Nina Simone. Photo Credit: Gerrit de Bruin
As part of an online archival project a poll was posted to nominate artists, songs, and albums that have made considerable contributions to the historical development of protest music. Based on the results of that poll another poll was posted featuring the list of nominees. Based on the final results we now have the list of the inaugural inductees into the Protest Music Hall of Fame.
It needs to be acknowledge that Hall of Fame is a bit of a misnomer. The process isn’t about accolades, it is about chronicling socially conscious music, it is about preserving a canon. The polling and nominating is to add an interactive element and to offer a starting point. Hopefully, as the reach of this website increases we will receive a wider range of responses. Also, hopefully we can reach out to more music historians, journalist and musicians to help with the archival process.
Here is the list of the inductees. In the next few days I’ll being doing write-ups of each inductee.
Artists (Recorded/Performed Primarily Prior to 1960)
Woody Guthrie
Joe Hill
Odetta
Pete Seeger
Josh White
Artists (Recorded Primarily After 1960, First Recording No Later Than 1993)
Joan Baez
Bob Marley and The Wailers
The Clash
Bob Dylan
Gil Scott-Heron
Fela Kuti
Phil Ochs
Public Enemy
Rage Against The Machine
Nina Simone
Albums (Recorded No Later Than 1993)
Talking Union & Other Union Songs (1941) – Almanac Singers
It’s My Way (1964) – Buffy Sainte-Marie
I Ain’t Marching Anymore (1965) – Phil Ochs
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) – Public Enemy
Rage Agaisnt The Machine (1992) – Rage Agaisnt The Machine
Songs (Recorded No Later Than 1993)
Strange Fruit (1939) – Billie Holiday
This Land Is Your Land (1940) – Woody Guthrie
We Shall Overcome (1947 & 1963) – Pete Seeger and Joan Baez
A Change Is Gonna Come (1964) – Sam Cooke
Mississippi Goddam (1964) – Nina Simone
Four Women (1966) – Nina Simone
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1970) – Gil Scott-Heron
Redemption Song (1980) – Bob Marley and the Wailers
Fight The Power (1989) – Public Enemy
Killing In The Name (1992) – Rage Against The Machine