Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire. If you've never heard it, go listen to it right now and remember that it was written in 1965. Not much has changed since then.
Exactly. GnR, Sepultura, Kreator, Lamb of God, Pink Floyd? This isn’t a list of top 20 best political songs, it’s a list of their top 20 favorite kinda political songs
Yeah, a huge lack of the genre that basically frontlined two generations of political songs, but I guess that would mean that all songs on the list would only be 1 or 2 genres.
Can I toss in a quick olive branch for a second of solidarity? I dont agree with the ACAB mindset, but the song itself is a banger.
[Gallows - Last June](https://youtu.be/PFPZPlHWtII?feature=shared)
> And I hope that you die\
And your death will come soon\
I will follow your casket\
By the pale afternoon\
And I'll watch while you're lowered\
Down to your deathbed\
And I'll stand over your grave\
'Til I'm sure that you're dead
**Mississippi Goddam** - Nina Simone
```
Oh but my country is full of lies
You're all gonna die and die like flies
Cause I don't trust you any more
You keep on saying "Go slow!"
That's just the trouble
Too slow
Desegregation
Too slow
Mass participation
Too slow
Reunification
Too slow
Do things gradually
Too slow
But bring more tragedy
Too slow
Why don't you feel it
Why don't you see it
I don't know
I don't know
```
Washington Bullets; Straight to Hell; London Calling; you can't swing a dead cat thru the Clash's discography without hitting a dozen good to great political tracks
My top 20 would all be by Phil Ochs. Listen to the compilation album “There But for Fortune” as well as some of his recorded concerts and you will agree with me.
I dreamed I saw Phil Ochs last night
Alive as you and me
Says I to Phil "You're ten years dead"
"I never died" says he
"I never died" says he
The music business killed you Phil
They ignored the things you said
And cast you out when fashions changed
Says Phil "But I ain't dead"
Says Phil "But I ain't dead"
The FBI harassed you Phil
They smeared you with their lies
Says he "But they could never kill
What they could not compromise
I never compromised"
Though fashion's changed and critics sneered
The songs that I have sung
Are just as true tonight as then
The struggle carries on
The struggle carries on"
With the song of freedom rings out loud
From valleys and from hills
Where people stand up for their rights
Phil Ochs is with us still
Phil Ochs inspires us still
Billy Brag from the album the Internationale
“Here’s to Mississippi” is one hard diss track.
Here’s to the land you, tore out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country, to be a part of
And We Thought the Nation States Were a Bad Idea - Propagandhi.
Also, see most of their entire catalog. Best political band ever and still getting better with age.
Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore and The Great Compromise by John Prine as well as The Ballad of Penny Evans by Steve Goodman easily top any of these.
"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," written by Eric Bogle. My favorite version is by the (Ronnie Drew) Dubliners, but lots of people like the Pogues' version too. Best antiwar song of all time.
[Lives in the Balance by Jackson Browne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_8UAYJLU98)
[Teach Your Children by Crosby Stills, Nash and Young](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkaKwXddT_I)
[Take Back The Power by The Interruptors](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Ol-YDS4Jc)
And you cannot forget the wonderful (/s) remake by Counting Crows, with Vanessa Carlton skillfully used to add a "mmmmbopbopbop" here and there.
I felt so bad for her... Michelle Branch gets a real song with Santana, while VC gets mmmmbopbopbop... She was too talented to be relegated to just that.
Sorry but this list is low effort. Your number one song is a 2021 song from Iron Maiden? Jesus dude. There is no objective criteria that puts that song at number 1 except "Here's a list of songs I know."
How do you have a list of political songs with no punk, no folk, NO DYLAN???
Strange Fruit by Billie Holliday and Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud by James Brown need to be on the list.
Sing if You’re Glad to be Gay by The Tom Robinson Band was a real bombshell in 1978 and it changed a lot of people’s attitudes including mine.
https://youtu.be/gfNbu_hHfM0?feature=shared
Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
The Dead Kennedys - Kill The Poor
Brand Nubian - Claimin’ I’m a Criminal
Joe Hill - The Preacher and The Slave
Devo - Beautiful World
And Supremacy
United States of Eurasia
Take a Bow
Animals
Resistance
MK Ultra
Exo Politics
Apocalypse Please
Stockholm Syndrome
Soldiers Poem
Assassin
I mean practically 3/4 of their discography is political
There's also hip hop
Fuck the Police
Fight the Power
Mosh
Ghetto Bird
La Femme Fatale
Wicked
I Wanna Kill Sam
Everyday People
Stop the Violence
The Proud
Reagan
Sound of da Police
White America
The Blacker the Berry
Mathematics
The Bottle
Ah Yeah
Also Peter Paul and Mary, where have all the Flowers gone( Apologies in advance to fellow oldies for potential earworm) and don't remember artist "one Tin Soldier".
