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Here’s a Bunch of Bands We Play That Were Banned in The Soviet Union

Costume rockers Kiss banned for nationalism. Van Halen banned for anti-Soviet propaganda. This was The Soviet Union in 1985. If you remember high school history class (or are old enough…

May 1947: Heavy artillery on parade during a review of the Moscow Garrison troops during the May Day celebrations in Red Square, passing posters of Lenin and Stalin. (Photo by N. Sitnikov/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Costume rockers Kiss banned for nationalism. Van Halen banned for anti-Soviet propaganda. This was The Soviet Union in 1985.

If you remember high school history class (or are old enough to remember the Cold War's last gasps in the 80s), you're probably not surprised that the Communist Party put together a list of no-no acts and that they strongly suggested "using these findings to more strongly control what happens in discoteks.”

It's no surprise either that the meat and potatoes (and vodka) of the list consists of the type of acts you hear on ROCK 92.9: the aforementioned Kiss and Van Halen, alongside Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Judas Priest, AC/DC, and Ramones.

Take a look at the full list below, have a chuckle at soft-rockers 10cc being banned for "neofascism," then read more about it here, via SPIN.

adam12Writer
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.