given three chords and they’ll give you
the truth welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’re counting down our picks for
the top ten protest songs this list we
chosen songs that argue against the
status quo ask for change in social
political or other spheres and/or are
associated with particular events
periods movements etc
for ten we shall overcome Pete Seeger
although the song had been kicking
around in some form since while no one
really knows we shall overcome has
become synonymous with Pete Seeger a
whole wide world around
the banjo slinging folk legend certainly
had a hand in shaping the song as we
know it used as a musical form of
protest during the civil rights movement
the anthem features simple but honest
lyrics that made it a ready battle cry
for any group facing adversity
plus it continues to be recorded in
support of a number of causes today
come burn on Sunday Bloody Sunday
YouTube
despite being drenched in u2’s signature
echo pop sound Sunday Bloody Sunday is
actually the band’s response to the
British Army’s armed attack of Northern
Irish civil rights protesters in 1972
also known as the Bogside massacre the
incident resulted in over a dozen deaths
thanks to its clanging guitars and
military-inspired beat it’s become one
of the group’s signature songs
but it’s the respect and authority with
which you to tackles the subject matter
that really makes it stand out
number eight the police NWA Holies
coming straight from the underground
young with this gangster rap track NWA
went straight out of Compton and
straight into controversy that’s sick
aside the one for the win a badge and a
gun defeat by presenting a clear street
view look at racially motivated police
brutality the police got the rapper’s
noticed by the FBI yo dragon assay the
government agencies attention to lyrics
that appear to support violence towards
cops actually helped fuel the bands cred
and popularity police the red said it
with authority because on the street is
a majority a gang meanwhile the song has
become a classic protest song and the
weight behind a title phrase has become
a recurring theme into pop music go with
the gun and if I’m rolling up the egg
get me the ones that I take out and then
get away while I’m driving off laughing
this is what I’ll say
number seven Ohio Crosby Stills Nash and
young
on May 4th 1970 the Ohio National Guard
fired on several peacefully protesting
Kent State University students
after we saw photos of the shootings
that left 4 dead in Ohio Neil Young
wrote the lyrics to this protest song
David Crosby Stephen Stills and Graham
Nash then joined him in the studio to
record the rocker
there’s some AM radio stations banned
the single for its unflattering name
dropping of President Nixon Ohio still
reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 20
following its release
number six killing in the name Rage
Against the Machine
never approved to shy away from tough
issues rage quickly established
themselves as a politically minded act
with their debut singles those that work
forces are the same that burn crosses
the rap metal band turned killing in the
name into a musical attack on police
brutality institutional racism and the
Ku Klux Klan through its snorting
bassline Tom Morello’s unorthodox guitar
parts
and f-bombs lots and lots of f-bombs
despite its explicit lyrics the track
has become their signature tune and has
been covered by multiple artists number
fog fight the power
public while the Beastie Boys were
fighting for their right to party Chuck
D Flavor Flav and the rest of the Public
Enemy crew were fighting for their right
to do pretty much everything else used
with aggression defiance and rebellion
the lyrics of fight the power are
steeped with samples of african-american
culture and shots at the American
establishment
number one
along with playing and Spike Lee’s do
the right thing the song has since
become an anthem for urban
underprivileged
young adults for get up stand up the
Wailers struck by the devastating
poverty found in Haiti Bob Marley teamed
up with Peter Tosh to write this
three-minute number was sick and tired
of the history schism history in the
early 70s many Haitians fled the country
in the hopes of freeing themselves from
these conditions some people some time
but you can fool all the people all the
time and now you see the light what you
gonna do stand up for your right with
its solid reggae groove and powerful
lyrics get up stand up urge those who
remained to fight for their rights
thanks to its powerful message it
quickly became a concert staple for
Marley and the Wailers
and was the last song the Rastafarian
performed live before his death in 1981
number three the times they are
a-changin Bob Dylan gather people we’re
a year old and admit that the waters
around your head groans written when
America was on the cusp of great social
change and just prior to JFK’s
assassination this is Bob Dylan’s call
for open mindedness and a warning to the
old guard from Senators Congressmen
please heed the call don’t stand in the
way don’t block up the ha the coming
generations quickly adopted it as an
anthem of change due to its timeless
lyrics the battle left side region will
sing check your windows and rattle your
holes for the time
the changing times they are a-changin
also reached the UK top ten and cemented
Dylan’s place in folk music and as a
protest singer and the first one now
will later be last for the times they
are a-changin
number two what’s going on Marvin Gaye
in the first track and single from
what’s going on Marvin Gaye questions
the world and times around her
the initial spark for the psalm was an
act of police brutality witnessed by
co-writer Obie Benson during an anti-war
protest
after de added his own touches the track
was released without Motown boss Berry
Gordy’s consent as he hated the track
lucky for us all what’s going on
taught the Soul charts and became
Motown’s fastest selling single to that
point
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions
stop children what’s that sound about it
looks good down why are we fighting for
don’t ask me I don’t give a damn my next
stop is
a long time coming but I know change No
number one give peace a chance a plastic
ono band paving the way for imagine
imagine this John Lennon Penn track
provides the sentiment that Lennon is
best remembered for
simply adopted as the anti-vietnam war
song give peace a chance was conceived
and recorded during the X Beatles
Montreal beddin with wife Yoko Ono and
later sung by 500,000 people at the
moratorium march on Washington while it
reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 and
the UK charts top 5 it’s a songs hopeful
tune that has given it its enduring
legacy and rock and roll you agree with
our list what’s your favorite protest
song for more rebellious top 10s
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com
