The 18 most controversial songs in country music history

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 Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. 

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 popularity on TikTok. 

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+ community, but that didn't stop it from selling more than one million copies, earning the song a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Academy of America. 

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 thing's for sure: "Goodbye Earl" helped kickstart a conversation about domestic violence. 

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 stations refused to play it. 

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 demanded that radio stations stop playing "Girl Crush." 

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 something inherently controversial in a song that's about being "turned out" by your mom, and people are still shocked today when they hear "Fancy" for the first time. 

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, despite the controversy, "You've Never Been This Far Before" was a No. 1 hit. 

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 ultimately, they only end up making some really awkward (and arguably offensive) statements about how to handle racism. 

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. 

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 hinted that it might be more of a satirical look at the sanitized version of small-town America than many fans originally thought. 

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 the much-lauded film Brokeback Mountain in 2006. Some fans weren't happy with the song's pro-LGBTQ+ content, but the famously progressive Nelson just shrugged off his critics. 

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. 

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. 

Even though it was a critical and commercial success, Martina McBride's "Independence Day" was still controversial after its release thanks to its heavy themes. Exploring the impact of domestic violence and alcoholism, some thought the lyrics were a little too heavy for a song that many thought would be a patriotic anthem. 

Less controversial than a tongue-in-cheek jab at Nashville, "Murder on Music Row" isn't about the death of a human. It's about the slow loss of authenticity and classic country sensibilities on Music Row, a common theme for country traditionalists and those who oppose the dominance of "pop-country." 

This 1973 Loretta Lynn anthem was a commercial success, though some fans were angered by the saucy, sexy lyrics in "Rated X." "Well if you've been a married woman and things didn't seem to work out," Lynn sings. "Divorce is the key to bein' loose and free." 

Praised by critics and a massive commercial success, Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine" still found itself on the wrong side of some radio stations, who refused to play the "coming of age" ballad because it might encourage teens to have sex.