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Top 100 Protest Songs According To Rolling Stone

Rexedgar

Yo-Semite!
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I’m familiar with about a quarter of them. I wonder why there are so many artists of color…………….….…..

The 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time

From Pete Seeger to Billie Holiday to Rage Against the Machine to Kendrick Lamar, musicians of all genres have spoken truth to power
www.rollingstone.com
 
"Of all time"? What about La Marseillaise then
 
#11 This Land is Your Land, by Woodie Guthrie.

Who else sang this in grammar school? It's a patriotic song, right? Wrong.

Well, one bright Sunday morning in the shadow of the steeple
By the relief office, I saw my people
As they stood there hungry, I stood there wondering
If this land was made for you and me?

Well, as I was walking, I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing"
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me!
 
You don't think Broadway when you think protest songs, but the LBGTQ anthem came from the Broadway stage. This was as topical as song in the early 80's as a song as it is today. You can imagine Hearn bespeckled and besparkled in drag or not. I was stunned when I first heard this reached primetime ears of middle America. I am surprised it was left off the list.


"There's one life and there's no return and no deposit
One life, so make sure you like what's in your closet
[Alternate lyric : One life, so its time to open up your closet]
Life's not worth a damn
'Til you can shout out
I am what I am
I am what I am"
 
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I didn't recognize most of them. I was beginning to wonder if Fortunate Son and Ohio were going to be left off the list.
 
I’m glad to see Phil Ochs received some recognition with two songs on the list. Even Tom Robinson got on the list.

I’m not sure I agree with the order of the list but not so much with the songs that made the list.
 
Here's another protest song from Broadway. This one was written by Oscar Hammerstein about racism
 
Seems as though the list can be easily scrolled through here (from OP link).....


.....for those who might want to see which 100 without leaving this site.

And (NSFW) a little spin on one from within.


I suppose Uprising is going beyond protest.


 
Loulit01 said:
What about Pink Floyd, The Wall?
Click to expand...
There are songs on the list that seem like they're only there because one of the contributors argued very forcefully for their inclusion.

It also feels wrong not to have included that 'rich men north of Richmond' song somewhere on the list.
 
War.......Edwin Starr....1969
Aquarius....5th dimension....1979
Where have all the flowers gone.....Jonny Rivers....1969

Three that i think need to be added to the list
 
War by Edwin Starr is on the list.

BTW, I would have placed it in the top five.
 
Had a feeling when I saw the title that Holliday's "Strange Fruit" would be in rhe top 10.
 
Never heard of most of them, the songs or the artists. I spent yesterday listening to many of them with my wife. Most of them suck, some are completely horrible and a few, maybe a dozen are pretty good stuff.
 
I was sure Zager & Evans would make it.


 
Does YMCA qualify as a protest theme song now?
 
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