Sunday, November 15, 2009

Best political and protest songs of all time

I don't know if it's because I'm going through political withdrawl - it's November and I'm living in an area with out a significant election this year - or all the talk about health care. Whatever the reason, I've been thinking about political songs a lot lately. So, here are my favorite political or protest songs of all time. They're in order, but I'm sure every time I look at this list I'll want to re-arrange them. BTW, if you're curious about the critera I used for my list, look at my previous post "What makes a great political song?"

1. Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
2. Cortez the killer - Neil Young
3. What's going on - Marvin Gaye
4. Sam Stone - John Prine
5. Imagine - John Lennon
6. Alice's Restaurant - Arlo Guthrie
7. Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello
8. Fight the Power - Public Enemy
9. Strange Fruit - Billy Holiday
10. Bungalow Bill - The Beatles
11. Kill the poor - The Dead Kennedys
12. Get up! Stand up! - Bob Marley
13. This land is your land - Woody Guthrie
14. Everybody knows - Leonard Cohen
15. Dear god - XTC
16. What's so funny about peace, love and understanding - Nick Lowe
17. Know your rights - The Clash
18. Alabama, God damn! - Nina Simone
19. Southern Man - Neil Young
20. American Rouse - MC5
21. Black steel in the hour of chaos - Public Enemy
22. Sunday, Bloody Sunday - U2
23. People have the power - Patti Smith
24. A change is gonna come - Sam Cooke
25. Maggie's farm - Bob Dylan
26. The man in black - Johnny Cash
27. Not a pretty girl - Ani Difranco
28. Revolution - The Beatles
29. Anarchy in the U.K. - Sex pistols
30. Untitled song for Latin America - Minutemen
31. Alabama - Neil Young
32. You haven't done nothing - Stevie Wonder
33. When the President talks to God - Bright Eyes
34. London Calling - The Clash
35. War pigs - Black Sabbath
36. The guns of Brixton - The Clash
37. Radio, radio - Elvis Costello
38. Peace Train - Cat Stevens
39. Sky pilot - The Animals
40. Won't get fooled again - The Who
41. Fortunate son - CCR
42. The Fish Cheer - Country Joe & The Fish
43. Union made - Woody Guthrie
44. Working Class Hero - John Lennon
45. And the band played Waltzing Matilda - The Pogues
46. Taking care of business - El Vez
47. Stop the violence - Bogie Down Productions
48. Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other - Willie Nelson
49. Telegraph Road - Dire Straits
50. Society's Child - Janis Ian
51. Trouble every day - Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
52. California, Uber Alles - D.K.
53. Waiting for the great leap forward - Billy Bragg
54. The message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
55. Homosapien - The Pansy Division
56. Universal Solider - Buffy Saint Marie
57. For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
58. Military Wives - The Decemberists
59. Rockin in the free world - Neil Young
60. 1913 Massacre - Woody Guthrie
61. Give Peace a chance - The Beatles
62. Subdivision - Ani Difranco
63. God save the queen - The Sex Pistols
64. I shot the sherrif - Bob Marley
65. Army Dreamers - Kate Bush
66. The Hurricane - Bob Dylan
67. War - Edwin Starr
68. I ain't marching anymore - Phil Ochs
69. Gimme Shelter - the Rolling Stones
70. Ball of Confusion - The Temptations
71. Sound of da police - KRS One
72. Cheerleaders - Minutemen
73.
Across the wire - Calexico
74. Clampdown - The Clash
75. Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
76. Rebel Girl - Bikini Kill
77. I Wanna Conquer the World - Bad Religion
78. Us and them - Pink Floyd
79. Beds are burning - Midnight Oil
80. Is it too late? - World party
81. Redemption Song - Bob Marley
82. Killing in the name of - Rage Against the Machine
83. Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
84. Never cross a picket line - Billy Bragg
85. I love a man in uniform - Gang of Four
86. They paved paradise - Join Mitchell
87. The queen is dead - The Smiths
88. Tin Soldiers - Stiff Little Fingers
89. God on my side - World Party
90. Only Women Bleed - Alice Cooper
91. No god - The Germs
92. Forgive them, Father - Lauryn Hill
93. Notice of eviction - Saul Williams
94. I have forgiven Jesus - Morrisey
95. Youth against fascism - Sonic Youth
96. No Man can find the war - Tim Buckley
97. Talkin' bout a revolution - Tracy Chapman
98. Leagalize it - Peter Tosh
99. Revolution - Mother Earth
100. The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave

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