A 1983 No. 1 Hit Has Been Ranked the Greatest Banned Song Ever

A 1983 track that was pulled from an extremely powerful radio station mid-play has been ranked as the greatest banned song ever. Despite being yanked from the air for months, it still hit No. 1, proving that the controversy didn't stop it from becoming a massive success. Dive into why Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" was deemed too scandalous for airplay, and why it topped other highly controversial songs on the list.

Why Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Relax' Was Banned at Its Peak

In February 2019, The Guardian published its ranked list of the greatest banned songs of all time. The outlet placed Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" at the top years after it was dramatically pulled from the airwaves.

The Guardian noted that BBC Radio 1's DJ Mike Read cut the song off mid-play after realizing its lyrics were packed with sexual innuendos. Ultimately, the track was fully banned by the BBC for months. That decision was only lifted in December 1984 when the band performed the song on the Christmas Day episode of Top of the Pops.

The Full List — The Guardian's Greatest Banned Songs of All Time Ranked:

• 20. Heaven 17 — (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (1981)
• 19. The Who — My Generation (1965)
• 18. Neil Young — This Note’s for You (1988)
• 17. Lady Gaga — Judas (2011)
• 16. Olivia Newton-John — Physical (1981)
• 15. The Beatles — Happiness Is a Warm Gun (1968)
• 14. Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell — Blurred Lines (2013)
• 13. Ian Dury & the Blockheads — Spasticus Autisticus (1981)
• 12. ABBA — Waterloo (1974)
• 11. N.W.A — F**k Tha Police (1989)
• 10. 2 Live Crew — Me So Horny (1989)
• 9. Lil Louis — French Kiss (1989)
• 8. Queen — I Want to Break Free (1984)
• 7. Madonna — Justify My Love (1990)
• 6. Billie Holiday — Strange Fruit (1939)
• 5. George Michael — I Want Your Sex (1987)
• 4. Loretta Lynn — The Pill (1975)
• 3. Donna Summer — Love to Love You Baby (1975)
• 2. Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin — Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus (1969)
• 1. Frankie Goes to Hollywood — Relax (1983)

Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Relax' Was No. 1 For Weeks Despite Being Banned

On October 24, 1983, Frankie Goes to Hollywood released its most memorable song ever, "Relax." It quickly rose to No. 1 on the UK charts on January 28, 1984, and it stayed on top for five consecutive weeks. If that wasn't impressive enough, the song remained on the UK charts for a total of 70 weeks in total.

Beyond its initial chart run, "Relax" also left a lasting mark on pop culture, as evidenced by the fact that it feels like the track has been heard in an endless list of movies and TV shows. A May 2020 The Guardian article even ranked it as the UK's 13th best No. 1 hit ever.