5 Beatles Songs That Were Banned in the United States When Radio Stations Refused to Play Them
Several Beatles songs are part of the fabric of modern music. It’s difficult to tell the story of classic rock and pop music without the Fab Four. Still, some Beatles songs were banned in the United States. Before they wrote tunes that foreshadowed the end of the band, the Fab Four penned tunes that U.S. radio wouldn’t touch.
1. ‘Cold Turkey’
OK, so it’s not a Beatles song, but John Lennon wrote it during his Fab Four days before releasing it on his solo debut, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, in 1970. So we’ll call “Cold Turkey” a song by one of the Beatles that was banned in the United States. And it’s easy to see why. The lyrics describe heroin withdrawal in plainly harrowing detail, and it featured some of John’s freaky singing (read: screaming) over a heavy, distorted guitar riff near the end. It’s not an easy listen, but some fans didn’t have to worry about stumbling across it on their radio since most stations refused to play it.
Source: Jason Rossi/cheatsheet.com
