Where are the good political songs?

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.

Ziggurat,

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

Adulated_Aspersion,

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?

pjwestin,

Since I haven’t seen him mentioned yet, Ted Leo is still making albums.

DigitalTraveler42,

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.🤦‍♂️

Tier1BuildABear,
@Tier1BuildABear@lemmy.world avatar

GRANDSON, GRANDSON, GRANDSON EVERY DAY. You’ve probably heard them, I love Dirty

Pulptastic,

Is Antiflag still around?

BeanieBeetle,

Ren Gill is a lyrical genius. Highly recommend.

Persen,

I don’t know if thease two are protest songs, but they are near enough: Plavi orkestar - Fa Fa Fašista, Bijelo dugme - Pljuni i zapjevaj moja Jugoslavijo

Edit: They are yugoslavian, so not that relevant now.

Trainguyrom,

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

disheveledWallaby,

If you like punk, Leftover Crack has a bunch.

piped.video/watch?v=toTm1FDtMsM

Chickenslippers,

Nofx is doing their retirement tour right now and it makes me super sad I won’t be able to go

GiddyGap,

Most stuff mentioned here is from artists few people know. We need the big names to step up and take a stand.

nyctre,

I can already see it: Taylor Swift - Fuck tha police

The weekend - War

Beyoncé - Get up, Stand up

Bieber - give peace a chance

Drake - the revolution will not be televised

And Ariana Grande - I hate the rich

gothic_lemons,

Pokemon Liberation Army pokemonliberationarmy.bandcamp.com/album/tm101

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)

hydrospanner,

Oh man I need to dig out my old Distillers stuff and listen to it again!

chrizzly,

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.

Flax_vert,

Dégénération

A French Quebec song about how the world is going and how Gen Z has been neglected

frezik,

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

pearable,

Freedom is a Verb by Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird is a favorite of mine

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