“My skin is blackMy arms are longMy hair is woollyMy back is strongStrong enough to take the paininflicted again and again” “Four Women” was written by Simone and appears on her classic 1966 album, Wild Is The Wind. It is one of several tunes that helped establish Simone as an important figure in the civil rights movement. The catalyst of the […]
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In these monthly recaps, I am starting to draw a blank in how to introduce it. Lately, it ends up some variance of these are shitty times but at least we have the music. Here is a sampling of some of the socially conscious songs, videos, and albums released during the past month. Songs/Videos: Noname – Rainforest As expected, the […]
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Much of the music of the 90s may be associated more with personal angst that political dissension, but it was still a rich decade for socially conscious music. The decade could be considered the golden age of afro-centric hip-hop music. Movements such as riot grrrl and queercore were also important in amplifying women and LGBTQ+ voices. There was a diverse […]
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As we get closer to the US Presidential election there has been a spike in protest music. Much of the music released is either directly aimed at Trump or discusses the importance of voting. As with the previous months, there is also music that addresses issues of systemic racism, police brutality, and a variety of other social concerns. Also, in […]
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Part of the purpose of this site is to chronicle the historical developments of protest music. One way to do this is to look back at previous decades. I previously published a list of the 100 Best Protest Albums of the 2010s. Now we are going to look back at the best albums of other decades, starting with the 2000s. […]
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It has been a crazy month. Hopefully, everyone is holding up well with the self-isolation and social distancing. Crazy times, but we always have the music to help get us through. Here is a sampling of some notable socially conscious music released during the past month. Songs/Video: Steve Earle – John Henry was a Steel Driving Man The veteran singer-songwriter […]
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Since I haven’t been posting here as often as I would like, I figure I’ll get caught up by recapping some of the notable socially conscious music released in January. Songs/Videos My Body, My Choice – Bait Bag The latest single from the feminist punk trio is a rousing pro-choice anthem. All sales of the single support Planned Parenthood Northern […]
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