The 18 most controversial songs in country music history

Even though country music is mostly known as a genre that revels in nostalgia, it's not completely devoid of controversy and hard-hitting subject matter. Flip through the slideshow below for a look at...
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Yardbarker
2022-08-11T09:00:23Z
The 18 most controversial songs in country music history, Even though country music is mostly known as a genre that revels in nostalgia, it's not completely devoid of controversy and hard-hitting subject matter. Throughout the decades, country musicians have both used their songs to protest...
"The Pill," Loretta Lynn, When it was released in 1975, Loretta Lynn's classic songs about the wonders of the birth control pill stirred controversy after its release, with radio stations refusing to play the song. Still, it was a massive crossover success, even charting on the all-genre...
"Red Ragtop," Tim McGraw, Blink and you'll miss it, but one of the lyrics to this 2002 Tim McGraw song tells the story of a young woman that chooses to have an abortion without regrets. Some radio stations refused to play the song, but "Red Ragtop" endures thanks to a recent explosion of...
"Follow Your Arrow," Kacey Musgraves, For country radio, the lyric "kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls if that's what you're into" was still a little too controversial in 2013, when Kacey Musgraves released "Follow Your Arrow." The song was criticized for its support of the LGBTQ+...
"Goodbye Earl," The Chicks, Thanks to its heavy subject matter, including domestic violence and murder, "Goodbye Earl" earned the ire of some censors after it was released in 2000. Some stations banned the song, others chose to share the domestic violence hotline number after playing it, but one...
"We Shall Be Free," Garth Brooks, Described by Brooks as the most controversial song in his catalog, "We Shall Be Free" imagines a world in which there is no racism, homophobia, or violence. It's one of Brooks's only songs to not land in the top 10 of the country charts because a number of radio...
"Girl Crush," Little Big Town, Written by Lori McKenna and recorded by Little Big Town in 2014, "Girl Crush" stirred controversy solely out of confusion. Even though the song's mostly about pining after a man who's with another woman, some critics saw it as "encouraging homosexuality" and...
"Fancy," Reba McEntire, Originally recorded by Bobbie Gentry, "Fancy" was a massive success when it was released in 1970. The same was true in 1991, when Reba McEntire made this classic ode about a young woman who finds her way in the world as a sex worker a crossover hit yet again. There's...
"You've Never Been This Far Before," Conway Twitty, The lyrics of this Conway Twitty classic likely wouldn't pass muster today. It's about getting intimate with a young woman who's still a virgin, which earned the song a ban from many radio stations after its original release in 1973. Still,...
"Accidental Racist," Brad Paisley, Featuring a cameo from LL Cool J, this fumbled attempt at an anti-racist song from Brad Paisley is really more cringe than controversial. In the lyrics, Paisley and LL Cool J attempt to find a path forward in the United States's complicated racial history, but...
"Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," Luke Bryan, Decried as both the height of "bro-country" and a misogynist anthem, Luke Bryan's "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" was still a No. 1 hit, and it remains one of the top-selling country songs in music history.
"Okie From Muskogee," Merle Haggard, Depending on who you ask, you'll likely get a different answer about "Okie From Muskogee," one of Merle Haggard's most recognizable hits. Haggard himself said that he wrote the song in support of American servicemembers during the Vietnam War, but he later...
“Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” Willie Nelson, The title pretty much says it all: this is a song about gay cowboys. Written by Ned Sublette, the song lingered in the shadows for more than two decades before Nelson decided to record his own version to follow the release of...
"Picture To Burn," Taylor Swift, Released in 2008, the first verse of Taylor Swift's "Picture to Burn" originally contained a lyric that many fans considered to be homophobic. Swift later agreed with that sentiment, and she has since changed the lyric in the song's official version.
"Dinosaur," Hank Williams Jr, Released in 1980, Hank Williams Jr.'s "Dinosaur" might have a killer sonic vibe — and you might agree with his criticisms of disco music and appeals to nostalgia — but this song is pretty blatant in its homophobia.
"Independence Day," Martina McBride, Even though it was a critical and commercial success, Martina McBride's "Independence Day" was s