7 Hit '70s Songs That Are Offensive by Today's Standards

BestLife ^ | 7/10/23 | Lia Beck

[DallasBiff]

The '70s were half a century ago, and that fact is especially apparent when you look back at the media of the time. Watch a movie or TV show from that decade or listen to a song, and you won't just notice outdated fashion, interiors, and slang, but you'll also come across plots, characters, and words that are offensive, especially by the standards of 2023. When it comes to music in particular, there are plenty of songs from the '70s that are offensive to listeners now.

1 "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones (1971)

[Bernard]

I actually took time to read the whole article, and I applaud this brave identifies-as-female for having the courage to criticize white people for being racist. Fortunately, in her view, only whites can be racist. Is this an article she got paid for, or a term paper for a college student?

[eastforker]

True story. Wife had never seen easy rider so one evening we decided to watch it. When the pusher came on I started singing along with it. She had never heard the song before. She was quite taken aback that I knew the lyrics and the tune so well.

[Olog-hai]

The little faggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah, buddy; that’s his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot, he’s a millionaire!

The whole second verse. Played it on MTV all the time.

[cableguymn]

what? Aerosmith’s dude looks like a lady didn’t make the list?

or was that the 80s?

yup.. it was the 80s.

[Night Hides Not]

I love the final verses:

If I were the President of this land
You know I’d declare total war on the Pusher Man.
I’d cut him where he stands, and I’d shoot him if he runs,
And I’d kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun!

Probably not the exact lyrics, but close enough.

[CatOwner]

There’s far worse rap stuff put out over the last few decades.

Particularly the abusive and degrading lyrics toward women and "hos".

[thegagline]

This song isn’t from the seventies but 1965.

Also from the 60s

[dfwgator]

The Who - I’m A Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-zItRFUywI

[bankwalker]

Mama got a squeeze box, Daddy doesn’t sleep at night!

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Yep!

[A thermonuclear marshmallow]

Looks like a good place to drop a 1944 song, Smoke on the Water by Red Foley. All about the joy of annihilating our enemies. That chicken would stroke out.

TM

[A thermonuclear marshmallow]

Oops, auto corrected chick to chicken.

TM

[ronniesgal]

gotta look that up!

[21twelve]

I don’t know if they would be offensive NOW, but back in the day they probably were - a lot of songs by the DOORS.

I like them, but would have to skip many of them when riding in the truck with my kids.

[sauropod]

What a bedwetting article.

[jeffersondem]

At least they are not messin’ with Sandy Posey’s “Born A Woman” (1966).

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember a few from the 1960s you had to go to a record store and ask for them as they were “under the counter records”.

[meyer]

Do you think it’s all right
to leave the boy with uncle Ernie, tonight?

The evil Uncle Ernie from The Who’s Tommy. Weird pervert then, mainstream democrat today.

[Fresh Wind]

From the same era as the Barbarians, there was Don't Look Back by the Remains.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

She's only seventeen (Seventeen)

Daddy says she's too young

But she's old enough for me

-Winger