1986 Pop Rock Track, Once Banned by Radio Stations, Became This Band's First No. 1 Hit

By the mid 1980's, The Bangles were at the top of their success as a pop-rock band, with one main track having landed as their first No. 1 hit. Despite the pop-rock track's fame, it led to internal tensions among the band and would be banned by radio stations decades later.

"Walk Like an Egyptian" was one of the first tracks by The Bangles that wasn't written by its members, and instead was a demo by Liam Sternberg. According to Song Facts, the band had developed their own tracks since they formed in 1981, with Sternberg's demo having gained them breakthrough success and inter-band drama.

Sternberg was inspired to write the track while on a ferry crossing the English Channel. As the waves hit the ferry and passengers tried to keep their balance, the songwriter thought they looked like ancient Egyptian figures. The demo was originally offered to Toni Basil, who rejected it, and was later recorded by Lene Lovich. Lovich's was never released as she took a break to raise her family. In the end, the demo caught the interest of David Kahne, who gave it to The Bangles.

The Bangles thought "Walk Like an Egyptian" was "too weird," with Kahne reporting to Sound on Sound, "They just didn't want to record it." To their surprise, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts at No. 1 and on Cash Box. It became their first major hit, but its creation wasn't smooth sailing.

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Members Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele, and Susanna Hoffs all ended up singing a verse in the track, with Kahn delegating Debbi Peterson to background vocals due to her lack of interest, which turned into a "silent argument." While "Walk Like an Egyptian" became the band's biggest hit, it also changed their branding as original songwriters. The band would later break up in 1989.

According to reports, "Walk Like an Egyptian" was later banned by radio stations following the events of 9/11 in New York City. Clear Channel Communications circulated an internal list of songs that the program directors felt were inappropriate to play following the attacks. The list consisted of over 160 tracks whose lyrics or titles were questionable, including "Walk Like an Egyptian," Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, and many more rock hits.

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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 9:01 AM.