2023 Protest Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Crass, from the artist’s Bandcamp The final results are in and we now have the list of inductees for the 2023 Protest Music Hall of Fame. Admittedly Hall of Fame is a misnomer. Instead of awarding accolades, it is an online archival project focusing on building increased awareness for socially conscious music. Eventually, I plan on doing writeups for all inductees, […]

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100 Best Protest Albums of the 1990s

Much of the music of the 90s may be associated more with personal angst that political dissension, but it was still a rich decade for socially conscious music. The decade could be considered the golden age of afro-centric hip-hop music. Movements such as riot grrrl and queercore were also important in amplifying women and LGBTQ+ voices. There was a diverse […]

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Protest Music Hall of Fame: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron

“You will not be able to stay home, brotherYou will not be able to plug in, turn on and drop outYou will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skipSkip out for beer during commercialsBecause the revolution will not be televised” This proto-rap classic was influential in the development of socially conscious hip-hop.  Jazz poet Scott-Heron originally recorded […]

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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 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 […]

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80 Years of Protest Songs Part 2: 1959-1978

80 Years of Protest Songs Part 1: 1939-1958 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 3: 1979-1998 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 4: 1999-2018 The 1960s ushered in what is often considered the golden age of protest tunes. Civil rights and the Vietnam War were hot button topics. Many of these issues spilled over into the 70s. Along with folk […]

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