Where are the good political songs?
3 years ago by fellowmortal to c/nostupidquestions
I feel like there are lots of parallels between the eighties and now (recession/inflation, yuppies/inequality, skin-heads/fascists, hot-cold wars etc.) but there used to be protest music! Where is that stuff now? Music that's intelligent and outraged - like we should be!
I'm out of touch now, so if it exists, educate me! Or have the protest songs been removed from tiktok by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (UK specific, but suppression of protest seems to be everywhere)? (I've linked to the Levellers - maybe it really was better back in the day?)
edit: Maybe not the right audience, but if the song is old enough to vote then I might already know it! What's happening now? Any songs from the last 10 years!
edit: Thanks for everyone's insights. I've spent the day discovering music that I'd never have found otherwise. Really enjoying a load of these, but thanks to everyone! It seems like protest music is confined to certain genres/places, and lots of older songs - maybe they just last longer... which is maybe a little interesting.
That was 6 years ago.
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Well, not sure about "good" but punk is and always has been about politics.
Personally, I love the folk punk end of things like AJJ's 'Normalization Blues': https://youtu.be/0EDVM73bU-w?si=_mtGGyFhrmeMRlpZ
In a similar vein, Matt Pless's "where the frayed wind blows" is 5 minutes of angry goodness.
There's also a lot of protest hip hop but I don't know the newer stuff particularly well.
This is great! :D
edit: Anyone know about hip-hop? Would be great to know where to start on that
A lot of rap is political/social, for more mainstream stuff youāve got songs like āThis Is Americaā by Childish Gambino, āReaganā by Killer Mike, or even āFuck the Policeā by N.W.A.
Youāve got even more leftist groups/rappers like āThe Coupā, RATM/Public Enemy supergroup āProphets of Rageā, hardcore shit like āImmortal Techniquesā or āNon Phixonā, āDead Prezā, āNasā, āThe Fugeesā, āTupacā, āDe La Soulā just to name a few more.
Thereās also more tankie shit but Iām not gonna promote that authoritarian garbage.
Itās almost harder to find non-political rap than it is political rap when you start breaking down the messages of many songs.
Thanks! Childish Gambino - is a great example!
I didn't know some of these, so I'll check them out, but they aren't exactly new - the rest are from the ninties, right?
I tried mixing it up, itās probably more early 2000-2010s for the majority. I kinda lost interest in a lot of rap after that whole trap phase started.
Killer Mikes a bit too centrist for my liking but Reagan from 2012 is an amazing song and one Iād recommend the most from that list.
Reagan by Killer Mike. Samples shit Reagan said
On the Hip Hop note I would say Run The Jewels have some amazing lyrical content in their songs about the state of things
Well, NPR did an entire article of 20 protest songs that came out in 2020. Looks like they might have made a Spotify playlist of them at one point too.
Here are 30 protest albums that came out in the first half of 2022
Here are 50 protest songs from 2023.
These are just results from pretty simple Google searches. 'protest songs year'.
Hmm... using google to find anti-establishment songs... ;)
And then listening to the Spotify playlist...
I'm a big fan of Rise Against. Try these tracks out:
- Architects
- Welcome to the Breakdown
- A Gentleman's Coup
- Megaphone
- Holding Patterns
and Bad Religion:
- American Jesus
- Meeting of the Minds
- The Resist Stance
Listening now! Thanks
Excuse me, GenX chiming in. We had that exact same list, with the sort-of-maybe exception of climate change (pollution was really really bad though). Then again , we had the daily doom of nuclear war on our heads.
I've participated in in-person protests with various groups about a dozen times a year since 2020 and I don't even live in a city. People are definitely out here protesting, we just don't get any media coverage at all unless we break things.
edit- in an attempt to actually be helpful - search the internet for any progressive or socialist activist groups near you and sign up for their newsletters/follow their socials. Try to attend a few events, and there you'll hopefully meet people who can get you connected to local anarchists/more radical folks who go out and protest a lot. Then you can carpool with folks and share expenses and have a safe group of people to go to protests with.
I guess this what I'm afraid of, but things must have felt pretty scary during the first cold war - Imagine raising children while governments were openly[edit] testing fusion weapons!
I think that music is part of giving people inspiration and hope. Does tiktok just filter out the protest to keep us scrolling?
Toxicity - System of a Down was an incredible album about American exceptionalism and war hungriness. The towers were hit a week after the album was released.
Every single one of their records is more relevant now than ever.
