banned?

[@saphia7]

@@scottw.3258 ...he is just simply stating what the song was about!!!

[@scottw.3258]

@@saphia7 Ye think?

[@carlisroy6666]

@@scottw.3258 I don't think the OP was justifying the ban.

[@scottw.3258]

@@carlisroy6666 As i replied to 'Saphia7'... Ye think?

[@spicehedge]

Due to the B.side So What, The Anti Nowhere League's streets of London single was banned for sale in shops

[@mikegeorge7824]

I think you forgot a few...Billie Holliday's "Strange fruit", Lonnie Donegan;s "Diggin' my potatoes", George Michael's "I want your sex", even Abba's "Waterloo", were all banned!

[@12presspart]

@clrrchrd no i think it was recorded in the 40s way before totp;s

[@lilymarinovic1644]

What on earth could induce the BBC to ban a wholesome song like Waterloo?

[@lloydzeroa.k.aforger6990]

@@lilymarinovic1644 it's pointless to do so

[@Cobalt-Jester]

Having a BBc radio refusing to play your song and having it banned by the BBC are 2 completely different things. Some of which were just due to DJs and producers having a bit of a go at each other.

[@robd1365]

Can’t abide the BBC and haven’t used their services for years. Peaches was one of my favourite lockdown songs, looks like I’m gonna be stuck here the whole summer, well what a bummer

[@jameswoodworth7768]

“The acid house genre was facing a lot of heat for being linked to drugs”😂

[@duncancurtis5971]

The Police Invisible Sun was rarely played and the video featuring Derry banned for years.

[@bikerchick4ever]

My grandad worked for the BBC from the 1950's to the 70's. He called for My Dingaling to be banned. My Uncle informed him that it was his dirty mind! Lol

[@MrPomdownunder]

RIP Caron Keating ...

[@bodsnvimto]

As much as this Manc (on the blue side) loved the Madchester scene, I still think no.2 on this list should be no.1 and no.3 should be no.2. And FGTH in the bronze medal position. Mike Read did 'em a massive favour with his pious call.

[@BeneathTheGold]

Frankie goes to hollywoods leather track suit and white gloves still look the part to this day 😂

[@sheila6186]

True. I love Holly Johnson's (Frankie... frontman) style, attitude and charisma there. :)

[@NurkePL]

I think you will find that Relax was banned by Mike Reid

[@Toastrackman]

Yea i remember him spouting his big gob off on radio one that he refused to play it.

[@AtheistOrphan]

BBC TV are STILL censoring music videos: Over Christmas I watched ‘Madonna at the BBC’, a compilation of her BBC appearances mixed with a few videos. In the video for ‘Like a Prayer’ Madonna cuts her hands with a knife, then opens her hands to reveal small bloody stigmata-like wounds to her palms. However the BBC version omitted the shot of her palms, only showing her reaction.

[@imalwaysright]

right wing cancel culture alive and well, just like when they invented it]

[@livelife7428]

Where's the reply

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@livelife7428 - Someone had previously replied to my comment but for reasons unknown their reply has been deleted. By whom I do not know.

[@charleswhitney3235]

The tabloids and Tories want to sell off the BBC and attack it over content all the time. I think the Teletubbies were controversial at one point or another. Censorship seems archaic in the internet age but all content used to be heavily controlled until quite recently.

[@stephaniespragg5586]

I read somewhere that S&M by Rihanna got banned by the Beeb as well (video and song)

[@Mishima505]

1:02 RIP Wrighty

[@seyerus]

Imagine them banning all that 60s psychedelia music? The BBC is and always has been a hypocritical joke.

[@Steve14ps]

Lola by the Kinks was banned by the BBC because they used the lyrics 'Coca-Cola'! However, Kinks relented by changing the words to 'cherry cola' in order to perform on TOTP.

[@hikikomoriarty]

You're not allowed to sing 'Coca-Cola'?? What about Pulp's 'Disco 2000'... 🤔

[@sarahwells2623]

@@hikikomoriarty brand names were not allowed on the BBC as they didn't do any advertising. Loads of songs had to be altered or not played as they mentioned brand names. This rule was relaxed eventually so wouldn't have been an issue by the time Pulp were having hits, you're thinking of Common People though, not Disco 2000 (no brand names in that 🙂)

[@hankstaines6568]

I'm surprised that it took time for beeb executives to realise that Relax was gay!

[@purplegt5663]

No mention of King Kurt who were banned from ToTP for ever after dousing the lead singer in treacle and feathers!!

[@chrissiewindsor]

This song has been sung by many Britain’s Got Talent - how the times do change! “I mean “Creep””

[@SonicFortress]

The Prodigy stated at the start of their career that they would never play TOTP and they never did,so when they charted and even hit #1 they wouldnt play live forcing the show to have to play the videos which they were struggling to do as Prodigy kept pushing things further with their videos!

[@skylineXpert]

Great, more good ones for my streaming playlist.

