Where are the protest songs?

Submitted by mamabird2020 t3_126m0zt in Music

Not even protest- there’s no song just commenting on our societal struggles. This is why I can’t get into modern music or stuff on the radio. Even Pearl Jam’s Jeremy was talking about something. So much war and gun violence but all the radio pop/rock bands aren’t doing enough.

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Geobits t1_je9pm4t wrote

>...all the radio pop/rock bands...

That's most of the problem, right there. If you're just listening to the radio, you're missing out. Radio is only going to play what their owners want, and it's not really in their interests to stir things up right now. Keep in mind that the vast majority of radio stations are owned by just a very few corporations, and they make literal tons of money with the status quo.

If you want to find protest music, or music with social commentary, look for that. Google it up and you'll find plenty available to stream or buy.

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FunintheSunn-O- t1_jea1i9p wrote

I get what you're saying but I get really tired of the "then just don't listen to mainstream" argument.

Mainstream music media is literally the only way to reach any sort of real audience. It's the only way for artists to be seen or heard by a large enough group of people in order for a protest song to make an actual impact.

The fact that they refuse to ever deviate from the pop/rap formula is not only extremely harmful to music as an art medium (especially when it comes to historical preservation of songs) but also its detrimental to our culture as a whole because the once great medium for societal protest known as mainstream music is completely gone, at a time when we could really use it.

If it were as easy as just not listening that would be great but its so very much more complicated than that.

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Geobits t1_jea8urc wrote

I agree with you in general, but the OP was asking about a specific type of music. The sad fact is that mainstream music today really doesn't do much social commentary (there are a couple exceptions that others have pointed out, but in a general sense), so it's hard to give good answers besides "you need to broaden what you're listening to". If OP wants to know where it is and it's not on the radio, what other answers are there?

The angle that the lack of mainstream social commentary is most likely by design is another topic, but even if you don't buy into that, it's still not on most radio stations.

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[deleted] t1_je9skje wrote

Taylor Swift song protest boys

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stanchskate t1_je9o75t wrote

David Rovics, he does folk punk. Any non corporate punk is what you're looking for.

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AnHeroicHippo99 t1_je9rkzh wrote

Have you listened to Billy Talent? Commenting on society is almost all they do.

This song comments on the shittiness of radio just like you, and society in general.

This one is from an album released months before the Russia Ukraine conflict.

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boarmrc t1_jea3qwi wrote

Joey Bada$$- Land of the Free

Kendrick Lamar- Alright

Not new songs but definitely talking about the current climate in America.

Go back even further with punk like NOFX or Bad Religion.

The people are going to have to rise up and not rest until something is done.

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haterhurter1 t1_je9tsq6 wrote

there's plenty of protest music if you simply broaden the genres you're looking in. rap has a ton of protest songs.

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Pussycat-X t1_je9vxzp wrote

Come you masters of war....

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Pussycat-X t1_je9w64x wrote

Oh where have you been, my blue-eyed son....

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Bizznitchy t1_je9piqt wrote

I said this awhile back too,disappointed in this generations output of outrage. The last time we had a rich, republican actor sitting in the White House had a way better soundtrack. We had Reagans Youth,where is Trumps Tykes when we need them. Hold the Government!

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AlasBabylon_ t1_je9pn9j wrote

We tried protest songs in the early 2000s with the advent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I imagine you can figure out how well those worked.

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dandle t1_je9qfws wrote

It was across genres, too, from Steve Earle to NOFX.

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Notinyourbushes t1_je9rnxt wrote

Man, Steve Earle went hard on it.

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dandle t1_je9u0bw wrote

A couple of the songs on "The Revolution Starts Now" haven't held up over the years, but most are still amazing. "The Seeker" is eternal.

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Notinyourbushes t1_jea5kpi wrote

Not saying he didn't always, but he really started massively pushing the boundaries of his sound starting with Transcendental Blues. I'd rather artists take risks and have a few failures than fall into a safe rut and churn out more of the same.

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rogless t1_je9uycc wrote

“Step down. Step down. Step down. Step down.” ad nauseam and “Why don’t presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?” spring to mind as maximally cringe inducing examples.

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