Officials in San Diego and Florida police warn Elvis Presley that if he moves at all during his local performances, he will be arrested on obscenity charges.
1956
ABC Radio Network bans Billie Holiday's rendition of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" from all of its stations because of its prostitution theme. Stations continue to play instrumental versions of the song.
Also in April, members of the White Citizens Council of Birmingham, Alabama, rush the stage at a Nat King Cole concert and beat the legendary performer. Seeing the reaction of Birmingham's young teen girls to Nat's crooning, the council members confuse Cole's music with newly popular R&B.
The Parks Department in San Antonio, Texas, removes all rock and roll records from jukeboxes located at city swimming pools, terming it "jumpy, hot stuff" that is unsuitable for teens.
Network officials ban the novelty hit "Transfusion" by Dot and Diamond from ABC, CBS, and NBC radios in June. According to one NBC executive, "There is nothing funny about a blood transfusion."....
The '60s:
- 1960
In October, several radio stations refuse to play Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her," calling it the "Death Disk."
1962
New York Bishop Burke forbids Catholic school students from dancing to "The Twist." Burke considers R&B music, and its associated dances, to be lewd and un-Christian.
1963
The FBI begins collecting data on folk singers Phil Ochs. Ochs is one of several popular musicians to be tracked by the FBI during their careers (Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie).
Bob Dylan refuses to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in February after producers tell him he cannot sing "Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues."
1964
Fear it contains obscene messages, Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh attempts to ban the Kingsmen hit "Louie, Louie." After review by the FCC, the agency determines that the song's lyrics are indecipherable.
1965
After splitting his pants while dancing wildly at a European concert in February, the boisterous P. J. Proby is uninvited to perform on ABC's music variety show Shingdig.
Cleveland Mayor Ralph Locher bans all rock concerts in the city following a Rolling Stones performance.
The Barry McGuire song "Eve of Destruction" is pulled from retail stores and radio stations across the country after some groups complain that it is nihilistic and could promote suicidal feelings amongst teens.....
- 1970
A group known as the Movement to Restore Democracy calls for the banning of rock music to end the spread of Socialism in America.
Article comments
1 - Chris
There are several examples in there of real Censorship, but the rest of the list is not. Only when the Government supresses speech in some form can it be truly called censorship. The rest are examples of people/businesses exercising judgement about what they will/will not release and/or play. There is no right to a record contract, and there is no right to radio play. Ask David Allan Coe.