RADIO STATIONS BANNED THIS SONG — AND IT STILL HIT NO. 1. In 1972, songwriter Kenny O’Dell kept hearing the same phrase on the news — “behind closed doors” — as Congress investigated the Watergate scandal. But instead of writing about politics, he turned those words into a love song. Charlie Rich recorded it at Nashville’s Quonset Hut Studio. When it dropped in early 1973, several radio stations refused to play it. Too racy, they said. Too suggestive for country radio. But here’s the thing — the ban only made people want it more. “Behind Closed Doors” climbed to No. 1 on the country chart, spent 20 weeks on the charts, and crossed over to No. 15 on pop. It swept the CMA Awards — Album, Single, Male Vocalist of the Year. Then came the Grammy. Then the ACM Awards. The album went on to sell over 4 million copies. And that iconic piano intro everyone remembers? Charlie Rich never played it. That was Hargus “Pig” Robbins — a detail most fans still don’t know.
Radio Stations Banned This Song — And It Still Hit No. 1 In 1972, a phrase kept showing up in…