The attacks on September 11, 2001, killed 2,977 people—2,996 when counting the 19 hijackers—and changed the world forever. Today, 23 years later, reverberations of that harrowing Tuesday morning can still be felt throughout the nation. Legislation changed, airline travel became more secure, and, for some Americans, attitudes about the Middle East and Islam were irrevocably shifted. In the short term, entertainment was censored and many songs were banned from the radio after 9/11.
In the days after the attacks, Clear Channel Communications which is now iHeartMedia, the largest owner of terrestrial radio stations in the country, sent out an internal memo with songs labeled too lyrically questionable or insensitive to play on the radio. While the memorandum wasn’t an outright ban on the songs, DJs were urged to temporarily pull the 164 songs from rotation in reaction to the 9/11 attacks.
Songs referencing airplanes like “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane” and “Benny and the Jets” or those that referenced the Middle East such as “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Rock the Casbah” were on the list. Additionally, the conglomerate wanted songs that were critical of the United States government including all songs by Rage Against the Machine pulled from the airwaves.
Here are a few iconic classic rock songs that were caught in the radio ban after 9/11.
“Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
It doesn’t get much more all-American than Creedence Clearwater Revival. The swamp rock band from the West Coast is a staple among classic rock radio stations and a favorite among fans. However, their hit song “Travelin’ Band” was banned after 9/11.
It’s likely that the opening line, 737 comin’ out of the sky landed this track on the list. While the hijackers used 757s and 767s, the media conglomerate likely deemed the reference to a Boeing commercial jet too insensitive for the radio.
“American Pie” by Don McLean
Don McLean’s 1971 hit song “American Pie” was also banned from radio after 9/11. The song doesn’t directly reference planes or the Middle East nor does it criticize the American government. However, many know that the song’s lyrics are about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly. Moreover, “American Pie” is a mournful song about getting bad news, death, and a nation in mourning. The combination of those themes likely put it on the list.
“Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and Wings
This classic song from Paul McCartney and Wings didn’t tick any of the abovementioned boxes but still landed on the banned song list. While the theme from the first Roger Moore James Bond flick doesn’t talk about planes, attacks, or the government, it’s easy to see how it landed on the list.
Everyone could see that the world was changing in the days after the attacks. So, lines like But if this ever-changing world in which we’re livin’ / Make you give in and cry / Say live and let die were likely a bit much for radio programmers.
“Tuesday’s Gone” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
This classic breakup song from rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd was also banned after 9/11. The melancholy track does not refer to anything that one could deem questionable even after the tumultuous days after the devastating attacks. However, it did reference Tuesday. September 11, 2001, fell on a Tuesday. So, that’s likely why this track found itself among the 164 that Clear Channel wanted to pull from rotation.
Featured Image by Alan Messer/Shutterstock
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