The Ongoing History of Protest Music

The debut album by the duo of Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po is a landmark of socially conscious underground hip-hop. Intelligent lyrics and insightful commentary.

The debut solo album by 2Pac is a classic. It is still a timely album that addresses issues such as racism, police brutality, poverty, black on black crime, and teenage pregnancy.

Even though this is Feeney’s official debut, she has been involved with both music and activism decades prior to this. Her insightful and witty lyrics heavily deal with issues associated with labor rights and feminism.

Sainte-Marie’s thirteenth studio album was the legendary artist’s first album in sixteen years and it was a fine return to form. The tunes effectively blend electronic elements with traditional indigenous elements. Multiple tunes also offer scathing indictments of injustices committed towards the native population.

The UK alt-rock band’s debut album is fiercely political. It expresses rage against the monarchy, capitalism, and third world exploitation.

This is considered a classic of underground hip-hop, and it features Michael Franti who also had success with Spearhead. It has a bit of a spoken word jazz poetry vibe, kind of like Gil Scott-Heron. It includes thought-provoking social commentary including the album standout “Television, the Drug of the Nation” which analyses the media’s role in propagating certain false narratives, which is still a relevant issue.

The self-titled debut of Ice-T’s metal band is notorious for originally including the controversial “Cop Killer.” Subsequent pressing of the album replaced that track with a reworking of Ice-T’s 1989 tune “Freedom of Speech.” Even without “Cop Killer” it is a confrontational album that rages against police brutality and other social ills.

The outstanding debut album by the alternative hip-hop group packs a serious social message with a sense of spirituality and a focus on peace and love. Even though there are times when we need angry music, this album is a refreshing listening experience, because it proves you don’t always need to be confrontational to make bold political statements on systemic inequality.

L7’s third album is a metallic grunge masterpiece. The music is fierce and uncompromising. Lyrics are packed with anti-conformity statements that rage against apathy, the patriarchy, and the corporate war machine.

This industrial metal classic includes statements against war, anti-conformity, and then US President George H. W. Bush.

The influential alt-rock band doesn’t get enough credit for their social commentary. Their seventh full-length album may be their most socially conscious and it addresses issues such as fascism and sexual assault.

This is the debut album by the political rap group who appeared on Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. The hard-hitting album addresses issues of police brutality and systemic racism. The album resonated in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Riots.

7 Year Bitch were key figures in the riot grrrl movement, where the act of making music was already considered a political statement. Their debut is in your face and raw. It is also anti-war, anti-rape, and anti-patriarchy.

The debut album by the alternative hip-hop trio is an overlooked gem that features tight musical arrangements and highly politicized lyrics. It is a concept album involving two characters Chicken Little and Hangerhead, who make their way through Uncle Scam’s Federally Funded Welfare & Freakshow to search for their mom, who was jailed for attempting an illegal abortion. The story provides the platform to cover a broad range of topics including pro-life hypocrisy, blind patriotism, classism, systemic racism, and police brutality.

This thrash masterpiece is loaded with poignant political commentary. It targets the Gulf War, the policies of George H. W. Bush, economic and social inequality, animal rights, and environmental issues.

Rage’s debut is one of the most important political albums of all-time. The album cover which features Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, burning himself as an act of protest, could be considered a statement of intent. That personification of extreme protest is provided with a perfect soundtrack.

The ninth album by the iconic singer-songwriter and poet may be his most explicitly political. The songs were influenced by then-recent events such as the Los Angeles riots and the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also connects the present with the past to provide observations about the future. The album at times is dark, but this is balanced out with glimmers of hope.

The twelfth album by the influential political proto-rap group did not sound out of place considering the prevalence of Afrocentric hip-hop acts in the 90s. Featuring Parliament/Funkadelic members Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, and George Clinton, the music provides a funky backdrop for the insightful social commentary.

This album is an overlooked classic. It features a funky musical vibe and poetical lyrical flow which blends wit with social commentary.

The debut album by the influential riot grrrl band is a defiant statement of independence and non-conformity. It also addresses sexual harassment and misogyny within the punk scene and society in general.