Don't Play That Song

The Kinks - Lola (The Ban Over the Brand)

It’s the summer of 1970, and The Kinks are about to shake up the airwaves with a song about a chance encounter in a club, a little ambiguity, and a whole lot of swagger. But it wasn’t the gender-bending lyrics that got “Lola” yanked from the BBC’s playlists. It was a soft drink. This week, we’re diving into the story behind “Lola”, how a love song with a wink of subversion almost got sunk by a brand name. We’ll talk about Ray Davies’ transatlantic sprint to rewrite a single lyric, the ripple effect of the ban, and why “Lola” still resonates more than 50 years later. Grab a drink, a cherry cola perhaps, and let’s get into it. Want to hear all the songs we couldn’t play on the show? Head to dontplaythatsong.com [http://dontplaythatsong.com/] for the official companion playlist. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram @dontplaythatsongpod [https://www.instagram.com/dontplaythatsongpod]

Loretta Lynn – The Pill (Banned by Country Radio)

When country legend Loretta Lynn released “The Pill” in 1975, she wasn’t just singing about birth control, she was kicking down the doors of country radio with a truth most stations didn’t want to hear. A woman taking charge of her own body? That was too much for the Nashville old guard. Banned by dozens of stations across the country, the song still became a cultural lightning rod and a chart hit. In this episode, we dig into the story behind “The Pill,” from Loretta Lynn’s own experience raising six kids by age 34 to the explosive reaction the song sparked in conservative circles. It’s a three-minute anthem that challenged the status quo, reshaped country music, and proved you didn’t need permission to tell your truth. Want to hear all the songs we couldn’t play on the show? Head to dontplaythatsong.com [http://dontplaythatsong.com/] for the official companion playlist. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram @dontplaythatsongpod [https://www.instagram.com/dontplaythatsongpod] Sources For This Episode: https://time.com/6219550/loretta-lynn-dies-the-pill-legacy/ [https://time.com/6219550/loretta-lynn-dies-the-pill-legacy/] https://theboot.com/loretta-lynn-the-pill-secret-history-of-country-music/ [https://theboot.com/loretta-lynn-the-pill-secret-history-of-country-music/] https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/loretta-lynn-pill-ban [https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/loretta-lynn-pill-ban] https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/loretta-lynn-feminism-song-pill/6837/ [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/loretta-lynn-feminism-song-pill/6837/] https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/loretta-lynn-the-pill-feature/ [https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/loretta-lynn-the-pill-feature/] https://countryreunionmusic.com/loretta-lynns-the-pill-sparked-controversary-and-change/ [https://countryreunionmusic.com/loretta-lynns-the-pill-sparked-controversary-and-change/] https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-country-stations-banned-loretta-lynns-the-pill-it-became-her-biggest-pop-hit [https://www.thedailybeast.com/after-country-stations-banned-loretta-lynns-the-pill-it-became-her-biggest-pop-hit] https://americansongwriter.com/revisiting-the-meaning-of-loretta-lynns-1975-womens-reproductive-rights-song-the-pill/ [https://americansongwriter.com/revisiting-the-meaning-of-loretta-lynns-1975-womens-reproductive-rights-song-the-pill/] https://tasteofcountry.com/controversial-banned-loretta-lynn-songs/ [https://tasteofcountry.com/controversial-banned-loretta-lynn-songs/] https://www.newyorker.com/recommends/listen/loretta-lynn-the-pill [https://www.newyorker.com/recommends/listen/loretta-lynn-the-pill] https://pitchfork.com/features/afterword/loretta-lynn-obituary [https://pitchfork.com/features/afterword/loretta-lynn-obituary]

The Who - My Generation (The Banned and Broken Rock Classic)

