Ongoing History of Protest Music Podcast Episode 16: Protest Music Hall of Fame

This episode discusses the Protest Music Hall of Fame, an online archival project which chronicles the artists, albums, and songs which have contributed to the historical development of protest music. We also review the current inductees and discuss the recently posted nomination poll for 2020.  On the podcast, we play Bartees Strange’s cover of Woody Guthrie’s “Tear These Fascists Down”, and […]

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Juneteenth Bandcamp Recommendations

Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19th, 1865, which marks the official end of slavery in former Confederacy. In support of this occasion, Bandcamp has decided that every June 19 they will donate their revenue share to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Bandcamp has no shortage of black artists to support. According to a crowd-sourced spreadsheet, there are over 2000 […]

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Protest Music Hall of Fame: A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

“I go to the movie and I go downtownSomebody keep tellin’ me don’t hang aroundIt’s been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will” Sam Cooke is responsible for composing and performing one of the most essential tunes of the civil rights era, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, from his 1964 album Ain’t […]

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10 Civil Rights Protest Songs of the 20th Century

Music has long been a powerful medium to protest the social injustices faced by humankind. For example, many of the anthems of the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s found their roots in the “negro spirituals” of the 1800s and early 1900s. Right now we will consider a list of 10 civil right protest songs recorded during the […]

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Daily Dose of Protest: A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

If Sam Cooke was still alive today, he would be 87 years old. The legendary soul singer is responsible for composing and performing one of the most definitive tunes of the civil rights era, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, from his 1964 album Ain’t That Good News. Sam Cooke was motivated to compose “A Change Is Gonna Come” after listening […]

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