10 Rock Music Songs That Got Banned From Certain Countries

These ten famous tracks fought the law around the world, and the law won.

By Jacob Simmons /

Music is supposed to be an expression of oneself; a way of letting loose and revealing one's true feelings through sheer, unadulterated noise, helping to bridge the gap between the emotional world and reality.

Advertisement

Censorship in music then should be viewed as a bad thing, but that hasn't stopped many countries over the years from slapping bans on famous songs for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes, music gets branded with the old "obscene" label, as those in charge deem it too crude or encouraging for everyday consumption. Other times, there is a more political angle to things, as unrelated songs can be adopted by certain groups as unofficial anthems of protests.

Anyone who has seen the excellent documentary Searching For Sugarman will know that unknown American folk singer Rodriguez became a national icon in apartheid South Africa, leading to his music being outlawed by the oppressive, pro-White regime.

Regardless of why they were prohibited, these ten rock tracks all found themselves on certain nations' naughty lists, making it nigh-on impossible for even the most dedicated of fans to get their hands on a copy.

10. Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd (South Africa)

In 1979, Pink Floyd released one of the great rock albums in The Wall; a sprawling opera about a former rockstar who lost his mind and started to build a physical (and metaphorical) barricade around himself.

Advertisement

It's gone on to become one of the band's most cherished pieces of work, as well as the inspiration for a completely bonkers film three years later.

Seriously, do not watch it if you're not feeling 100%, it will melt your brain.

Serving as the album's lead single and semi-title track was Another Brick in the Wall Part 2, the section with lyrics from the much longer Another Brick in the Wall segment of the record.

The song's lyrics of "We don't need no education" famously rubbed British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher up the wrong way (which, admittedly, wasn't hard) and the track was also banned completely in South Africa.

It had become an anthem for protestors boycotting schools as part of ongoing demonstrations against the country's apartheid movement, hence why the government disavowed it in 1980.

The boycotts had been going on since the 1960s, coming to an end when apartheid was abolished in 1990.

Advertisement