Protest Songs
I was getting sad. I was desperately trying to make sense of these recent changes to our country, and mourning the loss of people, rights, freedoms. So, as I’ve done so many times in the past, I turned to music.
Here’s a curated playlist of protest music spanning decades, organized by the events or issues being protested. This list blends iconic anthems with lesser-known gems, offering a powerful soundtrack to social movements across history.
Civil Rights Movement (1950s–1960s)
- “A Change Is Gonna Come” – Sam Cooke (1964)
Hope and resilience in the face of racial injustice. - “Mississippi Goddam” – Nina Simone (1964)
Response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the Birmingham church bombing. - “We Shall Overcome” – Pete Seeger (1963)
Adopted as the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. - “Strange Fruit” – Billie Holiday (1939)
- “Blowin’ in the Wind” – Bob Dylan (1963)
- “People Get Ready” – The Impressions (1965)
- “Only a Pawn in Their Game” – Bob Dylan (1964)
- “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” – Mavis Staples (1960s)
- “Oh Freedom” – Odetta (1957)
- “The Times They Are A-Changin’” – Bob Dylan (1964)
- “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” – SNCC Freedom Singers (1960s)
- “Freedom Highway” – The Staple Singers (1965)
- “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” – Nina Simone (1967)
- “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” – Nina Simone (1969)
- “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” – James Brown (1968)
- “We Shall Not Be Moved” – Pete Seeger (1963)
- “Down in Mississippi” – Sweet Honey in the Rock (1980s)
- “Backlash Blues” – Nina Simone (1967)
Vietnam War Protests (1960s–1970s)
- “Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
Critique of class inequality in the draft. - “Give Peace a Chance” – John Lennon (1969)
Anti-war anthem from Lennon’s Bed-In for Peace. - “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” – Country Joe and the Fish (1965)
Satirical take on the war and military-industrial complex. - “War” – Edwin Starr (1970)
- “Peace Train” – Cat Stevens (1971)
- “What’s Going On” – Marvin Gaye (1971)
- “Eve of Destruction” – Barry McGuire (1965)
- “Draft Dodger Rag” – Phil Ochs (1965)
- “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” – Pete Seeger (1955)
- “Universal Soldier” – Buffy Sainte-Marie (1964)
- “The Unknown Soldier” – The Doors (1968)
- “Ohio” – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
- “Machine Gun” – Jimi Hendrix (1970)
- “Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” – Country Joe & the Fish (1965)
- “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” – Phil Ochs (1965)
- “Soldier’s Poem” – Muse (2006)
- “Goodnight Saigon” – Billy Joel (1982)
- “One Tin Soldier” – Coven (1971)
Feminist Movement
- “Respect” – Aretha Franklin (1967)
Empowerment anthem adopted by feminist and civil rights movements. - “You Don’t Own Me” – Lesley Gore (1963)
Early feminist declaration of autonomy. - “The Pill” – Loretta Lynn (1975)
Controversial country song about reproductive rights. - “Rebel Girl” – Bikini Kill (1993)
- “Just a Girl” – No Doubt (1995)
- “Quiet” – MILCK (2017)
- “Woman” – Kesha (2017)
- “Bad Reputation” – Joan Jett (1980)
- “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
- “Can’t Hold Us Down” – Christina Aguilera ft. Lil’ Kim (2002)
- “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” – Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin (1985)
- “She’s in Parties” – Bauhaus (1983)
- “I Am Woman” – Helen Reddy (1972)
- “No Man’s Woman” – Sinéad O’Connor (2000)
- “Woman Is the N***** of the World” – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1972)
- “The Man” – Taylor Swift (2019)
- “Run the World (Girls)” – Beyoncé (2011)
- “Man’s World” – Marina (2021)
Anti-Apartheid Movement
- “(Free) Nelson Mandela” – The Specials (1984)
Demanding release of Mandela and end to apartheid. - “Biko” – Peter Gabriel (1980)
Tribute to South African activist Steve Biko. - “Sun City” – Artists United Against Apartheid (1985)
- “Freedom” – Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar (2016)
- “Glory” – Common & John Legend (2014)
- “Hell You Talmbout” – Janelle Monáe (2015)
- “Baltimore” – Nina Simone (1978)
- “They Don’t Care About Us” – Michael Jackson (1995)
