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.
Ren Gill is a lyrical genius. Highly recommend.
Check out Propagandhi
Was just about to post IDLES here myself. It goes and it goes and it goes
Recently found IDLES, amazing band!
Gotta love the AJJs.
you mean everything rage against the machine has ever done?
Some of those that work forces,
Are the same that burn crosses!
You know that RATMs big albums were over 25 years ago, right?
removed by mod
That was 6 years ago.
🧑👨👨🦳👴💀
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!
“George Floyd” by the Log Bay Ramblers is some nice and direct bluegrass folk music
Sault’s “Foot on Necks” is a great anti police brutality anthem, and a big chunk of all their music has messages like that
Say She She’s “Norma” is all about the end of Roe v Wade
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
I personally would add: • The Nowhere Generation • Wolves
Bad Religion was one of my high-school favorites that has stayed a favorite since. I have every one of their albums saved on my phone.
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!
I’ve been stuck on them since I first stumbled on them. I cannot recall exactly how that happened.
Bella Ciao and Sixteen Tons are perennial favorites.
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]
Leslie Fish is still writing music. Plus her old works from 1980-s (eg It’s Sister Jenny’s Turn to Throw the Bomb and Firestorm) are as relevant now as they were 40 years ago.
one of my favorite groups is Mischief Brew from Philly. Very folksy, anti-cop, anti everything government lol
Womanarchist by Bad Cop/Bad Cop is pretty excellent