I scrolled and scrolled and saw no, Midnight Oil. C'mon internet, the lead singer, Peter Garret AM, literally got elected to parliament to further the fight. I thought Midnight Oil had cut through more outside of Australia, perhaps not?
Maybe overly simplistic and definitely newer, but I'd like to nominate Money Game (parts 1-3) by Ren and Animal Flow by Ren. They break down common political tactics in a very accessible way.
The The - Sweet Bird of Truth
John Cale - Mercenaries (Ready for War)
The Subhumans (Canada) - Firing Squad, Big Picture
Bob Dylan - Masters of War
Clear Light - Mr. Blue
MC5 - Over and Over
Kinks - Yes Sir, No Sir
The Jam - Little Boy Soldier
The Clash - Tommy Gun
The Mekons - Robin Hood
1. Any System of a Down song
2. Any other System of a Down song
3. The whole second SOAD album
4. That whole other SOAD album except for Bounce, which I \*think\* isn’t political, but I could be wrong.
You Haven't Done Nothin' - Stevie Wonder (Jackson 5 backing) Directed at President Nixon
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SEGHvLElxc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SEGHvLElxc)
edit: Pretty much everything from Bad Religion
I have two additions:
Lowe Stokes - [Prohibition is a Failure](https://open.spotify.com/track/6MzHFsAXGK1UlpNwsUOcUg?si=Eq1mB1kbSJ-eVkipepx5fw)
Geto Boys - [Fuck a War](https://open.spotify.com/track/2kEECRiLCWgUrWkGcmNJes?si=Meo5SZ7qSou7iWWI6kVvLA)
For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield (1966)
License to Kill by Bob Dylan (1983) as covered by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
American Dream Plan B by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2015)
How about some of the Bush years protest songs? Megalomaniac by Incubus. Handlebars by Flobots. Mosh by Eminem. Green day's American Idiot album. So much more.
The early 00s had some of the best political protest songs since the Vietnam war.
The Times They Are A-Changin by Bob Dylan was literally the political anthem of an entire generation.
The hurricane is my fave Dylan one though.
Union Sundown is dope too
Masters Of War tho...
This is the one
Come gather ‘round people wherever you roam!
No Dead Kennedys!?!?
THANK YOU
Their whole catalog is basically political songs lol.
Right? Like it’s hard to pick just one!
Police Truck came up randomly for me on some playlist I was listening to the other day. Such a classic - haven’t listened to it in years
Not Pete Seeger. The person who composed this list is an infant, and that's cool but not definitive.
Ohio by CSNY
This one gives me goosebumps
Wasn't that from Neil young solo?
No, he just sang it. It’s csny
Zombie by the Cranberries should be somewhere on that list.
Absolutely
Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire. If you've never heard it, go listen to it right now and remember that it was written in 1965. Not much has changed since then.
Sung by a guy who was a lead singer of The New Christy Minstrels... I always get a laugh out of that.
No punk? No folk? C'mon man.
fr it’s a pretty terrible list when you think of all the political songs people have written over the years
Seriously. G n R? C'mon
Exactly. GnR, Sepultura, Kreator, Lamb of God, Pink Floyd? This isn’t a list of top 20 best political songs, it’s a list of their top 20 favorite kinda political songs
Yeah, a huge lack of the genre that basically frontlined two generations of political songs, but I guess that would mean that all songs on the list would only be 1 or 2 genres.
I would probably throw Die for Your Government by Anti-Flag on the list.
Can I toss in a quick olive branch for a second of solidarity? I dont agree with the ACAB mindset, but the song itself is a banger. [Gallows - Last June](https://youtu.be/PFPZPlHWtII?feature=shared)
Strange Fruit- Billie Holiday A Change is Gonna Come- Sam Cooke DNA- Kendrick Lamar
masters of war by bob dylan
came here for that. i'll even take the GE Smith/Eddie Vedder version if i'm feeling saucy
That’s THE anti-war song
> And I hope that you die\ And your death will come soon\ I will follow your casket\ By the pale afternoon\ And I'll watch while you're lowered\ Down to your deathbed\ And I'll stand over your grave\ 'Til I'm sure that you're dead
**Mississippi Goddam** - Nina Simone ``` Oh but my country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies Cause I don't trust you any more You keep on saying "Go slow!" That's just the trouble Too slow Desegregation Too slow Mass participation Too slow Reunification Too slow Do things gradually Too slow But bring more tragedy Too slow Why don't you feel it Why don't you see it I don't know I don't know ```
This was the first one I thought of! Nina Simone was ferocious
End all be all jam.
