The history of pop music has spawned many a controversy, from Elvis Presley provocatively swinging his hips on American TV to Lou Reed slipping lyrics about fellatio past unsuspecting BBC censors.
The advent of the music video gave extra scope for such controversies to sing and dance their way across our popular consciousness. We take a look at our top ten most controversial music videos of all time.
DURAN DURAN – ‘GIRLS ON FILM’
It all starts here. Originally produced for night club and Playboy Channel audiences, the video to Duran Duran’s 1981 hit ‘Girls On Film’ depicts female models cavorting in a wresting ring-cum-catwalk as the band play on a nearby stage. The BBC banned the video and a fledgling MTV channel heavily censored it. It won the first ever Grammy award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984 following the re-release of the ‘Duran Duran’ album. Despite its obvious soft porn stylings, the band claimed the video was a critique of exploitation in the fashion industry.
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD – ‘RELAX’
The original version of the video to Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 1984 single ‘Relax’ was banned due to its frank (pardon the pun) depiction of Holly Johnson’s raunchy fate at the hands of leather bikers in an S&M gay bar.
After the ban a second, much tamer video was produced which was substantially degayed, featuring the band performing to a scantily clad woman in front of a studio audience as an underwhelming laser display flickers behind them. They needn’t have bothered as the song was swiftly banned from the airwaves anyway for its lyrical references to gay culture. So it goes.
MADONNA – ‘LIKE A PRAYER’
In 1989’s video to ‘Like A Prayer’ interracial romance, racist policing and provocative images of Klan-style burning crosses combined to produce a wave of approbation by conservative religious groups that led to Madonna’s lucrative Pepsi sponsorship being pulled. So what was all the fuss about?
After witnessing a woman murdered by a gang of white men, Madonna looks on helplessly as a young black man is arrested for the crime after coming to the woman’s aid. A surreal religious encounter follows as Madge dances with a reanimated statue of Martin de Porres, the patron saint of mixed raced people and racial harmony (yes, that’s a thing- how cool is that?). Following this ecstatic religious encounter, Madonna puts herself forwards as a witness and the young man is released.
The video may look tame in this day and age but music videos tackling racism still have the power to stir up controversy as we shall see elsewhere on this list.
NIRVANA – ‘HEART SHAPED BOX’
With visuals as trippy, captivating, funny and disturbing as Kurt’s lyrics, it was only natural that the edgy grunge band court controversy in celluloid too with the 1993 video to their ‘Heart Shaped Box’ single. Expect crucified grandpa’s, Ku Klux Klan children and a smattering of tree-foetuses in their surreal 1993 audio-visual offering. Be disturbed, be very disturbed.
APHEX TWIN – ‘COME TO DADDY’
An emaciated Richard D James is birthed from an abandoned TV set in acclaimed video artist Chris Cunningham’s terrifying visual accompaniment to Aphex Twin’s 1997 horror ‘n’ bass freak out ‘Come To Daddy’. Other than an old woman harassed by a stampede of riotous mono-faced schoolgirls, there’s nothing particularly graphic in the video, but the gritty, amorphous imagery has a satanic hue that lingers long in the memory.
THE PRODIGY – ‘SMACK MY BITCH UP’
No list of the most controversial music videos would be complete without it. In 1997 the explicit nature of The Prodigy’s song title, lyrical content and shocking visuals combined into a perfect storm of controversy.
The video to ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ takes us on a nauseating spree of drug abuse and sexual violence against women, only to close with the revelation that the protagonist is in fact a woman herself. Cue a wave of shock and outrage that has never fully receded.
The Prodigy had courted controversy before with their Firestarter single. But whilst the video to Firestarter was rather tame, SMBU pulled no punches in depicting the ugly side of urban nightlife, and swaggered drunkenly into an argument between ‘political correctness’ and freedom of expression that was a big debate in 90s Britain.
EMINEM – ‘STAN’
Eminem is not just the master of controversy, he thrives on his graphic and provocative storytelling. However, beneath the bravado is an artist capable of reflection about the topsy-turvy world of pop music and the mythos surrounding it.
2010’s video to ‘Stan’ tells the story of a frustrated fan taking his impotent rage out on his girlfriend with murderous consequences. The video pulls no punches and brings a cinematic backstop to the affecting melodrama of the song.
M.I.A – ‘BORN FREE’
British hip hop artist M.I.A is at the cutting edge of most things, so it’s only natural she would push the envelope with her music videos. The 2010 video to ‘Born Free’ depicts the violent round-up of red haired men by heavily armed death squads, inspired after shocking hand-made videos of the extra-judicial killing of Tamil males were broadcast across global news networks. The video’s conceit may seem a tad ridiculous but this is ameliorated by a series of brutal set pieces including a young ginger boy being blown to shreds. Equally lauded and criticised for its gritty portrayal of political violence, ‘Born Free’ was nominated for best UK dance video in 2010.
LADY GAGA – ‘TELEPHONE’
2009’s video to ‘Telephone’ by Lady Gaga proves we haven’t come that far since the days when Frankie Goes To Hollywood were kink shamed by the BBC. Drawing on Andy Warhol’s pop art movement and homages to Tarantino’s bombastic visual style (the video features a cameo from the ‘Pussy Wagon’ from ‘Kill Bill’), we see Lady G breaking out of a women’s prison to embark on a murder spree with sidekick Beyonce. It may be crude but it represents a new wave of feminist empowerment in pop that gaga and Bey proudly ride at the crest of.
BEYONCE – ‘FORMATION’
With references to the New Orleans’ floods, plantation slavery and police shootings, Bey’s 2016 ‘Formation’ music video courted controversy without resorting to gross-out visuals or highly sexualised imagery.
One of the more stylish and politically charged controversial music videos on this list, ‘Formation’ tapped into racial tensions that were brought to light with civil rights movements such as Black Lives Matter. The video trailed Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance that celebrated Malcolm X and the Black Panthers and led to attempted police boycott’s of the celebrated singer’s gigs.
So there we have it, our take on the top ten most controversial music videos. Of course all such lists are subjective, so please comment on your own personal top ten most controversial music videos in the comments below.
‘The Ten Most Controversial Music Videos of All Time’ is an article written by Dan Poulton. You can check out Dan’s music on Soundcloud and follow him on Twitter. Or visit his website.
