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Musical responses to September 11th:
The list of allegedly 'banned' songs
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| In the wake of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, a list of 160 "lyrically inappropriate" songs was said to have been distributed to 1,200 radio stations in the US, and consequently bands such as Rage Against The Machine were allegedly banned from a large number of American radio stations.
In the wake of the devastating terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon one of the programme directors and senior executives of Clear Channel Communications, the largest radio network in the US, created a list of 160 "potentially inappropriate songs", according to Mark Armstrong who wrote the article ' "Imagine" All the Inappropriate Songs' one week after the attacks.
The list was said to have been distributed to the network's 1,200 radio stations across the country with the suggestion that the songs should not be played on the air. While rumors initially floated that the list was a corporate mandate, or a cruel hoax, the radio conglomerate insisted that the programme director created and distributed the list on his own initiative.
"Given the environment, a Clear Channel program director took it upon himself to identify a number of songs that certain markets or individuals may find insensitive today," the company said in a statement. "This was not a mandate, nor was the list generated out of the corporate radio offices. It was a grassroots effort that was apparently circulated among programme directors."
Free-speech activists expressed concern that the list was even passed around.
"It's very dangerous," said Nina Crowley, director of MassMic, a music free-speech organisation. "I understand they're pulling certain violent songs. But you put out a list of songs like this, and the next thing you know someone's pulling the albums off the shelves in Wal-Mart." Most upsetting, Crowley said, was the inclusion of "all songs by Rage Against the Machine" on the list. "That's political stand against what Rage Against the Machine has to say," she warned.
The disputed list
3 DOORS DOWN - Duck and Run
311 - Down
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds
AC/DC - Hell's Bells
AC/DC - Highway to Hell
AC/DC - Safe in New York City
AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill
AC/DC - Shot Down in Flames
AC/DC - TNT
AD LIBS - The Boy from New York City
ALICE IN CHAINS - Down in a Hole
ALICE IN CHAINS - Rooster
ALICE IN CHAINS - Sea of Sorrow
ALICE IN CHAINS - Them Bone
ALIEN ANT FARM - Smooth Criminal
ANIMALS - We Gotta Get Out of this Place
LOUIS ARMSTRONG - What a Wonderful World
BANGLES - Walk Like an Egyptian
BARENAKED LADIES - Falling for the First Time
FONTELLA BASS - Rescue Me
BEASTIE BOYS - Sabotage
BEASTIE BOYS - Sure Shot
BEATLES - A Day in the Life
BEATLES - Lucy in fhe Sky with Diamonds
BEATLES - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
BEATLES - Ticket to Ride
PAT BENATAR - Love Is a Battlefield
PAT BENATAR - Hit Me with Your Best Shot
BLACK SABBATH - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
BLACK SUICIDE - Suicide Solution
BLACK SABBATH - War Pigs
BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS - And When I Die
BLUE OYSTER CULT - Burnin' for You
BOSTON - Smokin'
BROOKLYN BRIDGE - Worst that Could Happen
ARTHUR BROWN - Fire
JACKSON BROWNE - Doctor My Eyes
BUSH - Speed Kills CHI-LITES - Have You Seen Her
DAVE CLARK FIVE - Bits and Pieces
PETULA CLARK - A Sign of the Times
THE CLASH - Rock the Casbah
PHIL COLLINS - In the Air Tonight
SAM COOKE - Wonderful World
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - Travelin' Band
CULT - Fire Woman
BOBBY DARIN - Mack the Knife
SKEETER DAVIS - End of the World
NEIL DIAMOND - America
DIO - Holy Diver
DOORS - The End
DRIFTERS - On Broadway
DROWNING POOL - Bodies
BOB DYLAN - Knockin' on Heaven's Door
EVERCLEAR - Santa Monica
SHELLY FABARES - Johnny Angel
FILTER - Hey Man, Nice Shot
FOO FIGHTERS - Learn to Fly
FUEL - Bad Day
PETER GABRIEL - When You're Falling
GAP BAND - You Dropped a Bomb on Me
GODSMACK - Bad Religion
GREEN DAY - Brain Stew
NORMAN GREENBAUM - Spirit in the Sky
GUNS N' ROSES - Knockin' on Heaven's Door
HAPPENINGS - See You in September
JIMI HENDRIX - Hey Joe
HERMAN'S HERMITS - Wonderful World
HOLLIES - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS - That'll Be the Day
JAN & DEAN - Dead Man's Curve
BILLY JOEL - Only the Good Die Young
ELTON JOHN - Benny & The Jets
ELTON JOHN - Daniel
ELTON JOHN - Rocket Man
JUDAS PRIEST - Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
KANSAS - Dust in the Wind
CAROLE KING - I Feel the Earth Move
KORN - Falling Away From Me
LENNY KRAVITZ - Fly Away
LED ZEPPELIN - Stairway to Heaven
JOHN LENNON - Imagine
JERRY LEE LEWIS - Great Balls of Fire
LIMP BIZKIT - Break Stuff
LOCAL H - Bound for the Floor
LOS BRAVOS - Black Is Black
LYNYRD SKYNYRD - Tuesday's Gone
MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS - Nowhere to Run
MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS - Dancing in the Street
