This presentation offers information about several century’s worth of scandalously morbid murder ballads, blasphemous satanic songs, paeans to intoxicating substances, raunchy sex ditties, and radical political anthems along with the dirt behind historical efforts by censors to squelch artists and their ideas. Taboo Tunes features several episodes from Pacific Northwest history including our Jazz Age dance bans (and court trials), the infamous “dirty lyrics” scandal and subsequent FBI investigation (1964-1966) of the Kingsmen’s hit “Louie Louie,” and the corporate censorship of Grunge Rock icons, Nirvana. Taboo Tunes casts a spotlight on the largely untold story of the various societal forces—be they repressive governments, busybody community organizations, or self-appointed moral guardians—who throughout history have attempted to regulate the conduct of others and limit what forms of public expression are acceptable. As Blecha has written: “By surveying this historical landscape it is hoped that we can gain a more informed understanding of how crusades to ban music—usually in the guise of ‘protecting society’—have been woefully misguided, often destructive, occasionally comical, and remarkably unsuccessful.”