List Of Bands Banned From Soviet Radio Surfaces

In 1985 a memo was issued to Soviet radio stations detailing bands whose records shouldn’t be played on the air along with a reason for each. The folks at Boing Boing posted an image with an English translation of the memo and we’re surprised by some of the bands listed and especially with the reasons given.

Sure, we understand that there’s “eroticism” in Donna Summer’s songs, but we’re a little confused about the “neofascism” found in Julio Iglesais’ tunes. Closer to our wheelhouse, Talking Heads’ music was banned from Soviet radio due to “myth of Soviet military danger,” while the reasoning behind Pink Floyd making the list is “interfering the foreign policy of USSR (Afghanistan).” Pink Floyd’s “Get Your Hands Off My Desert” off 1983’s The Final Cut does include the line “Brezhnev took Afghanistan.” AC/DC is also accused of “neofascism” as well as “violence.”

Regardless, the memo is an interesting document from the Cold War era and while Russians still aren’t exactly free to express themselves (see Pussy Riot), we’re glad there’s been at least a little relaxation of the rules from the days where the country’s citizens had to purchase rock music through the black market.