Paul McCartney: Russians Secretly Listen to The Beatles' “Forbidden” Music

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According to Paul McCartney, The Beatles "loved the idea" that Russians were listening to their "forbidden" music covertly.

From the 1960s until the 1980s, Russia outlawed importing and playing music by The Beatles and other Western musicians.

McCartney discussed the restriction while talking about The Beatles' popular song Back in the U.S.S.R. on an edition of the McCartney: A Life In Lyrics podcast.

We liked the notion that we were smuggled in with a pair of Levi's pants because you don't want the authorities to find out that you're listening to this outlaw group. It resembles a genuine cultural arrival.

When Paul Muldoon, the host of a podcast, said to McCartney that "art is dangerous," the singer replied, "For some people. We always believed that we were on the right side of history and that the Russian authorities were not as good as they claimed to be if we posed a threat to them.

"That's how we feel, and I believe it to be true that they continue to attempt and stifle Western influence. I am aware that there was a point when you believed that everything was resolved, but in reality, the oppression has returned.God is aware of the politics and reality that underlie the injustice. Thus, it's incredibly enjoyable for me to be able to perform songs like this.