the truth welcome to watchmojo.com and
today we’re counting down our picks for
the top ten protest songs this list we
chosen songs that argue against the
status quo ask for change in social
political or other spheres and/or are
associated with particular events
periods movements etc
for ten we shall overcome Pete Seeger
although the song had been kicking
around in some form since while no one
really knows we shall overcome has
become synonymous with Pete Seeger a
whole wide world around
the banjo slinging folk legend certainly
had a hand in shaping the song as we
know it used as a musical form of
protest during the civil rights movement
the anthem features simple but honest
lyrics that made it a ready battle cry
for any group facing adversity
plus it continues to be recorded in
support of a number of causes today
come burn on Sunday Bloody Sunday
YouTube
despite being drenched in u2’s signature
echo pop sound Sunday Bloody Sunday is
actually the band’s response to the
British Army’s armed attack of Northern
Irish civil rights protesters in 1972
also known as the Bogside massacre the
incident resulted in over a dozen deaths
thanks to its clanging guitars and
military-inspired beat it’s become one
of the group’s signature songs
but it’s the respect and authority with
which you to tackles the subject matter
that really makes it stand out
number eight the police NWA Holies
coming straight from the underground
young with this gangster rap track NWA
went straight out of Compton and
straight into controversy that’s sick
aside the one for the win a badge and a
gun defeat by presenting a clear street
view look at racially motivated police
brutality the police got the rapper’s
noticed by the FBI yo dragon assay the
government agencies attention to lyrics
that appear to support violence towards
cops actually helped fuel the bands cred
and popularity police the red said it
with authority because on the street is
a majority a gang meanwhile the song has
become a classic protest song and the
weight behind a title phrase has become
a recurring theme into pop music go with
the gun and if I’m rolling up the egg
get me the ones that I take out and then
get away while I’m driving off laughing
this is what I’ll say
number seven Ohio Crosby Stills Nash and
young
on May 4th 1970 the Ohio National Guard
fired on several peacefully protesting
Kent State University students
after we saw photos of the shootings
that left 4 dead in Ohio Neil Young
wrote the lyrics to this protest song
David Crosby Stephen Stills and Graham
Nash then joined him in the studio to
record the rocker
there’s some AM radio stations banned
the single for its unflattering name
dropping of President Nixon Ohio still
reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 20
following its release
number six killing in the name Rage
Against the Machine
never approved to shy away from tough
issues rage quickly established
themselves as a politically minded act
with their debut singles those that work
forces are the same that burn crosses
the rap metal band turned killing in the
name into a musical attack on police
brutality institutional racism and the
Ku Klux Klan through its snorting
bassline Tom Morello’s unorthodox guitar
parts
and f-bombs lots and lots of f-bombs
despite its explicit lyrics the track
has become their signature tune and has
been covered by multiple artists number
fog fight the power
public while the Beastie Boys were
fighting for their right to party Chuck
D Flavor Flav and the rest of the Public
Enemy crew were fighting for their right
to do pretty much everything else used
with aggression defiance and rebellion
the lyrics of fight the power are
steeped with samples of african-american
culture and shots at the American
establishment
number one
along with playing and Spike Lee’s do
the right thing the song has since
become an anthem for urban
underprivileged
young adults for get up stand up the
Wailers struck by the devastating
poverty found in Haiti Bob Marley teamed
up with Peter Tosh to write this
three-minute number was sick and tired
of the history schism history in the
early 70s many Haitians fled the country
in the hopes of freeing themselves from
these conditions some people some time
but you can fool all the people all the
time and now you see the light what you
gonna do stand up for your right with
its solid reggae groove and powerful
lyrics get up stand up urge those who
remained to fight for their rights
thanks to its powerful message it
quickly became a concert staple for
Marley and the Wailers
and was the last song the Rastafarian
performed live before his death in 1981
number three the times they are
a-changin Bob Dylan gather people we’re
a year old and admit that the waters
around your head groans written when
America was on the cusp of great social
change and just prior to JFK’s
assassination this is Bob Dylan’s call
for open mindedness and a warning to the
old guard from Senators Congressmen
please heed the call don’t stand in the
way don’t block up the ha the coming
generations quickly adopted it as an
anthem of change due to its timeless
lyrics the battle left side region will
sing check your windows and rattle your
holes for the time
the changing times they are a-changin
also reached the UK top ten and cemented
Dylan’s place in folk music and as a
protest singer and the first one now
will later be last for the times they
are a-changin
number two what’s going on Marvin Gaye
in the first track and single from
what’s going on Marvin Gaye questions
the world and times around her
the initial spark for the psalm was an
act of police brutality witnessed by
co-writer Obie Benson during an anti-war
protest
after de added his own touches the track
was released without Motown boss Berry
Gordy’s consent as he hated the track
lucky for us all what’s going on
taught the Soul charts and became
Motown’s fastest selling single to that
point
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions
stop children what’s that sound about it
looks good down why are we fighting for
don’t ask me I don’t give a damn my next
stop is
a long time coming but I know change No
number one give peace a chance a plastic
ono band paving the way for imagine
imagine this John Lennon Penn track
provides the sentiment that Lennon is
best remembered for
simply adopted as the anti-vietnam war
song give peace a chance was conceived
and recorded during the X Beatles
Montreal beddin with wife Yoko Ono and
later sung by 500,000 people at the
moratorium march on Washington while it
reached the Billboard Hot 100 top 20 and
the UK charts top 5 it’s a songs hopeful
tune that has given it its enduring
legacy and rock and roll you agree with
our list what’s your favorite protest
song for more rebellious top 10s
published every day be sure to subscribe
to watchmojo.com
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