If you want your song to hit No. 1, you generally don’t want it to be controversial. But there are exceptions to every rule. Some artists had big hits that became controversial by accident. Others, like the Rolling Stones, seemed to know exactly what they were doing when they decided to provoke.
And there are many ways to provoke. Some of these songs offended the left, others offended the right. Worst of all, some of them triggered lawsuits.
Some of these songs deserved a break from the uptight public. Others were downright catastrophic. Either way, they kept us listening - even if we were all clutching our pearls the whole time.
Shock can be good, but shock can be so deliciously bad
5. "Brown Sugar" - Rolling Stones
Here’s a slice of classic rock history that everyone wants to forget. The radio stations don’t play it anymore. The Rolling Stones won’t perform it. You’re more likely to hear a Charles Manson song in a Hollywood movie at this point than “Brown Sugar,” possibly the most offensive No. 1 hit ever recorded.
4. "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison
Perhaps the least edgy of the Beatles, George Harrison managed to have the most controversial No. 1 single out of any of them. The song’s mix of Judeo-Christian and Hindu religious terminologies had some religious people seething. On top of that, Harrison was sued over the track’s similarity to “He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons. All for writing a prayer.
3. "(You're) Having My Baby" - Paul Anka
1950s star Paul Anka had an oddball comeback in 1974 with “(You’re) Having My Baby,” an awkwardly parenthesized hit about the joys of knowing a woman is going to have your child. A soft-rock song on this subject was always going to be a tough sell. Anka made it even more suspect by releasing it the same year as the Roe v. Wade decision.
2. "Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” might have been the most controversial song of the 2010s. Women’s groups decried it as misogynistic. The borderline pornographic music video didn’t help Thicke’s case. Thicke and company were sued for plagiarising Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” This all wouldn’t have mattered as much if Thicke was able to put together one more hit single, but he never did.
1. "WAP" - Cardi B
By 2020, it felt like it was pretty difficult to shock Western audiences with sexuality. Then Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion rewrote the entire dirty rap playbook with one song.
Depending on your mood and disposition, this is either an assault on decency or the funniest thing to ever hit the top 40. Regardless, it’s impossible to forget.