- “Black Rage” – Lauryn Hill (2014)
- “Letter to the Free” – Common (2016)
- “Be Free” – J. Cole (2014)
- “Don’t Touch My Hair” – Solange (2016)
- “Brown Skin Girl” – Beyoncé, SAINt JHN, Wizkid (2019)
- “Alright” – D’Angelo (2015)
- “The Charade” – D’Angelo & The Vanguard (2014)
- “Chains” – Usher ft. Nas & Bibi Bourelly (2015)
- “I Can’t Breathe” – H.E.R. (2020)
Environmental Activism
- “Big Yellow Taxi” – Joni Mitchell (1970)
Critique of environmental destruction and urbanization. - “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” – Marvin Gaye (1971)
Lament for environmental degradation. - “After the Gold Rush” – Neil Young (1970)
- “Earth Song” – Michael Jackson (1995)
- “Idioteque” – Radiohead (2000)
- “No More Fish, No Fishermen” – Finest Kind (1990s)
- “Don’t Go Near the Water” – Johnny Cash (1974)
- “Monkey Gone to Heaven” – Pixies (1989)
- “Collapse” – Rise Against (2008)
- “Wake Up America” – Miley Cyrus (2008)
- “The 3 R’s” – Jack Johnson (2006)
- “We Are the World” – USA for Africa (1985)
- “Big Planet, Small World” – Afro Celt Sound System (1999)
- “This Land” – Gary Clark Jr. (2019)
- “Climate Change” – Talib Kweli (2017)
- “Now or Never” – Halsey (2021)
- “One Earth” – Ben Harper (2020)
LGBTQ+ Rights
- “Born This Way” – Lady Gaga (2011)
Celebration of identity and self-acceptance. - “True Colors” – Cyndi Lauper (1986)
Embraced by LGBTQ+ communities for its message of authenticity. - “Same Love” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert (2012)
- “Closer to Fine” – Indigo Girls (1989)
- “Freedom” – George Michael (1990)
- “True Love” – Tori Amos (1996)
- “I’m Coming Out” – Diana Ross (1980)
- “Go West” – Pet Shop Boys (1993)
- “Born This Way” – Lady Gaga (2011)
- “Raise Your Glass” – P!nk (2010)
- “Girls Like Girls” – Hayley Kiyoko (2015)
- “She Keeps Me Warm” – Mary Lambert (2013)
- “We Exist” – Arcade Fire (2013)
- “Freedom! ’90” – George Michael (1990)
- “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” – Sylvester (1978)
- “Take Me to Church” – Hozier (2013)
- “Cool for the Summer” – Demi Lovato (2015)
Black Lives Matter / Police Brutality
- “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar (2015)
Became a rallying cry during BLM protests. - “This Is America” – Childish Gambino (2018)
Commentary on gun violence and racial tension. - “The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby (2020)
Response to George Floyd’s murder and systemic racism. - “FTP” – YG (2020)
- “Pig Feet” – Terrace Martin ft. Denzel Curry, Daylyt, Kamasi Washington (2020)
- “I Can’t Breathe” – H.E.R. (2020)
- “Walking in the Snow” – Run the Jewels (2020)
- “Freedom” – Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar (2016)
- “Land of the Free” – Joey Bada$$ (2017)
- “Don’t Shoot” – The Game ft. various artists (2014)
- “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted” – Ice Cube (1990)
- “The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby (2020)
- “Black Parade” – Beyoncé (2020)
- “Letter to the Free” – Common (2016)
- “Be Free” – J. Cole (2014)
- “Hell You Talmbout” – Janelle Monáe (2015)
- “Glory” – Common & John Legend (2014)
- “This Is America” – Childish Gambino (2018)
Immigration and Border Issues
- “American Land” – Bruce Springsteen (2006)
Celebrates immigrant contributions to America. - “El Hielo (ICE)” – La Santa Cecilia (2013)
Humanizes undocumented immigrants and critiques deportation policies. - “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)” – K’naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC, Residente (2016)
- “Illegal Alien” – Genesis (1983)
- “Borders” – M.I.A. (2015)
- “El Hielo (ICE)” – La Santa Cecilia (2013)
- “American Tune” – Paul Simon (1973)
- “Wavin’ Flag” – K’naan (2009)
- “Coming to America” – Neil Diamond (1981)
- “Paper Planes” – M.I.A. (2007)
- “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” – Woody Guthrie (1948)
- “La Jaula de Oro” – Los Tigres del Norte (1984)
- “Freedom” – Anthony Hamilton & Elayna
Economic Inequality / Labor Rights
- “Which Side Are You On?” – Florence Reece (1931)
Written during a coal miners’ strike in Kentucky. - “Working Class Hero” – John Lennon (1970)
Critique of class oppression. - “Take the Power Back” – Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Calls out systemic inequality and educational indoctrination.