System's whole catalogue really, they're basically Rage Against the Machine, but with an Armenian twist and flair, love them, but can't believe the drummer is a MAGAtard.
This might not be everyones cup of tea, but metal and hardcore are full of protest music. Heaven Shall Burn for example is lyricly anti-fascist and environmentalist (live video because that show is fucking legendary).
Holy shit! Thanks - that video is outrageous! These are great
Between the Buried and Me, a progressive metal band that is considered legendary, is philosophically political in so much as that most of their albums are about the inevitable decline of humanity and the destruction of everything due to capitalism, greed, regressive ideologies etc. If you've never listened to them you should start with the Great Misdirect. Spotify has a live version I think and it is phenomenal.
lekkerrrrr
saved, thanks!
You know that RATMs big albums were over 25 years ago, right?
Recently found IDLES, amazing band!
I didn't see this mentioned so wanted to add it. Most people think of it as pro USA, but the lyrics paint a very different message.
For example:
Got in a little hometown jam So they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land To go and kill the yellow man
Nofx - youāre wrong:
You're wrong about virtues of Christianity And you're wrong if you agree with Sean Hannity If you think that pride is about nationality, you're wrong
You're wrong when you imprison people turning tricks And you're wrong about trickle down economics If you think that punk rock doesn't mix with politics, you're wrong
You're wrong for hating queers and eating steers If you kill for the thrill of the hunt You're wrong 'bout wearing fur and not hating Ann Coulter Cause she's a cunted cunt
You're wrong if you celebrate Columbus Day And You're wrong if you think there will be a Judgement Day If you're a charter member of the NRA, you're wrong
You're wrong if you support capital punishment And you're wrong if you don't question your government If you think her reproductive rights are inconsequent, you're wrong
You're wrong fighting Jihad, your blind faith in God Your religions are all flawed You're wrong about drug use, when its not abuse I hope you never reproduce
You're getting high on the downlow A victim of Cointelpro You're wrong and will probably never know
Uncle Sam Goddamn - Brother Ali
Ju$t - Run the Jewels (and a lot of their or Killer Mike's songs)
Gang Shit - Marlon Craft
The Guillotine - The Coup
I Wish I Was a Riot Grrrl - Destructo Disk
Nobody's Biz - Four Fists
Some of these being older than 10 years is a real bummer lol
Walking In The Snow was the RTJ song that came to mind for me
Its not a problem for me - I'm old :)
This is good. It doesn't have to be punk - I don't even know what people listen to now...
The internet fractured culture and there is no one thing everyone is watching or listen to anymore and I don't know how I feel about that
Goddamn White Trash by Ministry is my go-to song for 2024.
Is this the most recent suggestion on here?
anything by the coup
This has been true for over thirty years but most people sadly have never heard of them.
Fuck yes, this is the answer right here.
Pokemon Liberation Army https://pokemonliberationarmy.bandcamp.com/...
Billy Talent
Distillers
Bad Cop, Bad Cop
So many more but I gotta dip
Sharptooth
The Baboon Show
The Halluci Nation - (Pretty cool Hip Hop group)
Oh man I need to dig out my old Distillers stuff and listen to it again!
Both of those are good but old songs, I think OP was wondering where the current protest music is.
Thanks for these - they are great examples of what I want. However, as @shish_mish mentioned, I was wondering what has come out recently? [edit:words]
Billy Bragg is still making bangers
I don't know if I'd call his new stuff "bangers".
I mean, a lot of meh too but I thought Bridges Not Walls was a great EP
thanks - I'm checking some of the live dates.
Like most or even all of punk
one of my favorite groups is Mischief Brew from Philly. Very folksy, anti-cop, anti everything government lol
Thrash metal has a lot of politics, if that's your thing.
I'll give it a try - any suggestions?
If you are starting out with metal, I would recommend Metallica, or Death Angel (albums such as Evil Divide or The Dream Calls For Blood). They have a more mainstream sound. If you enjoy those, either dm me or reply, I can send you more. Or alternatively I have a community: !thrashmetal@lemmy.world, if you wanna check out some less obvious ones.
I'll check in.
I have a GCSE in German, what would you suggest?
