Since I started this website in December 2017, there hasn’t been a month where there has been this much protest music released. As much as I’m into socially conscious music, I really wish we lived at a time where political music was no longer relevant. But in the meantime music does provide us with a needed outlet to help us […]
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It continues to be a crazy time in isolation, but at least we have music to help get us through. Here is a sampling of some of the socially conscious music released in April. Also, as a note, for any of the releases available on Bandcamp, on Friday, May 1st (and the first Friday of the month for the next […]
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The final results are in and we now have the list of inductees into the second year of the Protest Music Hall of Fame. I will admit that Hall of Fame could be considered a misnomer. Instead of awarding accolades, it is about building awareness for socially conscious music. As the reach of this website grows, we will be able […]
Learn more →When speaking out against injustices, sometimes the most appropriate response is to say, “Fuck you.” Examples in protest music include Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name” (“Fuck you, I won’t do what you what you tell me”), N.W.A’s “Fuck tha Police” and YG’s “Fuck Donald Trump.” Javid Music Party, an independent Chicago and Los Angeles-based artist and activist […]
Learn more →As part of an online archival project a poll was posted to nominate artists, songs, and albums that have made considerable contributions to the historical development of protest music. Based on the results of that poll another poll was posted featuring the list of nominees. Based on the final results we now have the list of the inaugural inductees into […]
Learn more →When studying the history of socially conscious hip-hop very few have had the impact of Chuck D. As the MC of Public Enemy, he contributed several albums and songs that make up the canon of essential protest music. With rap-rock supergroup Prophet of Rage and as a solo artist, he is still going strong with his brand of political rap. […]
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 4: 1999-2018 The 1980s had the reputation of being shallow and self-absorbed, while the music of the 90s was known more for personal angst than for political discontent. Despite this there was still a wealth of songs shedding […]
Learn more →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 […]
Learn more →Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 and he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Considering the inedible impact that the famed civil rights leader had, it should be no surprise that numerous songs have been inspired by him. Here is a list of ten of those tunes. Blues For Martin Luther Kings – Otis Spann (1968) This […]
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