Explore every episode of the podcast Don't Play That Song
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't Play That Song | 20 May 2025 | 00:00:36 | |
Hey guys! Iām launching a brand new show I think youāre really gonna love. Itās called Donāt Play That Song, and itās 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, āDon'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. | |||
| The Kinks - Lola (The Ban Over the Brand) | 03 Jun 2025 | 00:22:19 | |
Itās 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 wasnāt the gender-bending lyrics that got āLolaā yanked from the BBCās playlists. It was a soft drink. This week, weāre diving into the story behind āLolaā, how a love song with a wink of subversion almost got sunk by a brand name. Weāll talk about Ray Daviesā transatlantic sprint to rewrite a single lyric, the ripple effect of the ban, and why āLolaā still resonates more than 50 years later. Grab a drink, a cherry cola perhaps, and letās get into it. Want toĀ hear all the songsĀ weĀ couldnātĀ play on the show? Head toĀ dontplaythatsong.comĀ for the official companion playlist. Donāt forget toĀ subscribe,Ā rate, andĀ follow the showĀ wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on InstagramĀ @dontplaythatsongpod | |||
| Loretta Lynn ā The Pill (Banned by Country Radio) | 27 May 2025 | 00:14:51 | |
When country legend Loretta Lynn released āThe Pillā in 1975, she wasnāt just singing about birth control, she was kicking down the doors of country radio with a truth most stations didnāt 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 āThe Pill,ā from Loretta Lynnās own experience raising six kids by age 34 to the explosive reaction the song sparked in conservative circles. Itās a three-minute anthem that challenged the status quo, reshaped country music, and proved you didnāt need permission to tell your truth. Want toĀ hear all the songsĀ weĀ couldnātĀ play on the show? Head toĀ dontplaythatsong.comĀ for the official companion playlist. Donāt forget toĀ subscribe,Ā rate, andĀ follow the showĀ wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on InstagramĀ @dontplaythatsongpod Sources For This Episode: https://time.com/6219550/loretta-lynn-dies-the-pill-legacy/ https://theboot.com/loretta-lynn-the-pill-secret-history-of-country-music/ https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/loretta-lynn-pill-ban https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/loretta-lynn-feminism-song-pill/6837/ https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/loretta-lynn-the-pill-feature/ https://countryreunionmusic.com/loretta-lynns-the-pill-sparked-controversary-and-change/ https://tasteofcountry.com/controversial-banned-loretta-lynn-songs/ https://www.newyorker.com/recommends/listen/loretta-lynn-the-pill https://pitchfork.com/features/afterword/loretta-lynn-obituary | |||
| The Who - My Generation (The Banned and Broken Rock Classic) | 27 May 2025 | 00:15:21 | |
Before it became a classic rock staple...before it showed up in commercials and movie soundtracksā¦āMy Generationā by The Who was a full-blown act of rebellion. In this episode of Donāt 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 didnāt just raise eyebrows. It raised questions. Want toĀ hear all the songsĀ weĀ couldnātĀ play on the show? Head toĀ dontplaythatsong.comĀ for the official companion playlist. Donāt forget toĀ subscribe,Ā rate, andĀ follow the showĀ wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on InstagramĀ @dontplaythatsongpod Sources For This Episode: 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.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/46f837da-9ffa-494d-94e7-c7ffb0781bea https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/roger-daltrey-stutter-the-who-song-my-generation/ https://www.thisdayinmusic.com/liner-notes/the-who-my-generation/ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/17/shel-talmy-obituary | |||
| The Kingsmen - Louie Louie (The Song the FBI Tried to Ban) | 27 May 2025 | 00:16:15 | |
What happens when a garage rock anthem is accused of being obscene without anyone actually knowing the lyrics? In the premiere episode of Donāt Play That Song, we dig into the wild true story of āLouie Louieā 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 couldnāt play on the show? Head to dontplaythatsong.com for the official companion playlist. Donāt forget to subscribe, rate, and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram @dontplaythatsongpod Sources For This Episode: https://www.originals.be/en/originals/3837 https://www.goldradio.com/news/music/louie-louie-fbi-richard-berry-kingsmen https://blog.mcmenamins.com/the-story-of-louie-louie-part-i https://www.whbc.com/the-day-louie-louie-was-deemed-pornographic https://vault.fbi.gov/louie-louie-the-song https://pitchfork.com/news/59444-the-kingsmens-jack-ely-singer-behind-louie-louie-has-died | |||