Before it became a classic rock staple...before it showed up in commercials and movie soundtracks…“My Generation” by The Who was a full-blown act of rebellion. In this episode of Don’t Play That Song, we dive into the story behind one of the most explosive singles of the 1960s, and why some radio stations refused to play it. With its defiant attitude, feedback-drenched sound, and that now-iconic stutter, the song didn’t just raise eyebrows. It raised questions. Want to hear all the songs we couldn’t play on the show? Head to dontplaythatsong.com [http://dontplaythatsong.com/] for the official companion playlist. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram @dontplaythatsongpod [https://www.instagram.com/dontplaythatsongpod] Sources For This Episode: https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/the-who/pete-townshend-my-generation-not-queen-mother/ [https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/the-who/pete-townshend-my-generation-not-queen-mother/] https://www.thewho.com/music/my-generation-3/ [https://www.thewho.com/music/my-generation-3/] https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7-c7ffb0781bea [https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7-c7ffb0781bea] https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/roger-daltrey-stutter-the-who-song-my-generation/ [https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/roger-daltrey-stutter-the-who-song-my-generation/] https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bewildering-technique-that-went-way-beyond-any-standard-root5th-ideas-listen-to-john-entwistles-isolated-bass-on-my-generation [https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bewildering-technique-that-went-way-beyond-any-standard-root5th-ideas-listen-to-john-entwistles-isolated-bass-on-my-generation] https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/the-who-my-generation/ [https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/the-who-my-generation/] https://americansongwriter.com/3-classic-rock-hits-that-were-praised-or-banned-for-featuring-stuttering/ [https://americansongwriter.com/3-classic-rock-hits-that-were-praised-or-banned-for-featuring-stuttering/] https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/17/shel-talmy-obituary [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/17/shel-talmy-obituary]

The Kingsmen - Louie Louie (The Song the FBI Tried to Ban)

What happens when a garage rock anthem is accused of being obscene without anyone actually knowing the lyrics? In the premiere episode of Don’t Play That Song, we dig into the wild true story of “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen. From its sloppy brilliance and slurred vocals to the full-blown FBI investigation, this episode unpacks how a three-chord party song from 1963 became one of the most banned, misunderstood, and investigated songs in American radio history. Want to hear all the songs we couldn’t play on the show? Head to dontplaythatsong.com [http://dontplaythatsong.com] for the official companion playlist. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram @dontplaythatsongpod [https://www.instagram.com/dontplaythatsongpod] Sources For This Episode: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/jack-ely-louie-louie-the-dirtiest-song-of-the-sixties [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/jack-ely-louie-louie-the-dirtiest-song-of-the-sixties] https://www.originals.be/en/originals/3837 [https://www.originals.be/en/originals/3837] https://www.goldradio.com/news/music/louie-louie-fbi-richard-berry-kingsmen [https://www.goldradio.com/news/music/louie-louie-fbi-richard-berry-kingsmen] https://blog.mcmenamins.com/the-story-of-louie-louie-part-i [https://blog.mcmenamins.com/the-story-of-louie-louie-part-i] https://www.openculture.com/2020/12/how-the-garage-rock-anthem-louie-louie-became-the-subject-of-a-lengthy-fbi-investigation-1964.html [https://www.openculture.com/2020/12/how-the-garage-rock-anthem-louie-louie-became-the-subject-of-a-lengthy-fbi-investigation-1964.html] https://www.whbc.com/the-day-louie-louie-was-deemed-pornographic [https://www.whbc.com/the-day-louie-louie-was-deemed-pornographic] https://vault.fbi.gov/louie-louie-the-song [https://vault.fbi.gov/louie-louie-the-song] https://pitchfork.com/news/59444-the-kingsmens-jack-ely-singer-behind-louie-louie-has-died [https://pitchfork.com/news/59444-the-kingsmens-jack-ely-singer-behind-louie-louie-has-died]

NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't Play That Song

Hey guys! I’m launching a brand new show I think you’re really gonna love. It’s called Don’t Play That Song, and it’s all about the music that got banned, censored, or pulled from the radio. Every week I'll dive into the wild, surprising and sometimes ridiculous reasons why certain songs were silenced. Whether it was a lyric, a message or just a sound that made people nervous. From chart-toppers to forgotten deep cuts, I'll tell you the full story behind the tracks that made someone say, “Don't play that song!" First episodes are dropping soon, right here on this feed. Hit follow, and get ready for the songs they tried to keep us from hearing.