It is absurd to think of a song being banned in the 21st century. Censorship of any art only deprives people of knowledge, and it allows the gatekeepers to decide what we can and cannot see and hear.
In November 1983, Frankie Goes To Hollywood released “Relax”, a song with clear allusions to sex, Before this, they were a small band operating out of Liverpool with one John Peel session under their belt. Without any real following, Relax slowly climbed up the charts, peaking at 35 before an appearance on chart show, Top of the Pops on January 5th helped to push the song up to number 6.
The following week, Radio 1 DJ Mike Read announced that he would not play the record because of the suggestive sleeve design and explicit lyrics. At the same time, the BBC declared that they would not play the song for the same reason. That week, “Relax” climbed to number two. The next, it claimed the top spot. Top of the Pops, a BBC show, showed a still image of the band and refused to let them appear in person. The song stayed at the top of the charts for five weeks in total and each week the BBC showed the same image and other artists played their own songs.
It is not a stretch to say that the BBC’s well-publicised ban helped the song reach number one, maybe even being the only reason for it. The Streisand effect is a phenomenon where something that is censored becomes more desirable, for the sole reason that you cannot have it, and this looks like a clear case of it. Whilst the song has a catchy tune, the shallow lyrical content would suggest that it wouldn’t have made it to number one, or at least not stayed there for five weeks.
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