DAVE MATHEWS BAND - Crash into Me
PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS - Live and Let Die
BARRY MCGUIRE - Eve Of Destruction
DON MCLEAN - American Pie
MEGADEATH - Dread and the Fugitive
MEGADEATH - Sweating Bullets
JOHN MELLENCAMP - Crumbling Down
JOHN MELLENCAMP - I'm on Fire
METALLICA - Seek and Destroy
METALLICA - Harvester Or Sorrow
METALLICA - Enter Sandman
METALLICA - Fade to Black
STEVE MILLER - Jet Airliner
ALANIS MORISSETTE - Ironic
MUDVAYNE - Death Blooms
RICK NELSON - Travelin' Man
NENA - 99 Luft Balloons/99 Red Balloons
NINE INCH NAILS - Head Like a Hole
OINGO BOINGO - Dead Man's Party
PAPER LACE - The Night Chicago Died
JOHN PARR - St Elmo's Fire
PETER GORDON - I Go To Pieces
PETER GORDON - A World Without Love
PETER PAUL & MARY - Blowin' in the Wind
PETER PAUL & MARY - Leavin' on a Jet Plane
TOM PETTY - Free Fallin'
PINK FLOYD - Run Like Hell
PINK FLOYD - Mother
POD - Boom
ELVIS PRESLEY - (You're the) Devil in Disguise
PRETENDERS - My City Was Gone
QUEEN - Another One Bites the Dust
QUEEN - Killer Queen
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE - [all songs]
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - Aeroplane
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - Under the Bridge
REM - It's the End of the World as We Know It
ROLLING STONES - Ruby Tuesday
MITCH RYDER & THE DETROIT WHEELS - Devil with the Blue Dress
SALIVA - Click Click Boom
SANTANA - Evil Ways '
SAVAGE GARDEN - Crash and Burn
SIMON & GARFUNKLE - Bridge Over Troubled Water
FRANK SINATRA - New York, New York
SLIPKNOT - Left Behind
SLIPKNOT - Wait and
SMASHING PUMPKINS - Bullet with Butterfly Wings
SOUNDGARDEN - Blow Up the Outside World
SMASHING PUMPKINS - Fell on Black Days
SMASHING PUMPKINS - Black Hole Sun
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - I'm on Fire
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Goin' Down
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - War
EDWIN STARR - War
STEAM - Na Na Na Na Hey Hey
CAT STEVENS - Peace Train
CAT STEVENS - Morning Has Broken
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS - Big Bang Baby
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS - Dead and Bloated
SUGAR RAY - Fly
SURFARIS - Wipeout
SYSTEM OF A DOWN - Chop Suey!
TALKING HEADS - Burning Down the House
JAMES TAYLOR - Fire and Rain
TEMPLE OF THE DOG - Say Hello to Heaven
THIRD EYE BLIND - Jumper
THREE DEGREES - When Will I See You Again
TOOL - Intolerance
TRAMPS - Disco Inferno
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
VAN HALEN - Dancing in the Streets
VAN HALEN - Jump
J FRANK WILSON - Last Kiss
YOUNGBLOODS - Get Together
ZAGER & EVANS - In the Year 2525
ZOMBIES - She's Not There
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| Read more: |
| USA: 'Crash into me, baby!' |
| America’s implicit music censorship since September 11. Read the chapter from 'Shoot the Singer!', by Eric Nuzum on how the September 11 terror attacks have affected freedom of musical expression |
| 03 June 2004 |
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| Pakistan: Music video about 9/11 censored |
| The Pakistani-Canadian rock group Falak has been blacklisted on MTV Pakistan. Their song 'Yadein II' is deemed too controversial because of its 9/11 images |
| 21 February 2007 |
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| New US study on cultural exchanges since September 11 |
| U.S Homeland Security and State departments are encouraged to "work together to improve the current visa situation…so it is less of a barrier for foreign visitors, artists, and scholars, and for the presenters who invite them" |
| 10 September 2004 |
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| Post September 11- Freemuse conference |
| Listen to the Freemuse organized panel discussion from WOMEX 2003 on how September 11 has affected freedom of musical expression. Visa problems, threats, disrupted tours, changed play-lists, nationalistic concerts and withdrawal of covers are just a few results |
| 30 November 2003 |
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| Clear Channel: September 11 & Corporate Censorship |
| Corporate censor no. 1, or just the market leader? A collection of articles on Clear Channel - including the debate on the infamous list of 'potentially offensive songs', which Clear Channel suggested its 1.300 radio stations not to play following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US |
| 01 December 2002 |
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| 9/11: Is protest music dead? |
| Music used to be the dominant voice against war. Now it's easier to shut up and get paid. What's really going on? Extensive article on 9/11 effects and media concentration, by Jeff Chang |
| 16 April 2002 |
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| The culture of conflict: September 11 effects |
| The attacks in America may cause a change of heart in Hollywood, but what of the other arts? And what will be the effect on the creative scene in Britain? From dance to pop, Guardian critics assess the likely impact |
| 29 September 2001 |
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| WOMEX 2004 |
| This year Freemuse presented two conference sessions: "Meet the banned! Music censorship in Turkey" featured Turkish musician Ferhat Tunç, while "9/11 – The world's all out of tune" presented a new book on freedom of musical expression after 9/11 |
| 19 October 2004 |
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| Ban the bomb |
| Primal Scream’s new album looks set to be banned in the U.S. - for featuring their controversial song ‘Bomb the Pentagon’. The song, a bitter attack on US foreign policy, was premiered live just before the September 11 terror attacks |
| 10 April 2002 |
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| France: Musician attacked by airport police |
| On 9 September 2006 four police officers threw Russian-American trumpet player Valery Ponomarev to the floor, kicking and punching him, twisted his arm back and broke it |
| 23 October 2006 |
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| Venue expels Linda Ronstadt after political remarks |
| The singer was booed and removed from a Las Vegas casino for praising film-maker Michael Moore and his film Fahrenheit 9/11 during a show. Ronstadt called Moore a "great American patriot" and "someone who is spreading the truth" |
| 20 July 2004 |
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| Dennis Lyxzen / TINC |
| Video interview with Dennis Lyxzen from The (international) Noise Conspiracy. An outsider’s view on music and censorship in the USA after 9/11 |
| 11 July 2002 |
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| John Adams banned in Boston |
| Because of the September 11th terror attacks, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has decided to cancel "The Death of Klinghoffer", the both emotionally and politically sadly relevant John Adams opera |
| 25 November 2001 |
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| Musicians hit by the “9/11-effect” |
| Tighter restrictions on air travel means that musical instruments are no longer allowed on the plane as carry-on baggage. This has lead to cancellations of concerts and tours |
| 11 September 2006 |
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| Rapper Jadakiss Blames Bush for Sept. 11 |
| "Why" - the new single by US rapper Jadakiss, with the words "why did Bush knock down the towers?" - has gotten him the most mainstream attention, and criticism, of his career. MTV and several radio stations are playing the edited version |
| 16 July 2004 |
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| Pakistan: Two more music shops bombed |
| Bombs damaged two music shops in a bazaar in Bannu in north-western Pakistan on 11 September 2006. Explosions damaging music shops are increasingly shaking up the area. |
| 13 September 2006 |
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| Russia: Radical Christians want pop concert banned |
| Controversy and outrage follows American pop singer Madonna to her world-wide ‘Confessions Tour’ where she is “crucified” on a cross on stage. The act has sparked anger from various religious groups. |
| 12 September 2006 |
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| Bob Titley: Artists afraid to speak out |
| Video interview with one of the founding members of Music Row Democrats, which was born in December 2003 out of frustration and concern about the changing music climate |
| 02 March 2006 |
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| Adults only! New book on censored album covers |
| With focus on original LP- and CD covers of the past 50 years, a German book and exhibition documents the history of rock- and pop music that has evoked public discussions or even been censored |
| 25 October 2004 |
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| CRAG Report: The Missing Cuban Musicians |
| No Cuban bands have been admitted entry into the U.S. since November 2003. New report on the situation for cultural exchange between Cuba and the U.S. |
| 05 October 2004 |
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| Protest singer Earle blasts US war |
| The US singer - whose song about so-called American Taliban John Walker Lindh provoked major controversy in the US and resulted in US media calling him "unpatriotic" and even "a traitor" - is set to release an album which criticises the Iraq war |
| 17 August 2004 |
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| Shoot the Singer! Book |
| 'Shoot the Singer! Music Censorship Today' is the first worldwide presentation of contemporary cases of music censorship |
| 25 May 2004 |
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| Singer Lee Jones attacks Bush |
| American singer Rickie Lee Jones has attacked the policies of the Bush administration on her latest record - despite the potential risk to her career. “I usually reflect things totally internally. But I think what is happening in America is so disturbing to me, it becomes internal” |
| 07 January 2004 |
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