These are good. Thanks
I feel like I should. (edit:accent)
Check out Propagandhi
Some of the classical ones
L'internationale, which is still relevant today
La banderra rosa
Bella Ciao, which despite becoming a pop hit is a struggle song
El pueblo unido
La butte rouge
-The Red army choir have a ton of great ones
Then on more recent, just look at the punk and rap scene, there is a lot
Poor Man's Poison has put out a few good political/social songs recently, I'm not sure if I would call them "protest" but still fairly close
I've always liked "universal soldier" by Donovan
Dead kennedys:
New, political, angry
Spy - Bootlicker
Sault's "Foot on Necks" is a great anti police brutality anthem, and a big chunk of all their music has messages like that
I listen to a lot of punk music so obviously it's strongly political. Here's just a few off the top of my head:
- White People for Peace by Against Me!
- Unprotected Sex With Multiple Partners by Against Me!
- Survivor Guilt by Rise Against
- State of the Union by Rise Against
- The Eco-Terrorist In Me by Rise Against
- 45 by Sum41
- Empty Walls by Serj Tankian
- Prison Song by System of a Down
- Christian Nationalist by Anti-Flag
- Die for your Government by Anti-Flag
- 72 hookers by NOFX
- Please Play This Song on the Radio by NOFX
- Fuck Euphemism by NOFX
- Take Back the Power by The Interrupters
- Quarantine by Blink 182
I tried to include a bit of variety and not all be anti-war songs from/about the Bush era. A couple are about the music industry specifically, and one is a musical rant about kink culture (and it's not the one you think based on the title!) I'm also a big Rise Against fan so I tried to pull out some non-singles from accross many years since basically any song by them has a good political message. I highly recommend looking up the lyrics to all of these after the first listen or better during the second listen
Nofx is doing their retirement tour right now and it makes me super sad I won't be able to go
If you like punk, Leftover Crack has a bunch.
Garbage - No gods no masters. Whole album is shamelessly political.
The men who rule the world Have made a fucking mess The history of power The worship of success The king is in the counting house He's chairman of the board The women who crowd the courtrooms All accused of being whores
Is Antiflag still around?
Billy talent are great for political, fuck the government/ big corporations type songs. Not protest songs so much. But it feels pretty on theme. Their messages are great.
Surprise surprise and viking death march are two of my personal favourites songs by them.
I hate to break it to you but Billy Talent formed in 1993! ;)
That album is absolutely killer and I've loved BN since I heard Try Honesty many moons ago.
That said ... They have been singing about how young people need to fight the system while having one of the most clean, corporate images I can think of for bands in their category.
Watching a 40 year old man dance around an arena in VANs and Atticus hoodies while telling contemporary youth that their generation is a "fucking joke" is peak cringe to me.
Still love the music though. Wish he'd do more heartbreak songs, they're his forte.
You mention the UK, so I'll just drop a couple of names of folks/bands talking about racism, immigration and toxic male culture.
Bob Vylan
We live here - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqhJyvly1g
Wicked and Bad - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KRJ-s7jRyAM
Idles
Danny Nedelko - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF_G-RF66M
Lambrini Girls
Lads lads lads - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IuLK56UrCL0
There's a lot of good punk still happening.
Should also add Hacktivist. A few of their songs are politically charged, and several calls BoJo a cunt.
Frank Carter did this lovely little ditty with Joe Talbot from IDLES.
My Town.
@frazorth you've got going down rabbit holes ... I wonder what I else I can do to scare a tory
Listen to Boris Johnson is a fucking cunt?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uGwCykQwgTU
Or just Fuck The Tories
Guilty as charged. Good stuff - I'll look out for these - my new years resolution is to see some live music.
All these bands being UK based, you should have an opportunity to see them.
I don't know whereabouts in the UK you are, but you could find some new stuff at things like the Futurama festival in Liverpool.
I'll be seeing IDLES in a few months in Texas
Old School Pig, by Tilt.
"George Floyd" by the Log Bay Ramblers is some nice and direct bluegrass folk music
I love this question. Perhaps there is also the record labels and mainstream media that prioritize marketability and mass appeal, which most probably would discourage artists from producing overtly political content, the stuff that may be thrown into the controversial or polarizing basket just doesn't pull in the bucks these days.
As it ever was?
edit: it does feel different now - but it has never been easy.
The fast paced Ukrainian version of In The Army Now which protests military marketing and conscription (directed at USA)
Laga Reh (translations required lol) which protests Pakistani government complacency in allowing foreign powers (cough USA cough) to dictate the country at the expense of progress and "disappearing" of any local opposition.
Thanks for these - really interesting stuff that I couldn't have just happened upon!
revolution by Tracy chapman
A French Quebec song about how the world is going and how Gen Z has been neglected
Oskar Barnack ā Oscar Grant -Blue Scholars
Bonus in Dutch - Bent Je Bang - Hang Youth
Right Now - Jesse Roper
There isn't one so much these days because streaming has given everyone their own particular music bubble. And stuff can still get insanely popular, but there aren't hits that everyone talks about anymore.
