Protest song

A protest song is a song of protest that is part of a movement to change society. Many protest songs have lyrics that directly call for change, while others use humor, irony, or the ballad form to make their point.

Protest songs can come from just about any type of music. In the 1960s in the United States, many folk musicians such as Phil Ochs, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan made protest songs. Some of these songs were against fighting of the United States in the Vietnam War.

Protest Song Media

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  Bob Dylan songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements in the 1960s.

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  Billie Holiday’s haunting rendition of "Strange Fruit" powerfully protested violence, making it a "rhetorical" protest song of political and social systems of her time.

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  Mona Borzouei co-wrote "Woman's Anthem," a key protest song during the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, highlighting women's struggles in Iran.

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  Jews singing Hebrew protest songs when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University in 2007

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  Mireille Mathieu is known for her song "Une femme amoureuse", reflecting themes of freedom and emotion.

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  Klaus Nomi's collaborator and influential figure in the punk and protest scene.

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  Sinead O'Connor is known for her political songs, including "The Foggy Dew", reflecting Irish rebel music themes.

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  Bulat Okudzhava leading figure in Russian protest music.

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  Maria del Mar Bonet is known for her song "Què volen aquesta gent?", an anthem of resistance against Franco's dictatorship.

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  Maggie Holland, known for "A Place Called England".