The 1966 Radio Ban of The Beatles

Who Banned the Greatest Band in Popular Music History?

The Backstory

In 1966, The Beatles' John Lennon said the following in an interview: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that, I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity." After these comments were published in a U.S. teen magazine, some radio stations across America banned The Beatles from their airwaves. 

This website explores the scope of these Beatles radio bans, and an attempt to see how these radio stations feel today about having banned one of the most important and influential popular music groups in history.

The Hall of Shame

Based on historical research, there were more than 120 U.S. radio stations that announced a ban on Beatles music in August 1966. Here is the list of known radio stations (alphabetical by location). To find more about each station and their Beatles ban, click on station call letters or use the navigation bar (at left on desktop and using the ☰ menu on mobile; that list is alphabetical by station call letters).


Alabama

Arizona

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

North Carolina

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

Ohio

Oklahoma

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Vermont

Washington


These stations outside the U.S. also announced bans on The Beatles:

More stations will be added to the above list as research uncovers additional evidence of bans.

Radio stations that still exist will be contacted to find out what they have to say today about banning The Beatles from their airwaves in 1966. Responses will be recorded on the station page on this site.

For an in-depth overview of the controversy which led to these bans, see Wikipedia.

Contact Beatle Mike at globaljukebox@gmail.com with questions or feedback

Image of Beatles fans thanks to "Noord-Hollands Archief / Fotoburo de Boer"