You won't know until it's long passed. Time is the best curator.
2020 Visions by Michael Guy Bowman is about the insurrection
The Offspring. Americana, Stuff is Messed up, the Kids Aren't Alright...
Gary Clarke Jr. Has some good protest songs, especially for a blues musician, including a remake of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's Ohio.
Municipal Waste is great for some hardcore, there's actually a bunch of hardcore bands that have some excellent protest songs.
Then you have Ice-T's Body Count.
Lamb of God's albums post-Randy's time in a Czech prison have been full of social commentary, far more than the earlier albums.
I've seen people highlight Killer Mike's Grammy wins, but his other group Run the Jewels is pretty much the biggest name in protest rap these days.
Then you have Kendrick Lamar, possibly the best rapper of his generation, absolutely one of the greatest story tellers of rap, period.
Overall there's a lot of pop, metal, rock, rap and other genres who have some prominent names and many lesser known names who are putting out good angry music.
Then you have Ice Cube putting out Arrest the President then proceeding to talk about voting for that same president.š¤¦āāļø
Say She She's "Norma" is all about the end of Roe v Wade
Tropical fuck storm is pretty good at ranting against the bullshit and bonus they also sound awesome:
I haven't heard of these guys - Thanks!
Maybe I'm late but I recommend Speak by Queensryche, it's about revolution. The entire album Operation Mindcrime is a rail against religion and capitalism told through a character recruited into an underground revolution. It's very good and a song that contains the lines "educate the masses" and "burn the Whitehouse down" gets a thumbs up from me
GRANDSON, GRANDSON, GRANDSON EVERY DAY. You've probably heard them, I love Dirty
Freedom is a Verb by Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird is a favorite of mine
I don't know if thease two are protest songs, but they are near enough: Plavi orkestar - Fa Fa FaŔista, Bijelo dugme - Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo
Edit: They are yugoslavian, so not that relevant now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJufERGv9Sk
Rap Against Dictatorship. Check out their other videos.
This thread should be a Spotify playlist!
How about some Billy Talent? Love them musically, but lyrically they are equally strong. Some songs that come to mind are: -Reckless paradise -Kingdom of Zod -Surprise surprise -Dead silence
Additionally I'd add Paramore's 'The news' from their recent album.
Given that Tiktok is a corporation with likely ties to a government that is not particularly fond of protest, perhaps it is not the best place to find protest music. Having said that, Muse continues to make protest music as they always have. I suppose the problem is that protest music doesn't often get included on music platforms, leaving us with a sanitized version of the musical landscape.
Pretty much anything by minutemen but a personal favorite https://youtu.be/7zjcut9IQRM?si=aAh3wqGp2WjzqwGA
Stand Out Riot is an incredible ska/hardcore band with mostly political lyrics. They are from UK so I don't get all of the references, but they are fucking awesome anyway.
Ren Gill is a lyrical genius. Highly recommend.
Tyler Childers - Long Violent History
It's the worst that it's been since the last time it happened It's happening again right in front of our eyes There's updated footage, wild speculation Tall tales and hearsay and absolute lies
Been passed off as factual, when actually the actual Causes they're awkwardly blocking the way Keeping us all from enjoyin' our evening Shoving its roots through the screens in our face
Now, what would you get if you heard my opinion Conjecturin' on matters that I ain't never dreamed In all my born days as a white boy from Hickman Based on the way that the world's been to me?
It's called me belligerent, it's took me for ignorant But it ain't never once made me scared just to be Could you imagine just constantly worryin' Kickin' and fightin', beggin' to breathe?
How many boys could they haul off this mountain Shoot full of holes, cuffed and layin' in the streets 'Til we come into town in a stark ravin' anger Looking for answers and armed to the teeth?
Thirty-ought-sixes, Papaw's old pistol How many, you reckon, would it be, four or five? Or would that be the start of a long, violent history Of tucking our tails as we try to abide?
Or would that be the start of a long, violent history Of tucking our tails as we try to abide?
Someone sent me this one recently, and the lyrics are interesting.
I have been trying to remember this one.
I can already see it: Taylor Swift - Fuck tha police
The weekend - War
BeyoncƩ - Get up, Stand up
Bieber - give peace a chance
Drake - the revolution will not be televised
And Ariana Grande - I hate the rich
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This is America - Childish Gambino
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