In 1985 the Soviet Union banned 38 famous musicians and bands whose “repertoires contain ideologically harmful compositions.” Who is on this list is going to surprise you. Some are the usual suspects, like the first two bands I’m going to play. Some… Not so obvious. Some banned acts will truly astonish you.

I got my hands on that list of bands banned in the U.S.S.R. and during the middle hour of the show, the “Happy Hour,” I play for you the hard rock, heavy metal, and hair bands on the list as well as tell you why they were prohibited from radio play, play in clubs and bars, and from being played live by Russian bands.

Plus: Hits from Bon Jovi, Ratt, Def Leppard, Cinderella, and others. Two songs with the same name from different stadium-filling hair bands, and the Cover Song of the Week, a song every real rock fan knows from just three simple hand gestures.

See the show notes at http://2.clp.im/hhh135 for the complete Banned in the USSR list.

Playlist

Gorky Park – Bang
Bon Jovi – You Give Love a Bad Name
Ratt – Way Cool Jr.
Babylon A.D – Desperate
Mötley Crüe – Rattlesnake Shake

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*** HAPPY HOUR: Banned in the USSR ***

Black Sabbath – Sweet Leaf
Judas Priest – Living After Midnight
Nazareth – Hair of the Dog
The Beatles – Back in the U.S.S.R.
Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
Alice Cooper – Poison
Van Halen – Panama
UFO – Rock Bottom
KISS – Deuce
Scorpions – Dynamite
Krokus – Screaming in the Night
Styx – Renegade
AC_DC – Thunderstruck
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Skid Row – Rattlesnake Shake
Diemonds – Better Off Dead
Love/Hate – Rock Queen
Whitesnake – Is This Love

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*** HAPPY HOUR: TITLE ***

Warrant – We Will Rock You
Queen – We Will Rock You
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Cinderella – Shake Me
Def Leppard – Let’s Get Rocked