10 Rock Artists Who Got Banned From Certain Countries

6. Led Zeppelin - Singapore

Led Zeppelin didn't just break the mould when they first came along, they obliterated it.

Extended guitar solos, suggestive lyrics, wailing vocals; nobody had ever seen anything like this before and they remain one of the most influential outfits ever to grace a stage.

Unfortunately, being ahead of your time usually puts you in the crosshairs of less progressive folk. That might explain why Led Zep were denied entry to Singapore in 1972.

The island state, which had only been granted its independence seven years earlier, were not keen on the band playing a pre-announced outdoor concert.

Was it because of everything we just said about them being genre-busting rockers?

Nope.

It was because of their hair.

The country was going through a strong anti-drugs push at the time, blaming the influence of Western culture on the rise of narcotics. This involved a crackdown on anything that might support the culture of drug-taking, including Led Zep and their hippie-like long hair.

The band weren't even allowed to leave their private jet, instead being told to turn straight back around and fly home to London.

All because they hadn't been to the barbers in a while.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.