Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

5 Loretta Lynn Songs That Were Radio Banned But Still Became Hits

Loretta Lynn's fearless songwriting challenged country music norms, with five iconic songs facing radio bans yet becoming timeless classics.
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Loretta Lynn didn’t just sing country music—she changed it. While many artists tiptoed around the harder truths of life, Loretta faced them head-on. She sang about birth control, cheating, divorce, and double standards at a time when country radio wasn’t ready for that kind of honesty.

Some of her biggest songs were banned from the airwaves for speaking her mind. But that never stopped them from becoming hits.

Here’s a look at five of Loretta Lynn’s most controversial songs, ranked from the most scandalous to the ones that still ruffled feathers but were slightly easier for country radio to swallow.

1. The Pill – 1975

If one song cemented Loretta Lynn as country music’s most fearless truth-teller, it was “The Pill.” At a time when birth control was still a divisive issue, she sang about a woman finally having the freedom to plan her own life instead of being stuck in an endless cycle of pregnancy.

Radio stations across the country refused to play it, calling it too risqué for their listeners. But women saw it differently. The song became an anthem for female independence, and despite the bans, it still cracked the Top 5 on the country charts and even crossed over into pop.

Loretta later said she didn’t write it to be controversial—she just wrote what was real. And for plenty of women, it was the truth they had been waiting to hear.

2. Rated X – 1972

Divorce wasn’t an easy subject for women in the ’70s, and Loretta wasn’t about to pretend otherwise. “Rated X” called out the double standard that a divorced man was seen as eligible. In contrast, a divorced woman was judged and gossiped about.

The lyrics made some radio programmers nervous, leading to bans in conservative markets. But the people who needed to hear it—women who had lived that reality—embraced it. The song shot to No. 1, proving that Loretta wasn’t just making noise; she gave a voice to women who didn’t have one in country music.

3. Fist City – 1968

If there was ever a song that let people know Loretta Lynn wasn’t one to mess with, it was “Fist City.” She wrote it as a warning to any woman trying to come between her and her husband. She wasn’t about to cry in a corner—she was ready to throw hands.

Country radio wasn’t sure what to do with a woman singing about physical fights, and some stations pulled it from rotation. But the controversy only fueled its success, sending it straight to No. 1.

Loretta later laughed about the song, saying she wasn’t actually out fighting anyone. But the message was clear: she was no pushover and wouldn’t let another woman walk all over her marriage.

4. Wings Upon Your Horns – 1969

Country music has many songs about young love, but “Wings Upon Your Horns” is different. Instead of a sweet, innocent romance, it tells the story of a young girl who trusts a man only to be left heartbroken.

The song’s religious imagery—comparing lost innocence to a halo turning into thorns—was enough to make some stations uncomfortable. They saw it as too suggestive, raw, and much for country radio.

Despite the bans, the song succeeded, reaching No. 11 on the charts. It was another example of how Loretta wasn’t afraid to sing about the realities of being a woman, even when the industry wasn’t ready to hear it.

5. Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind) – 1966

Drinking songs were nothing new in country music, but they usually came from a man’s perspective. Loretta flipped the script, singing from the viewpoint of a woman tired of her husband coming home drunk and expecting affection.

It was a bold stance, and some radio stations refused to play it. But country fans didn’t care. The song became Loretta’s first No. 1 hit, proving that women were more than ready for country music that spoke to their own experiences.

For every song that radio tried to ban, Loretta Lynn gained more fans who saw their own lives in her music. She didn’t just sing country songs—she told the truth, even when it made people uncomfortable.

And that’s why her music still matters.

Latest Stories

Toby Keith performs with his American flag guitar, the same patriotic spirit that fueled his song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue."

The Untold Truth Behind Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”

When Toby Keith sat down with a fantasy football stat sheet and scribbled out “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”, he didn’t just write a song. He lit a ...

Toby Keith plays guitar with an American flag design, capturing the patriotic vibe perfect for a Fourth of July country playlist.

35 Patriotic Country Songs to Turn Your Backyard Into the Ultimate 4th of July Party

Nothing says freedom like blasting a rowdy country playlist while you torch a few burgers, keep the cooler stocked, and watch your drunk uncle light fireworks way too close to ...

Keith Urban sits next to Nicole Kidman looking serious, a moment that echoes him shutting down talk about her steamy movie scenes.

Keith Urban Shuts Down Interview When Nicole Kidman’s Scenes With Younger Men Are Mentioned

Some lines just ain’t worth crossing, especially when you’re asking Keith Urban about Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron rolling around on screen. This week, the whole thing went sideways when ...

Tim McGraw sits outdoors with Faith Hill, leaning on a cane, sparking questions about his health but showing their strong bond.

Tim McGraw Using a Cane With Faith Hill Beside Him Raises Questions About His Health

Sometimes country music’s strongest cowboys need a little help standing tall, and Tim McGraw’s latest photo has folks asking how much longer he can keep carrying that torch. It’s not ...

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood smile together at an event, standing united amid the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit drama.

Garth Brooks’ Marriage With Trisha Yearwood Reportedly Unshaken by Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nothing tests a marriage like ugly headlines, but Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are riding out this storm shoulder to shoulder. Since last October, Garth Brooks has been staring down ...

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...