This episode features audio from the very first video from the Ongoing History of Protest Music YouTube Channel. It was originally published on November 23, 2020, but this Spotify exclusive version features the songs that are being discussed.
Learn more →
As we approached the end of a decade it is a good time to reflect on some of the best socially conscious albums released during the past ten years. Despite misconceptions about the lack of modern protest music, the 2010s was responsible for several contributions to the ever-expanding canon of protest music. If anything, this list is just a small […]
Learn more →Music videos are a powerful medium in conveying powerful messages. Here is a sampling of 15 videos which are effective visual aids in complementing the lyrics of socially conscious tunes. 77 – Alice Bag This music video parodies the 1980 film 9 to 5, which is well suited to the song’s message of pay equality. Riot grrrl pioneers Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, […]
Learn more →80 Years of Protest Songs Part 1: 1939-1958 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 2: 1959-1978 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 3: 1979-1998 The aftermath of 9/11 ushered in a new chapter for protest music. The Iraq war and George W. Bush became the Vietnam & the Nixon for the 2000s. The 2010s brought in a renewed emphasis in […]
Learn more →“Pa’lante” is off of Hurray For The Riff Raff’s 2017 album, The Navigator. Both the song and the album was #1 on the list of Top 50 Protest Songs and 25 Protest Albums of 2017. A powerful music video was recently made for the poignant tune. The video depicts Puerto Rico in the ravages of Hurricane Maria and it tells the […]
Learn more →Back in July 24, 2017, NPR posted a list of the 150 greatest albums by women. Like any list of this magnitude it was a generator of debate. Recently NPR decided to keep the discussion going by inviting music fans to submit their list of ten albums. I decided I would make my voice heard by submitting my list of […]
Learn more →If Trayvon Martin was still alive he would be 23 years old today. On February 26th, 2012, the unarmed 17-year-old was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. A jury acquitted Zimmerman of all charges on July 13, 2013. Martin’s murder and Zimmerman’s subsequent acquittal was one of the catalyst of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Martin’s death also inspired […]
Learn more →This is a continuation of the 2017: The Year In Protest series. Previous entries include Top 40 Protest Albums, Top 5 Protest EPs, and Top 12 Protest Music Videos. Now we’ll look at 50 tunes that helped provide the soundtrack of the 2017 protest movement. 50: What Makes Us Great – Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers (featuring Bruce Springsteen) Journeyman […]
Learn more →Hurray For the Riff Raff’s 2017 album, Navigator was the number one album on the list of Top 25 Protest Albums of 2017. Today I decided to focus on a standout from their previous 2014 album, Small Time Heroes. “The Body Electric” provides a poignant examination of how historically music has been guilty of promoting violence against both women and minorities. […]
Learn more →