- 2001 Clear Channel memorandum
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The 2001 Clear Channel memorandum is a controversial document distributed by Clear Channel Communications shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks to the more than 1,200 radio stations they owned. The memo contained a long list of what the memo termed "lyrically questionable" songs.[1]
During the time immediately after the attacks, many television and radio stations altered normal programming in response to the events, and the rumor spread that Clear Channel and its subsidiaries had established a list of songs with lyrics Clear Channel deemed "questionable" and that stations might not want to play after the attacks. The list was made public by the independent newsletter Hits Daily Double, which is not affiliated with Clear Channel.[2] Snopes.com did research on the subject and concluded that the list did exist as a suggestion for radio stations but noted that it was not an outright ban on the songs in question.[3]
The list contains 165 songs, including all songs by Rage Against the Machine as well as certain songs recorded by multiple artists (for example "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan and the same song by Guns N' Roses). In some cases, only certain versions of songs were included on the list. For example, the cover of "Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm is on the list while the original Michael Jackson recording is not. Similarly, J. Frank Wilson's version of "Last Kiss" is included, but Pearl Jam's cover is not. Slate published what it claimed was a copy of the list.
Clear Channel denied the existence of such a list in a press release to a radio industry trade publication.[4]
The compiled list was the subject of much media attention around the time of its release.[3]
Even though many songs with the word "fall" in the title were on the list, Fallin' by Alicia Keys, which was very popular at the time of the attacks, was not.
List of songs
- ^ "When You're Falling" is listed as being by Peter Gabriel, but is actually by Afro Celt Sound System, with Gabriel as guest vocalist.
- ^ The original name of the song was "Speed Kills", but following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Bush renamed the song "The People That We Love".
- ^ "Suicide Solution" is listed as being by Black Sabbath, but is actually by Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath.
"Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World was renamed as "Salt, Sweat, Sugar" in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks.
References
- ^ Wishnia, Steven (2001-10-24). "Bad Transmission: Clear Channel's Hit List". Reviews. LiP magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20080416014917/http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featwishnia_142.shtml. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ^ Dutton, Jeremy & Puchert, William. (2001-10-10). "Music industry responds to terrorism". Zephyr. Archived from the original on 2008-06-20. http://web.archive.org/web/20080620024102/http://zephyr.unr.edu/zephyr/arts/archives/art_dutpuch_musicindustry.html. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ a b "Radio, Radio". Snopes.com. 2001-09-18. http://www.snopes.com/rumors/radio.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ Truitt, Eliza (2001-09-18). "Profiles in Ass Covering". Slate.com. http://www.slate.com/id/1008318/. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
Further reading
- Bertin, Michael (2001-11-30). "Imagine: The music business in a post-911 world". The Austin Chronicle. http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2001-11-30/83800/. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
- "Clear Channel Says National "Banned Playlist" Does Not Exist" (Press release). Clear Channel Communications, Inc.. 2001-09-18. http://content.clearchannel.com/corporate/article/NationalBannedPlaylist.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
- Friedlander, Paul; Peter Mill (2006). Rock and Roll: A Social History. Basic Books. pp. 309–310. ISBN 0-8133-4306-2.
- Klinenberg, Eric (2007). Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media. Macmillan. ISBN 0-8050-7819-3.
- Kolodzy, Janet (2006). Convergence Journalism: Writing and Reporting Across the News Media. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-7425-3886-9.
- Milner, Andrew (2004). Literature, Culture And Society. Routledge. pp. 154–155. ISBN 0-415-30785-6.
- Strauss, Neil (2001-11-19). "The Pop Life; After the Horror, Radio Stations Pull Some Songs". Arts (The New York Times). http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E2D9153BF93AA2575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
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