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

Friday, November 6, 2009

What makes a great politcal or protest song?

What makes a great political or protest song? The best definition of leadership is whether or not people follow, and the same is a good standard for judging political songs as well. If it moves people, or otherwise has an impact, it's a a success. The 60s protest songs truly helped end the war and Neil young's "Cortez the Killer" was banned for years in Spain (making it an underground hit).
But I want to concentrate on the music a bit more. Here's my criteria: 1. It must be a good song in and of its self. If you change the lyrics to "ode to a peanut butter sandwich" it would still sound good. 2. The lyrics have to be clever and bring an interesting take to the issue. There were a ton of very boring "Bush sucks" or "Bush is dangerous" or "Bush is an idiot" songs during the W years. Have a take, please. 3. The best political songs paint a picture or tell a story and 4. add a personal touch. The best songs add a personal element that pull you in on an emotional level. When Neil Young sings "What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground" about the Kent State Massacre in "Ohio" you truly feel like you're there. In fact, Neil is one of the greatest political/protest song writers ever because most of his songs in this genre use brilliant narratives that really hit home.
I make a slight distinction between "political" and "protest" songs. A "protest" song does all the things a "political" song does, but has the additional quality of being physically moving. They make you want to stand up and sing, and march and act!. Like Country Joe's "It's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?" or the Clash's "These are your rights!" Imagine being one of a couple thousand people singing aloud "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant" or trying to stay in your seat as Bob Marley sings, "Get up! Stand up! Stand up for your rights!" "Strange fruit" is an incredible political song, while "This land is your land" is one of the best protest songs ever (though it seems to have lost it's teeth over the years).