Do Stop The Music Trivia Quiz

Answer: Monster Mash

Perennial Halloween favourite "Monster Mash" too morbid? Yep. that's what the BBC said, although when the track was re-released in 1973, attitudes had changed and the song reached number three in UK charts. Although Bobby "Boris" Pickett released several parody records, this was his only UK hit although it wasn't the only record to be banned by the Beeb for being too morbid.

In 1961, they banned "Night of the Vampire" by The Moontrekkers, as the eerie sounds of a creaking door and spooky laughter might scare somebody.

Answer: Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby banned by the BBC doesn't seem possible today, but before we get to the reason behind it, let's start be remembering this was wartime UK. As it was wartime, the BBC was concerned that productivity would drop if they played the song during working hours as factory workers would neglect their tools while they clapped in time with the song's melody. As a point of interest, Bing's recording of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" in 1943 was also banned by the BBC as they felt that playing it might lower morale among British troops.

Answer: The Wizard Of Oz

In a powerful showing of public opinion, the song reached number two in UK charts and number one in the Scottish charts following the death of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher. In 2017, the BBC banned a song that was critical of Prime Minister Theresa May.

The track, "Liar Liar GE2017" by Captain Ska, reached number four in UK charts without receiving any airplay at all and all profits from the song went to supporting UK food banks.

Answer: Knickers

"Boy, you've been a naughty girl. You let your knickers down" was just too much for the BBC, and the track was banned from airplay. Luckily it was released as a double 'A' side single with "Hello, Goodbye" which was OK to play on the BBC. The Beatles clashed with the BBC a few times; other banned songs included "Come Together" (1969) for blatant advertising with the line "he shout Coca Cola", "A Day In The Life" (1967) for the line "I'd love to turn you on", which, according to Beeb could "encourage a permissive attitude to drug-taking" and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" (1967) which was banned for drug references.

Answer: Spasticus Autisticus

"Spasticus Autisticus" was written by Dury, who had been crippled by polio in his teens, as a response to "International Year of Disabled Persons" which he found extremely patronising, believing that he was a person first, not a disability. The lyrics, which included lines such as "I dribble when I piddle 'cos my middle is a riddle" and "Hello to you out there in normal land" were too much for BBC and it was banned.

In 2012, the song was performed in front of a worldwide TV audience of millions when it was used in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, with a special intro by Stephen Hawking. Far from being offensive, it is now viewed as a rallying cry for people with disabilities.

Answer: Mack The Knife

"Mack The Knife" from Weill and Brecht's 1928 play "The Threepenny Opera" was, judging by the description, the gangsta rap of its day, as the BBC decided that, "It has an off-beat lyric about knives, corpses and blood and would cause offence if broadcast out of context."

Answer: Donna Summer

I do find it quite amusing that someone at the Beeb was given the job of listening to "Love To Love You Baby" and counting the number of orgasmic sounds made by Summer before the ban was issued. Being banned certainly didn't hinder sales though as it reached number four in UK charts and helped Donna Summer become a household name. Summer said later that the two questions she was most often asked by journalists regarding the record were, "were you alone in the studio" and "did you touch yourself", to which her replies were always, "yes" and "yes, I had a hand on my knee."

Answer: Kismet

Borrowing from classical music was something that the BBC was staunchly against, in fact in 1961, they banned 167 tracks for this heinous crime, by artists such as Liberace, Mantovani and Lawrence Welk. In 1963, "Saturday Night At The Duckpond" by The Cougars was banned as it distorted the melody, harmony and rhythm of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" but surprisingly in 1962, "Nut Rocker" by B. Bumble and the Stingers was allowed, as in the words of the BBC. "it is quite openly a parody of a Tchaikovsky dance tune, and in our opinion will not offend reasonable people."

Answer: "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry

Although all the songs here were banned, "Maybellene" (1955) incurred the wrath of the red pencil because it was about infidelity, despite the fact that the song is anti-infidelity and Berry sings that he wants Maybellene to be true to him several times. "The Cover Of The Rolling Stone" (1972) obviously mentions "Rolling Stone" magazine and never charted in UK, most likely because of this ban, while "All The Young Dudes" (1972) and "Lola" (1970) both required changes to lyrics before they could be played. Mott The Hoople's track contained the line, "Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks", a reference to retailer Marks and Spencer. which was altered to "Wendy's stealing clothes from unlocked cars", while "Lola" mentioned Coca Cola and this was changed to cherry cola to ensure airplay.

Answer: In The Air Tonight

It does seem quite bizarre that Phil Collins' drumming could deemed scary but that was how the BBC felt in 1990. Other songs on the Gulf War no play list included "Atomic" (1979) by Blondie, "Everybody Want To Rule The World" (1985) from Tears For Fears, "Waterloo" (1974) by ABBA and "Imagine" (1971) by John Lennon.