3 John Lennon Songs That Were Banned from the Radio
After The Beatles broke up, John Lennon wrote many songs that were not subtle with their politics. Some went too far in certain people’s eyes and were banned from playing on the radio. Not every political Lennon song received a ban, but here are three songs that were. “Cold Turkey” was released in 1969 and is one of the earliest songs from John Lennon’s solo career. Lennon wrote the track after he and his wife, Yoko Ono, went cold turkey after a brief heroin addiction. Many believed the song was promoting drugs, and it was subsequently banned on many American radios. In his 1980 interview with Playboy, Lennon said “Cold Turkey” never had the chance to become popular after it was banned.
“‘Cold Turkey’ is self-explanatory,” he said. “It was banned again all over the American radio, so it never got off the ground. They were thinking I was promoting heroin, but instead … They’re so stupid about drugs!”
Even with the ban, “Cold Turkey” was still a minor hit in the U.S., reaching No. 30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 14 on the U.K. Official Charts.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com
