# The pop star who sold 77,000,000, but was banned from the USSR simply for being too sexy

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-pop-star-who-sold-77000000-but-was-banned-from-the-ussr-simply-for-being-too-sexy/
- Published: 2026-10-31T15:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T15:12:52+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/pop-star-banned-from-the-ussr-for-being-too-sexy/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment

## Key points

- Tina Turner was among 38 artists banned from Soviet airwaves in 1985.
- The stated reason was “sex”.
- Western music was tightly regulated in the USSR.

## Summary

In 1985, a Soviet youth organisation included Tina Turner among 38 artists barred from the communist airwaves, citing “sex” as the reason. The ban reflects the state’s broader efforts to control music and limit Western cultural influence during the Cold War.

The article says legal Soviet releases were largely restricted to state label Melodiya, which focused on classical, folk and children’s music, while Western recordings circulated through bootlegs and smuggling. Turner’s ban was curious because “Proud Mary” was a cover of a Creedence Clearwater Revival song, yet John Fogerty was not on the list; the article suggests her powerful stage image may have contributed.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.