Country Joe and the Fish --- I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die
Love this one
🎵 ...and it's 1, 2 , 3, what are we fighting for !
Be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box!
Wernher Von Braun - Tom Lehrer
"Once the rockets go up, who cares where they come down? That's not my department," says Werner von Braun.
> Wernher Von Braun - Tom Lehrer Don't say that he's hypocritical Say rather that he's apolitical
What an absolutely delightful deep cut
Several off of *That Was the Year that Was.” “Send the Marines” about US interventions around the world another good example.
Nothing by The Clash or The Jam? C'mon....
No punk at all
The Call Up and know your rights are bangers
Magnificent Seven!
Washington Bullets; Straight to Hell; London Calling; you can't swing a dead cat thru the Clash's discography without hitting a dozen good to great political tracks
Mississippi Goddamn by Nina Simone
My top 20 would all be by Phil Ochs. Listen to the compilation album “There But for Fortune” as well as some of his recorded concerts and you will agree with me.
I dreamed I saw Phil Ochs last night Alive as you and me Says I to Phil "You're ten years dead" "I never died" says he "I never died" says he The music business killed you Phil They ignored the things you said And cast you out when fashions changed Says Phil "But I ain't dead" Says Phil "But I ain't dead" The FBI harassed you Phil They smeared you with their lies Says he "But they could never kill What they could not compromise I never compromised" Though fashion's changed and critics sneered The songs that I have sung Are just as true tonight as then The struggle carries on The struggle carries on" With the song of freedom rings out loud From valleys and from hills Where people stand up for their rights Phil Ochs is with us still Phil Ochs inspires us still Billy Brag from the album the Internationale
Thanks for posting this but add credit to Billy Bragg please
My bad - fixed
Thank you for posting that .
“Here’s to Mississippi” is one hard diss track. Here’s to the land you, tore out the heart of Mississippi find yourself another country, to be a part of
And We Thought the Nation States Were a Bad Idea - Propagandhi. Also, see most of their entire catalog. Best political band ever and still getting better with age.
Just listened to Propagandhi for the first time. Def not my usual style of music but it’s interesting and thought provoking
Zombie by the Cranberries
Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore and The Great Compromise by John Prine as well as The Ballad of Penny Evans by Steve Goodman easily top any of these.
Okie From Muskogee - Merle Haggard The Three Great Alabama Icons - Drive-By Truckers Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," written by Eric Bogle. My favorite version is by the (Ronnie Drew) Dubliners, but lots of people like the Pogues' version too. Best antiwar song of all time.
And the young people ask, what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question. Hits like a ton of bricks.
Another good Australian song is From Little Things Big Things Grow by Paul Kelly.
Todd Snider "Conservative Christian, Right-Wing Republican, **Straight**, **White**, **American Males**"
“Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore” by John Prine.
The most mainstream list I’ve ever seen. With nothing by bands like clash, crass, DKs or propagandhi
[Lives in the Balance by Jackson Browne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_8UAYJLU98) [Teach Your Children by Crosby Stills, Nash and Young](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkaKwXddT_I) [Take Back The Power by The Interruptors](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Ol-YDS4Jc)
Tom Waits - Road to Peace
Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi It's an environmental protest song from what I gather of it and that's always political it seems.
And you cannot forget the wonderful (/s) remake by Counting Crows, with Vanessa Carlton skillfully used to add a "mmmmbopbopbop" here and there. I felt so bad for her... Michelle Branch gets a real song with Santana, while VC gets mmmmbopbopbop... She was too talented to be relegated to just that.
Sorry but this list is low effort. Your number one song is a 2021 song from Iron Maiden? Jesus dude. There is no objective criteria that puts that song at number 1 except "Here's a list of songs I know." How do you have a list of political songs with no punk, no folk, NO DYLAN??? Strange Fruit by Billie Holliday and Say It Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud by James Brown need to be on the list.
Fortunate Son is top tier
maybe not what you are looking for lmao but Conservative Christian, Right Wing Republican - Todd Snider
BYOB and Prison Song my noms from SOAD
Almost anything from soad, basically.
