The Kinks' 'Lola', Banned on Some Radio Stations, Became a Top 10 Hit

"Lola" by The Kinks is one of the most recognizable rock tracks of its time, but it very nearly wasn't a success at all. The British band came into serious trouble when the BBC banned their song because of one seemingly unimportant lyric.

Written by frontman Ray Davies and released on the band's eighth studio album, Lola Versus Powerman, the song was an immediate chart success that proved The Kinks weren't going anywhere after several years of rock-and-roll success throughout the '60s.

"Lola" marked a very different sound for The Kinks, who had previously made their name with heavy, guitar-driven, bluesy rock-and-roll hits like "All Day and All of the Night" and "You Really Got Me". Their latest single, in contrast, was a much softer track with complex instrumentals and much denser lyrics.

The sonic change was exactly what the band needed to evolve into the new decade, charting at No. 2 in their home country and No. 9 in the United States. It was the band's first track to break into the Billboard Top 10 since "Tired of Waiting For You" in 1964-and would be their last until 1982's "Come Dancing".

Despite this huge commercial success, The Kinks had to work hard to get their song heard on the radio. The version that was originally released featured a lyric about champagne tasting like Coca-Cola, but the BBC wouldn't play any songs at that time featuring "commercial references" (via Grunge).

This meant that "Lola" was essentially off-air until The Kinks could release a version that removed all mention of Coca-Cola. The big problem, however, was that the band was touring in the U.S. when they received news of the ban.

Davies was forced to fly back and forth between London and the U.S. to re-record a new version of "Lola" while the tour was underway. This new release changed all mentions of Coca-Cola to "cherry cola", and the BBC agreed to lift the ban and play the song on the radio again.

It's impossible to say how much this return to radio contributed to the song's success, but "Lola" ended up being one of The Kinks' biggest singles ever-and remains their most well-known track among modern listeners.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 3:50 AM.