For decades, a gatekeeper determined what songs and albums were too obscene for the American public: Walmart.
The company’s roots stem from the southern Christian heartland of Arkansas, and since its establishment, Walmart has continually projected itself as a “family” store. Under that guise, they established firm rules regarding what music would be available in their stores.
In an official guideline from the early 2000s, Walmart noted it would “not stock music with parental guidance stickers.” Though the company went on to concede that “it would not be possible to eliminate every image, word or topic that an individual might find objectionable,” they claimed their main goal was to “eliminate the most objectionable material from Walmart’s shelves.”
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Critics routinely claimed that Walmart’s practices served as censorship, restricting an artist’s ability to share their work with a broad audience. Compounding the matter further – Walmart was often been the only place in small towns where consumers could buy popular music. Having an album banned from their shelves could severely limit an artist’s appeal. Interestingly, the retail giant only ever issued a companywide mandate regarding music sales – the decision of what other forms of art to carry, such as movies, TV shows and video games, were left up to store managers.
Though downloads and streaming services changed the way fans consume music, Walmart remains the biggest seller of physical music media (CDs and vinyl) in the country. Even in modern days they adhere to strict rules regarding what their stores will carry, however uncensored material is readily available in their online store.
Over the years, many musicians had their albums banned by Walmart for lyrical content or album artwork. In some cases, the artists changed their material to acquiesce to the company’s rules. In others, they stood steadfast, even if it meant their music wouldn’t hit store shelves.
Here are 20 examples of famous rock albums that were banned by Walmart.