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Hit Songs That Should Never Be Played On Radio Today

If you're going to judge a performer by their politics, I'd never listen to anything by John Lennon. His solo hit "Imagine" is Marx's Communist Manifesto set to music! But despite that, as a song, it's pretty good. I might not agree with the lyrics, but it's still a good song. I have nothing but contempt for the former Cat Stevens, but "Moonshadow", "Morning Has Broken", and "The First Cut is the Deepest" are still good songs.

I am also amazed at the hypocrisy of those who see nothing wrong with attacking the political beliefs of people that they disagree with, especially when it is totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but who demand tolerance and acceptance for their own positions.
I know The First Cut is the Deepest by Rod Stewart. Did Cat Stevens do it too?
 
(Oh goody gumdrops, now Stefan's in on it too...) so is Cher's half breed not politically correct......yet its an honest song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6E98ZRaU1s

Trick question, right, Richie-baby? If I answer against the song, I'm a "politically-correct wussy" (your term,) if I answer in favor of the song, you'll no doubt dig up some homophobic comment about my being a guy who likes Cher. Is it permissible any more to admit being a straight guy who likes Cher? The answers are: Yes, I am straight. Yes, I've liked Cher since her face still had its original upholstery, she has a one-of-a-kind voice and at her best was the hottest thing on two long legs. And by admitting my age in that second answer, I'm also admitting that I'm too old to give a ratzass what some race-baiting troll who "broadcasts" from inside a gaming helmet thinks of this topic or anything else.
 
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There is also a version of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" by Keith Hampshire, which was a pretty big hit in Canada and a minor one in the states. CKLW AM800 played it, but that may partially be because Keith was from Canada. There is also a new, early 21st century, version by Sheryl Crow.
 
I know The First Cut is the Deepest by Rod Stewart. Did Cat Stevens do it too?

He wrote it, in 1965 and made a demo recording of it. It was a cut on his album New Masters in 1967, but wasn't a hit single. Artists who had hits with it were P. P. Arnold in 1967 (in the UK), Keith Hampshire in 1973 (in Canada, not top 40 in the US), Rod Stewart in 1977, and Sheryl Crow in 2003. Allison Krauss and the Union Station recorded it in 2011, but it wasn't a hit.

Contempt for Cat Stevens? Whatever for?

General principles.
 
I have no idea what you are talking about, but today some of the Cher songs would not be allowed to be played on the wussie stations...you never know when 1 person might contact a program director and complain its racist or some other crap.


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Trick question, right, Richie-baby? If I answer against the song, I'm a "politically-correct wussy" (your term,) if I answer in favor of the song, you'll no doubt dig up some homophobic comment about my being a guy who likes Cher.
 
...

And how about Billy Joe Royal's Burned Like A Rocket? In 1986 it reached #10 on the country chart and might have gone to number one...but the Challenger space shuttle exploded and every station immediately dropped the song. It hasn't been played since and probably never will be.

...


When that song came out I suspect almost no one associated it with the '67 capsule fire that killed Grissom, White, and Chaffee, and when the Challenger blew up over a quarter of a century ago it got pulled off the air faster than a rocket travels, so very likely almost no one outside of "show biz" mentally linked the two, so I don't see why it couldn't be played as an oldie without anyone having a hissy fit about it. You may be able to come up with other reasons not to play it as an oldie, but I don't think there's an association of it in the minds of the general public with anything bad.
 
I don't see why it couldn't be played as an oldie without anyone having a hissy fit about it.

We have nothing on our country oldie list from Billy Joe Royal. Completely off the radar. Rocket was his first song that charted country, and he had a few more top 10s after that. It didn't kill his career. But he never had a country #1 either.
 
I just wonder from a distance on this recent discussion, how many real, true active programmers on here are willing to admit they refuse to play the "music" from artists that degrades a women (or anybody), uses bad language (censored or not), promotes the glorification of drugs and violence or other antics. Just know that hopefully 30-40 years from now, some clown is going to be judging you for not taking a stand on the lyrics. We have all let things pass because we have to remember our primary job is to make money. The songs about Indians and probably even songs like "Black and White" are issues today, but were just part of the culture back when they were on the charts. I wonder how many songs today, could pass such scrutiny as I am seeing here. I don't like her or his attitude, religious beliefs, politics, where and when they were born, wrote music, lived ... Hell, the airwaves would be silent. Do I like every artists beliefs I deal with? NO. Nor do they mine. Would I not play Cher because of Half Breed? No. do I like the song? Not particularly. Should Cher have been run out of the business for releasing such A song? No. Well, not for they lyrics.
 
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We have nothing on our country oldie list from Billy Joe Royal. Completely off the radar. Rocket was his first song that charted country, and he had a few more top 10s after that. It didn't kill his career. But he never had a country #1 either.

As I said, "You may be able to come up with other reasons not to play it as an oldie..."

The point I was making was that its having gotten pulled because of Challenger is not a reason to not play it now because the general public never connected the two in the first place because it got pulled before that connection could be made.
 
He wrote it, in 1965 and made a demo recording of it. It was a cut on his album New Masters in 1967, but wasn't a hit single. Artists who had hits with it were P. P. Arnold in 1967 (in the UK), Keith Hampshire in 1973 (in Canada, not top 40 in the US), Rod Stewart in 1977, and Sheryl Crow in 2003. Allison Krauss and the Union Station recorded it in 2011, but it wasn't a hit.



General principles.
Sheryl Crow certainly had the biggest hit.
 
Contempt for Cat Stevens? Whatever for?
Stevens, or Yusuf Islam (sp?) as he is known now, was one of those who supported the Ayatollah Khomeini's (sp?) "death sentence" against Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses. Don't know if he still supports such a death penalty, or even if one is still in effect.

"Religion of peace" my eye!
 
And how about Billy Joe Royal's Burned Like A Rocket? In 1986 it reached #10 on the country chart and might have gone to number one...but the Challenger space shuttle exploded and every station immediately dropped the song. It hasn't been played since and probably never will be.
Martika's remake of Carol King's "I Feel the Earth Move" was climbing the charts in fall 1989 when the San Francisco earthquake happened. I never heard it again after that.
 
Stevens, or Yusuf Islam (sp?) as he is known now, was one of those who supported the Ayatollah Khomeini's (sp?) "death sentence" against Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses. Don't know if he still supports such a death penalty, or even if one is still in effect.

"Religion of peace" my eye!

Actually, there probably isn't a religion that's not "red of fang and claw," from the Crusades to 9-11 to "the troubles" of Ireland; but we're just getting further off topic. (Though that's nothing new...)
 
I just wonder from a distance on this recent discussion, how many real, true active programmers on here are willing to admit they refuse to play the "music" from artists that degrades a women (or anybody), uses bad language (censored or not), promotes the glorification of drugs and violence or other antics. Just know that hopefully 30-40 years from now, some clown is going to be judging you for not taking a stand on the lyrics. We have all let things pass because we have to remember our primary job is to make money. The songs about Indians and probably even songs like "Black and White" are issues today, but were just part of the culture back when they were on the charts. I wonder how many songs today, could pass such scrutiny as I am seeing here. I don't like her or his attitude, religious beliefs, politics, where and when they were born, wrote music, lived ... Hell, the airwaves would be silent. Do I like every artists beliefs I deal with? NO. Nor do they mine. Would I not play Cher because of Half Breed? No. do I like the song? Not particularly. Should Cher have been run out of the business for releasing such A song? No. Well, not for they lyrics.


Like I said in an earlier post, many people didn't know they were offended until someone told them they should be.
 
Is it permissible any more to admit being a straight guy who likes Cher? The answers are: Yes, I am straight. Yes, I've liked Cher since her face still had its original upholstery, she has a one-of-a-kind voice and at her best was the hottest thing on two long legs.
I think it is. She can sing, though I don't like most of her music, but she looks good and with Sonny she was funny. I remember all four versions of their variety show and how each one flopped when they split up.
 
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