A
protest song is kind of
folk music (or, more recently, pop-influenced
folk music). They become popular during times of social disruption and among socially neglected groups. They rail against injustice, racial discrimination, war, inflation, social inequalities and the like. Folk songs occur throughout history, as in the American Revolutionary War and the abolitionist movement of the 1800's. In the 20th century, the [union movement]
?, the
Great Depression and the
Vietnam War were the primary periods of popularity for protest songs. The common form, with acoustic guitar and harmonica, was popularized by the work of Woody Guthrie during the Great Depression and [Dust Bowl]
?.
Main protest song singers :
The protest songs :
Unions, Depression era and World War II
- This Land is your Land Woody Guthrie
- Union Maid [Woodie Guthrie]?
- Dump the Bosses [John Brill]?
- Sixteen Tons [Tennesee Ernie Ford]?
- Casey Jones - The Union Scab [Joe Hill]?
- Hallelujah I'm a Bum [Harry McClintock]?
Anti-Nuclear
The 1960's and the Vietnam War era
- We Shall Overcome Traditional?
- Eve of Destruction [Barry McGuire]?
- My Generation [The Who]?
- Today I killed a Man [P. J. Proby]?
- Charlie on the MTA [The Kingston Trio]?
- Turn, Turn, Turn [Pete Seeger]?
- Signs [The Five Man Electrical Band]?
- Where have all the Flowers Gone [The Kingston Trio]?
- For What its Worth [Buffalo Springfield]?
- The "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die" Rag [Country Joe and the Fish]?
- Chicago [Graham Nash]?
- Ohio [Crosby Stills Nash and Young]?
- Bring the Boys Home [Freda Payne]?
- War [Edwin Starr]?
More recent
- Biko [Peter Gabriel]?
- 99 Luftballoons Nena?
- Maggie Out! Anonymous
- Free Nelson Mandela UB40?
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday U2
- The Hurricane Bob Dylan
- Rain on the Scarecrow [John Cougar Mellencamp]?
- If I had a Rocket Launcher [Bruce Cockburn]?
See also REM, [Midnight Oil]?, U2
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