Bill Moyers’ interview with musician Tom Morello inspired us to compile a list of favorite protest songs. We then asked you to suggest your favorite songs, and you responded enthusiastically both on BillMoyers.com and on our Facebook page. Below, see your list — nearly 175 songs!
We also put these songs on a Spotify playlist that you can download and stream. [Warning to parents and teachers: Some songs contain profanity.]
Check out the full list in text below the playlist.
Moyers & Company Viewers’ Favorite Protest Songs
Arise, Amebix
The Economy Is Suffering … Let it Die, Anti-Flag
Respect, Aretha Franklin
Alice’s Restaurant Massacree, Arlo Guthrie
Let Them Eat War, Bad Religion
Better Way, Ben Harper
I Can’t Write Left-Handed, Bill Withers
Strange Fruit, Billie Holiday
I Keep Faith, Billy Bragg
To Have and Have Not, Billy Bragg
Between the Wars, Billy Bragg
War Pigs, Black Sabbath
Masters of War, Bob Dylan
A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall, Bob Dylan
Blowing in the Wind, Bob Dylan
Master of War, Bob Dylan
Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol, Bob Dylan
Workingman Blues #2, Bob Dylan
Maggie’s Farm, Bob Dylan
God’s on Our Side, Bob Dylan
Small Axe, Bob Marley
Burnin’ and Lootin’, Bob Marley
So Much Trouble in the World, Bob Marley
2+2, Bob Seger System*
Simple Song of Freedom, Bobby Darin
Brave Bombadier, Boiled In Lead
Call It Democracy, Bruce Cockburn
If I Had a Rocket Launcher, Bruce Cockburn
Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen
Cities Need Help, Buddy Guy
For What It’s Worth, Buffalo Springfield
Universal Soldier, Buffy St. Marie
Now That the Buffalo are Gone, Buffy St. Marie
El Hormiguero, Calle 13
Fabels of Faubus, Charles Mingus
Hatian Fight Song, Charles Mingus
The Cheer, Country Joe and the Fish
I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag, Country Joe and the Fish
People Get Ready, Curtis Mayfield
Keep on Pushing, Curtis Mayfield
Move on Up, Curtis Mayfield
This Is My Country, Curtis Mayfield
We Gotta Have Peace, Cutris Mayfield
General Strike, D.O.A.
You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive, Darrell Scott
Stars and Stripes of Corruption, Dead Kennedys
Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
Resist and Survive, Discharge
Hard Times, Don Edwards
The Gauntlet, Dropkick Murphys
The Strangest Dream, Ed McCurdy
War, Edwin Starr
One Day More, