Musicians, much like other artists, have been censored by radio stations, universities, libraries and practically any other space you can think of for decades. Before them, writers who spoke out against atrocities committed by governments the world over had their books burned and banned. Typically, musicians are targeted for censorship because their lyrical content is deemed too risqué or inappropriate. Or, their music videos are considered sexually suggestive or outright explicit and therefore unfit and unsafe for public consumption. But censorship and the flat-out banning of songs and videos always seems to work in favor of the artists – earning them more public attention and ultimately more album sales, giving credo to the saying there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Controversy, whether intended or not, sells, and these artists clearly aren’t afraid to push boundaries or to speak their minds. Here is but a small list of artists whose music was at one point or another censored, boycotted or banned.
