What are some of your all-time favorite political songs that still hit hard?

[bmf]

Political Songs That Still Resonate—Across Generations

Whether you’re at a protest, reflecting on the state of the world, or just looking for songs that say something, these tracks continue to hit hard:

🇺🇸 Classic American Protest Anthems

• “Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  – Vietnam-era critique of class and war. Still hits home in discussions on who gets sent to fight.

• “The Times They Are A-Changin’” – Bob Dylan
  – Timeless anthem for civil rights and generational shifts.

• “This Land Is Your Land” – Woody Guthrie
  – Often sung in school, but the original lyrics criticize inequality and land ownership.

🎸 Rock & Alternative Rebellion

• “Killing in the Name” – Rage Against the Machine
  – Anti-authoritarian and anti-police brutality message that remains fire at rallies.

• “American Idiot” – Green Day
  – Post-9/11 political critique wrapped in punk-pop energy.

• “Zombie” – The Cranberries
  – Inspired by political conflict in Northern Ireland, but its emotion and power are universal.

🎤 Hip-Hop and Modern Protest

• “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar
  – Became an unofficial BLM anthem. Hopeful and defiant.

• “This Is America” – Childish Gambino
  – A layered and unsettling take on race, gun violence, and spectacle in America.

• “Fight the Power” – Public Enemy
  – Still one of the boldest statements in hip-hop history. Direct, loud, unapologetic.

🌎 International Voices

• “Beds Are Burning” – Midnight Oil (Australia)
  – A powerful plea for Indigenous land rights that transcends borders.

• “Get Up, Stand Up” – Bob Marley & The Wailers
  – A global anthem for resistance, human rights, and pride.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 6 days ago by  bmf.

[dae]

Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. still gives me chills. Folks think it’s patriotic, but it’s actually a gut-punch about vets and how we treat them. That kind of raw honesty in music? It never gets old.

[Michael Jai]

I keep This Is America by Childish Gambino on repeat. It’s haunting, it’s layered, and it hits on race, guns, violence—you name it. Perfect example of art that forces you to face uncomfortable truths.

[jack]

Back in the day, we marched to Dylan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. When I hear those tracks now, they still speak to what’s going on today. The more things change…