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‘Kodachrome’: Why was Paul Simon’s big 1973 hit was immediately banned by the BBC?
Paul Simon's 1973 single "Kodachrome" became a major hit in the United States but was refused airplay by the BBC, which held a long-standing policy against broadcasting songs that named commercial products or brands. Because "Kodachrome" was a registered trademark belonging to Kodak for its colour photographic film, the corporation's rules treated the song's title and lyrics as a form of free advertising, leading to the ban despite the track's popularity and critical acclaim elsewhere.
The song, taken from Simon's album "There Goes Rhymin' Simon", reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 but could not chart in the UK in the same way partly because it went unplayed on BBC radio. The episode reflects a wider BBC convention of the era, under which several songs referencing branded products faced similar restrictions, regardless of their artistic merit or commercial success abroad.
In short
- BBC banned Paul Simon's 1973 hit "Kodachrome" from radio play.
- Reason: the title referenced Kodak's trademarked film brand.
- The song still reached number two on the US charts.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The BBC had a reasonable case for avoiding free promotion of named commercial brands: a consistent rule could help preserve the appearance of editorial independence and prevent broadcasters from favouring companies without payment. Applying it even to acclaimed songs may have seemed the fairest way to enforce that policy.
The case against
A blanket ban treated an artistic reference as advertising, regardless of the song’s purpose or whether listeners would see it as an endorsement. Critics could argue that this restricted cultural choice and disadvantaged performers in the UK for reasons unrelated to the music’s quality.
Explained simply
"Kodachrome" is a 1973 single by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, taken from his album "There Goes Rhymin' Simon". The song became a major hit in the United States, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earning widespread critical acclaim.
The BBC refused to broadcast the song because of a long-standing policy against playing music that mentioned commercial products or brand names. "Kodachrome" is a registered trademark belonging to the Kodak corporation for its colour photographic film, and the BBC considered the song to be free advertising for the company, regardless of its artistic value.
This decision meant the song could not achieve the same chart success in the United Kingdom as it had in America, where BBC radio restrictions did not apply. The ban reflected a broader BBC convention of the era in which numerous songs that referenced branded products were similarly blocked from airplay, whatever their musical merit or popularity elsewhere.