Billie Holiday – The Ongoing History of Protest Music

Protest Music Hall of Fame: Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday

August 7, 1930 photograph of the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, helped inspire Abel Meeropol to compose "Strange Fruit". Photo Credit: Lawrence Beitler "Southern trees bear strange fruitBlood on the leaves…

CJ Baker March 14, 2025

2018: The Year In Protest Music 2019: The Year In Protest Music 80 Years of Protest Songs

Protest Music: Then And Now Playlists

The Song Sommelier, a website dedicated to the curating of playlists recently published both a now and then playlist of protest music. Along with the two playlists is an informative…

CJ Baker September 29, 2019

Protest Music Hall of Fame

Protest Music Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees

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…

CJ Baker December 4, 2018

80 Years of Protest Songs Songs Lists

80 Years of Protest Songs Part 1: 1939-1958

80 Years of Protest Songs Part 2: 1959-1978 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 3: 1979-1998 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 4: 1999-2018 Music is the ultimate time capsule.…

CJ Baker September 18, 2018

Songs Lists

10 Civil Rights Protest Songs of the 20th Century

Music has long been a powerful medium to protest the social injustices faced by humankind. For example, many of the anthems of the civil rights movement of the 50s and…

CJ Baker January 30, 2018