On this day in 1968, The Rolling Stones’ song “Street Fighting Man” was banned from the airwaves in Chicago and a few other U.S. cities.
“Street Fighting Man” is one of the Stones’ most potent and provocative anthems. Beyond its musical innovation, the song’s incendiary lyrics about armed revolution ignited controversy.
Released in the United States in August 1968, this track arrived just as political tensions were boiling over, while in the U.K., it made its debut four months later on the album Beggars Banquet.
The B-side of the American single, “No Expectations,” carries its own weight as one of the last Stones tracks where founding member Brian Jones played a pivotal role. Indeed, “Street Fighting Man” marked the end of an era, as it was the final single to feature Jones.
“Street Fighting Man” originally bore a completely different set of lyrics. However, the escalating violence at political events throughout 1968 inspired Mick Jagger to transform the song into a direct commentary on the unrest.
Released in the wake of a summer rife with political upheaval and shortly after the Beatles dropped their similarly-themed “Revolution,” the track sparked a storm of controversy in the United States.
Many radio stations, wary of the song’s perceived call to arms, boycotted it, resulting in a modest peak at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100, a sharp contrast to the top-three success of the previous Stones single, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Despite this lukewarm chart performance, “Street Fighting Man” was lauded by critics and cemented the Rolling Stones’ image as a band unafraid to challenge the status quo. Over time, the song has garnered praise for its sharp lyrics and innovative production, earning a place among the greatest and most influential songs of the 1960s.
The song’s release couldn’t have been more timely, arriving just days after the violent clashes between police and anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Fearing the track might incite further unrest, Chicago radio stations refused to play it—a move that delighted Jagger, who quipped, “I’m rather pleased to hear they have banned the song. The last time they banned one of our records in America, it sold a million.”
Jagger cheekily acknowledged the song’s provocative nature but dismissed the notion that a revolution could be sparked by a record alone: “I wish you could.”
Keith Richards also weighed in, mocking the paranoia of the Chicago radio stations. “If you really want us to cause trouble, we could do a few stage appearances,” he mused. “We are more subversive when we go on stage.”