Anti-Fascism / Political Dissent
- “Masters of War” – Bob Dylan (1963)
Condemnation of war profiteers and political hypocrisy. - “Killing in the Name” – Rage Against the Machine (1992)
Defiance against authoritarianism and police brutality.
Swing Kids
When I asked Copilot to help me compile the list above there was a glaring omission, (this is hardly an exhaustive list, so there are likely several glaring omissions). These are the songs I think of first when I think of protest music, and I carry them in my spirit at all times (as such I feel a hint of rebellion every time I watch an old Chips Ahoy commercial.
The Swing Kids soundtrack is a rich blend of vintage swing classics and emotionally charged original score, perfectly capturing the tension and defiance of youth resisting fascism in 1930s Nazi Germany. It’s not just music—it’s a sonic act of rebellion.
Here’s a breakdown of the key musical elements and tracks, with direct links to performances and scenes that bring the story to life:
🎷 Big Band Swing Classics (Resistance Through Rhythm)
These tracks represent the forbidden joy of American swing music, which the characters use to assert their identity and resist Nazi conformity.
- “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” – Benny Goodman Orchestra
Swing Kids, 1993 | The Benny Goodman Orchestra – Sing …
This explosive number is the heartbeat of the film’s dance scenes—pure swing energy and defiance. - “Sing, Sing, Sing” – Louis Prima
Louis Prima – Sing,Sing,Sing (With a Swing)
Prima’s original composition, later popularized by Goodman, is a rallying cry for freedom through music. - “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” – Janis Siegel
“Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” from “Swing Kids” movie soundtrack
A Yiddish jazz standard reimagined with lush vocals—its inclusion is a nod to Jewish cultural resistance. - “Bis Mir Bist Du Schon” – Swing Kids scene
Swing Kids – Bis Mir Bist Du Schon
This scene shows the emotional power of swing as a form of connection and protest.
🎼 Original Score by James Horner (Emotional Undercurrents)
Horner’s compositions underscore the film’s emotional stakes—loyalty, betrayal, and courage.
- “The Letter” – James Horner
02 – The Letter – James Horner – Swing Kids
A haunting piece that reflects the personal cost of resistance and the fragility of youth under oppression. - “Swing Heil” – James Horner
A chilling juxtaposition of swing rhythms with Nazi imagery, underscoring the tension between joy and authoritarianism.
🧨 Punk Echoes of Resistance (Modern Parallel)
- “Fake Teeth” – Swing Kids (band)
Swing Kids “Fake Teeth” (Official music video)
Though unrelated to the film, this post-hardcore band named after it channels similar themes of rebellion and raw emotion.
The Swing Kids soundtrack is more than nostalgic—it’s a musical manifesto. It reminds us that rhythm can be resistance, and dancing can be defiance.
What songs of protest sustain you?
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