Bowl Bleeps Bug Stones

You'd think that by now the Rolling Stones would be used to being censored. As far back as 1967, Ed Sullivan demanded that they change "Let's Spend the Night Together" (Listen / Download) to "Let's Spend Some Time Together" as a condition of performing on his prime time TV variety show. Mick Jagger's facial expression during the sanitized line (an exaggerated roll of the eyes) made it clear how he felt about it.

Apparently nothing much has changed in the 39 years since. A spokesman for the band has issued a statement calling the censoring of two of the band's three songs during the Super Bowl XL halftime show, "absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary." Censors snipped a couple of sexually suggestive words from "Rough Justice" (Listen / Download) and "Start Me Up" (Listen / Download) but left others in "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (Listen / Download).

The NFL says the band was aware that the words would be clipped prior to the performance. The band says that knowing about it doesn't equate to agreeing with it. Both the League and the Stones say they won't have anything further to say on the subject.