By Blake Wells
It’s not an overstatement to say that music is fundamental to the human experience. Music provides emotional expression, social connection, and cultural identity. It even has therapeutic and healing powers. As such, it’s unsurprising that music has bound people together in common cause throughout the protest movements in our country’s history since the Revolution. Examples include “Yankee Doodle,” which was co-opted from the British troops as a symbol of defiance, and “We Shall Overcome,” which had its roots at the turn of the 20th century but was popularized by Pete Seeger in the 1960’s for the Civil Rights Movement. A lesser known but suitable anthem for our current times is “All You Fascists Bound To Lose” by the Resistance Revival Chorus. (This is a favorite of one of our Third Act PA Comms Team members). For a very recent and widely heard example, consider Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl halftime show, which hit on themes including the fading American dream and broken promises to formerly enslaved Black people. (For an excellent breakdown of the show, see this essay in the New York Times.)
Looking for a playlist of popular protest songs? Here’s my completely biased top 10 list, sorted by date, with links to some great live performances.
“Blowin’ in the Wind,” Bob Dylan, 1963. Ranked number 14 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest hits of all time, this classic poses questions about war, peace, and freedom. These questions are rhetorical, but the answers, found in the refrain “blowin’ in the wind,” can be interpreted as either obvious or fleeting.
“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Bob Dylan, 1964. A call to action for societal change, this song was released during the war in Vietnam and became an anthem for the anti-war and civil rights movements.
“All Along the Watchtower,” Bob Dylan, 1964, and also recorded by Jimi Hendrix, 1968. With abstract lyrics about confusion and chaos, it’s not strictly a protest song, but for Hendrix it was about the Vietnam War.
“Respect,” Aretha Franklin, 1967. Be sure to check out the linked version of this song from the Blues Brothers 2000 movie, which hearkens back to the much better The Blues Brothers movie from 1980 where she performed “Think.” “Respect,” a feminist anthem, earned Franklin two Grammy Awards.
“Fortunate Son,” Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1969. This song provides a critique of class inequalities in the Vietnam War, which allowed people of higher privilege to avoid military service.
“War,” Edwin Starr, 1970. “War” was originally sung by The Temptations, but Starr’s version made it a hit. A powerful anti-Vietnam War song, it continues to resonate.
“Imagine,” John Lennon, 1971. This song challenges us to envision a world free of conflict, where we are not separated by religion or class. It seems particularly timely in our current political state.
“Sunday Bloody Sunday,” U2, 1983. This song wrestles with the violence in Northern Ireland, focusing on the shooting of unarmed civil rights protesters in 1972.
“Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen, 1984. Springsteen’s song is a critique of the Vietnam War and the treatment of veterans returning from it. It’s often misinterpreted as a patriotic song. During last year’s presidential campaign, The Boss was not shy in his condemnation of its use in Trump rallies.
“We Are the World,” Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, 1985. Although not strictly a protest song, its call for humanitarian relief of Africa seems relevant today given Elon Musk’s attack on USAID.