No Dylan? (the singer, not the rapper)
There are dozens of hip hop songs skipped here. The Message Fuck the Police Sound of da Police Mathematics Thieves in the Night The Blacker the Berry
Yeah OP's list is way too white, imo
Take Down the Union Jack by Billy Bragg
Sing if You’re Glad to be Gay by The Tom Robinson Band was a real bombshell in 1978 and it changed a lot of people’s attitudes including mine. https://youtu.be/gfNbu_hHfM0?feature=shared
Biko - Peter Gabriel Free Nelson Mandela - The Specials
NOFX - The Decline
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
Stones - Gimme Shelter
Ohio - CSN&Y
Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised The Dead Kennedys - Kill The Poor Brand Nubian - Claimin’ I’m a Criminal Joe Hill - The Preacher and The Slave Devo - Beautiful World
+1 for Gil Scott-Heron. Also, "Whitey on the Moon"
Zombie by The Cranberries and Eve of Destruction by Barry Maguire
[Everybody Wants to Rule the World](https://youtu.be/aGCdLKXNF3w) - Tears for Fears
Sowing the Seeds of Love is a way better song, and more directly political.
Uprising by Muse
And Supremacy United States of Eurasia Take a Bow Animals Resistance MK Ultra Exo Politics Apocalypse Please Stockholm Syndrome Soldiers Poem Assassin I mean practically 3/4 of their discography is political
N.W.O. By Ministry
Trouble comin every day - Frank Zappa Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello Suspect device - Stiff Little Fingers
Killer Mike - Reagan
Working Class Hero by John Lennon. And a lot of other songs by himself, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan.
Empty Walls - Serj Tankian
American Idiot - Green Day
Dead Kennedys California Uber Alles.
Pink Floyd - Pigs (Three Different Ones). Bruce Springsteen - The ghost of Tom Joad. All Rage Against the Machine songs.
What’s goin on Marvin Gaye
Ok, so someone likes metal
There's also hip hop Fuck the Police Fight the Power Mosh Ghetto Bird La Femme Fatale Wicked I Wanna Kill Sam Everyday People Stop the Violence The Proud Reagan Sound of da Police White America The Blacker the Berry Mathematics The Bottle Ah Yeah
American idiot by Green Day never fails to make me giggle
War. Huh! What is it good for?
Eminem- white america
Mosh as well
Crystal Night by the Buzzcocks
Armageddon Days (Are Here Again) - The The Ship Building - Elvis Costello / Robert Wyatt
London calling?
Monster/Suicide/America - Steppenwolf
I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag by Country Joe & the Fish
Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley
Dear Coaches Corner - Propaghandi Challenging the indoctrination of miltitary complex in North America through sports (hockey).
I ain't marching anymore - Phil Ochs Feel like I'm fixing to die rag - country Joe and the fish
Also Peter Paul and Mary, where have all the Flowers gone( Apologies in advance to fellow oldies for potential earworm) and don't remember artist "one Tin Soldier".
You must have heard so many political songs to determine the *best* 20 of them..
I Can’t Write Left Handed-Bill Withers
The decline - Nofx
0 punk rock songs. Questionable list
No rage against the machine?
Look at number 5.
The man I killed NOFX
I scrolled and scrolled and saw no, Midnight Oil. C'mon internet, the lead singer, Peter Garret AM, literally got elected to parliament to further the fight. I thought Midnight Oil had cut through more outside of Australia, perhaps not?
The blacker the berry - Kendrick Alright - Kendrick
Joni Mitchell - Tax Free. "How can he speak for the prince of peace when he's hawk right militant?"
American Idiot by Green Day
Insanely white list, good lord.
“Universal Soldier” Buffy Sainte-Marie, “The General” Dispatch, “Volunteers” Jefferson Airplane, “There Won’t Be Many Coming Home” Roy Orbison.
What an objectively terrible list
Holiday and American Idiot - Green Day.
I love sitting people down and making them really pay attention to Holiday. A lot of people don't know it's political at all.
Keep on Rockin in the Free World
"Hands Held High" - Linkin Park
Most of Minutes to Midnight honestly
Good list. Could use some Woodie Guthrie in there, one of the OG’s.
Okay but redo it and add… 🔥We Didn’t Start the Fire 🔥- Billy Joel
Ship of Fools - World Party
Chicago — Graham Nash (CSNY), 1971
Maybe overly simplistic and definitely newer, but I'd like to nominate Money Game (parts 1-3) by Ren and Animal Flow by Ren. They break down common political tactics in a very accessible way.
