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.

  • theghostie
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    0
    ·
    8 months ago
    edit-2
    8 months ago
    link
    fedilink

    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

    • LPodyssey07
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      8 months ago
      link
      fedilink

      Walking In The Snow was the RTJ song that came to mind for me

    • fellowmortalOP
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      8 months ago
      edit-2
      8 months ago
      link
      fedilink

      Its not a problem for me - I’m old :)