Back in the 1950s and 60s, New York’s Greenwich Village played a role in establishing the counterculture with its vibrant scene of anti-establishment beat poetry and folk music. That renegade spirit is still very much alive among a new generation of New York base protest singers and poets. This is the premise of a new documentary by acclaimed documentarian Karen […]
Learn more →“Don’t waste time mourning, organize!” Joe Hill was born Joel Hägglund in Sweden, before immigrating to America in 1902. He changed his name to Joseph Hillstrom, which was shortened to Joe Hill. He joined the Industrial Workers of the World, commonly referred to as the Wobblies. The Wobblies strived to organize the workers ignored by mainstream unions, such as the […]
Learn more →“We shall live in peaceWe shall live in peaceWe shall live in peace, some day Oh, […]
Learn more →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 […]
Learn more →I previously posted a list of the 30 best protest albums of 2018. The following list of songs won’t be as detailed. Also it won’t be a strict list of the tunes I feel were the best. It is more of an index of some the best 2018 protest songs that I featured as a Daily Dose of Protest. Below […]
Learn more →The current political climate has become a fertile breeding ground for protest music. Even artists that are generally not known for their politics are writing music that is becoming more socially conscious. The times we live in makes it increasingly difficult to remain apolitical. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that 2018 has already produced, a plethora […]
Learn more →On March 2, 2018, folk music icon and activist Joan Baez released her first album in ten years, Whistle Down The Wind. She also announced that it will be her last album and the tour in connection with the album would be her farewell tour. Baez skillfully interprets tunes penned by such artists as Tom Waits, Josh Ritter, Anohni, Mary […]
Learn more →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 60s found their roots in the “negro spirituals” of the 1800s and early 1900s. Right now we will consider a list of 10 civil right protest songs recorded during the […]
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