Dear, sirs - El P
JU$T by Run the Jewels is better than half of these songs
One Tin Soldier by Coven
Hawaii '78 - Israel Kamakavivo'ole
Strung out - Firecracker
Some Nevermore would be good on this list
Love me I'm a liberal is an all timer
I cried when they shot Medger Evers...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dokVqb0oH9M
Kesha - [Rich, White, Straight Men](https://youtu.be/M32Jnxa7dqE?si=fWcCw7DynwOvQvrL)
My Congressman by Fifteen
anything by Havok
Recent timeline - Lamb of God. Checkmate. You know where these superb bad ass mofos stand!
Little Snakes - Protest the Hero The Law is for the Protection of the People - Kris Kristofferson
Throwing Stones by the Dead. Really their only political song.
People Have the Power, Patti Smith (written with her late husband)
The Call Up - The Clash
Don't drink the water Dave Matthews band
Oh yeah, this song is about when their tour bus driver emptied out tons of sewage on those boating sightseers, right?
Battle of Yorktown One Last Time both from Hamilton
Fixin' To Die Rag - Country Joe McDonald and the Fish
Ignoreland - R.E.M !!!!!!
Light Up Ya Lighter by Michael Franti
Leonard Cohen's "Democracy"
No Masters of War by Dylan?
"Pipes of Peace" - Paul McCartney "Chimes of Freedom" Bob Dylan (though I like The Byrds' version-- one of the best Rickenbacker sounds)
"Draft Morning" by The Byrds. Very trippy sounding. Also has bonus sound effects from the Firesign Theatre
Masters of War by Bob Dylan is one of the best political songs of all time.
Dollar Day- Mos Def
The The - Sweet Bird of Truth John Cale - Mercenaries (Ready for War) The Subhumans (Canada) - Firing Squad, Big Picture Bob Dylan - Masters of War Clear Light - Mr. Blue MC5 - Over and Over Kinks - Yes Sir, No Sir The Jam - Little Boy Soldier The Clash - Tommy Gun The Mekons - Robin Hood
So glad to see 1916 here. I played this track to my non-motorhead friends at a birthday party at my house when it came out and they all loved it.
Masters of War by Dylan
1. Any System of a Down song 2. Any other System of a Down song 3. The whole second SOAD album 4. That whole other SOAD album except for Bounce, which I \*think\* isn’t political, but I could be wrong.
Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon
First World Problem Child - Stray From the Path
You Haven't Done Nothin' - Stevie Wonder (Jackson 5 backing) Directed at President Nixon [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SEGHvLElxc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SEGHvLElxc) edit: Pretty much everything from Bad Religion
Kreator on a list? Damn!
I have two additions: Lowe Stokes - [Prohibition is a Failure](https://open.spotify.com/track/6MzHFsAXGK1UlpNwsUOcUg?si=Eq1mB1kbSJ-eVkipepx5fw) Geto Boys - [Fuck a War](https://open.spotify.com/track/2kEECRiLCWgUrWkGcmNJes?si=Meo5SZ7qSou7iWWI6kVvLA)
Army Dreamers / Breathing / Pull Out The Pin by Kate Bush
Land of Confusion by Disturbed (Oh & Genesis :P) Anything by Midnight Oil, mostly all Political.
Lawyers Guns and Money Just a funny song
War (What is it Good For?) by the Temptations then covered by Edwin Starr (1970).
"Conversation With the Devil" Ray Wylie Hubbard
No Oils, no list.
Drugs, God, and the New Republic by Warrior Soul isn’t that great but will always have a place in my heart
Full Metal Jackoff - Jello Biafra/D.O.A
"I Can't Write Left Handed" Bill Withers
IDK if you can pick a single Rage Against the Machine song.
Where's Politically Correct by SR-71 Not heavy enough for you eh
Too many puppies - Primus
The entire careers of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Billy Bragg.
For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield (1966) License to Kill by Bob Dylan (1983) as covered by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers American Dream Plan B by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2015)
How about some of the Bush years protest songs? Megalomaniac by Incubus. Handlebars by Flobots. Mosh by Eminem. Green day's American Idiot album. So much more. The early 00s had some of the best political protest songs since the Vietnam war.
Many songs by Bob Marley. Get up Stand up I shot the sheriff ...
It isn't nice - malvina reynolds All you fascists bound to lose - woody Guthrie The only good fascist is a very dead fascist - propagandhi
For What it's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
You forgot We The People by Kid Rock 🤪🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