[@phileagle2834]

Giving out Jim il fix badges is acceptable

[@BabaEsconoir]

The song was not banned because of their performance of Relax on TOTP or the raunchy lyrics of the song. It was the original video. NOT the one with the laser beams. In Holland they only showed the laser beams video. It was only in 1990 when I saw a documentary on Dutch television that i understood what FGTH was really about. I only saw the whole video in 2004 when I bought it on an "iconic 80s" DVD.

[@Morphstock]

Not quite, it was getting airplay but then Radio 1 DJ Mike Read stated live on air that he was refusing to play it because of the lyrics, which forced the ban.

[@clareshaughnessy2745]

OMG, how long did it take the BBC to learn that banning songs, just made the hits BIGGER!

[@renatab8293]

Small matter I admit, but the video is titled Artuists BANNED, bu the entries are introduced as songs that were banned.

[@connordavidson1998]

SAVILE should've been booted ever since this started airing!!! 😖😖

[@pasteye1671]

The BBC merely said "At number One - a song by Wings". Give Ireland Back To The Irish was banned on TV and Radio (as with Hi, Hi, Hi. What's wrong Mojo, are these too much for you, too? Macca responded with Mary Had A LIttle Lamb (you could hear him saying "Ban that, you Bas****s"). When they finally appeared on TOTP, P & L were clearly flying!

[@hikikomoriarty]

'Hi Hi Hi' has very raunchy lyrics, I'll give them that.

[@Angela-cc1hd]

Relax is one of the all time best songs ever!

[@supertouring22]

Was? Does it not exist any more?

[@wclark3196]

11:18 "...but fortunately, it didn't impede their success." Not at all. Shaun Ryder did that all by himself.

[@newsles2]

Both Roxanne and Can't Stand Losin' You by the Police were banned by the BBC.

[@timdyer5903]

Gary Glitter didn't get banned.

[@ant183]

Neither did Michael Jackson.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Sometimes, the higher ones make ridiculous reasons to justify their banning of a song. At least, TOTP has real humans to screen the songs...KZbin, on the other hand, uses bots which do more damage to legitimate content creators.

[@Nothingness00000-o]

Who misinterprets Disarm? It's not hard to understand what Billy was singing about.

[@Vb98765]

Tories

[@sarahwells2623]

I've mostly seen that the BBC banned it as they thought it was anti abortion, this is literally the first time I've ever heard it linked to the James Bulger murder

[@asterickjones]

the coolness factor of the Prodigy was only enhanced by this.

[@DjNikGnashers]

Cool in the eyes of pop music casuals. They were brilliant at first, Android EP etc from 91, but by the end of 92 they had evolved into a cheese-fest of shyte.

[@timothylyons5686]

Yet they played Golden Brown ( the Stanglers) get played. All about heroin.

[@njd2342]

What about the ballad of John and Yoko - did you ban this one from your list or was it pre Top of the Flops?

[@dogwithwigwamz.7320]

"WE CALL IT ACIEED" should have been banned on lack of merit alone. If that`s not money for old rope then nothing is.

[@timdyer5903]

FGTH Relax outlives most of the people who tried to ban the song.

[@Seblike]

"Blasphemous Rumours" by Depeche Mode & "I Want your Sex" by George Michael were also banned if my memory is correct.

[@davidrogan1292]

Good songs though. At least the singers were just been honest and that's what seems to have gotten them banned. Because they were singing what they think.

[@fredbloggs8362]

The documentary movie HYPE explains very clearly exactly what Kurt is saying. The ‘scene’ was a media construct, it was mostly just a lot of different bands in the one place at the same time (*yes some evolved out of each other or shared members).

[@stevefrompolaca2403]

you missed out Golden Brown.... headed for no. 1 till they explained the song was about heroin addiction... a kind of tribute to Coleridge

[@thesoultwins72]

No mention of Max Romeo's seminal reggae classic ''Wet Dream''?

[@Mariazellerbahn]

Sweet - "Turn It Down" was banned because if the line "for God's sake". Wings - "Hi Hi Hi" was banned so "C Moon" got played instead.

[@rmkw4291]

Primal Scream were banned from TOTP for a few years because they failed to show up to recording once.

[@michaelrochester48]

I remember around 1974 the BBC got thousands of complaints about a quadriplegic singing a cover song of some type in a wheelchair. I couldn’t believe that it got complaints

[@crowstylerrat2799]

Yes, it was Robert Wyatt covering I'm A Believer. It was the producer of the show that didn't want him to do it.

[@hikikomoriarty]

OMG, that is all kinds of fucked up!!! What a rabidly ableist society, must've been so much worse back in the '70s...

[@DukesMusic84]

#10. Summer of 89 in the UK was like 1969, just absolute acid-fueled mayhem. I was only 5 at the time, but sounds like quite the rager innit.

[@paulcarew593]

Big mistake on The Stranglers TOTP performance, 'Go Buddy Go' was not a B-Side but part of a double A-side. As for the 'Shame' about peaches, it got into the top 10 anyway.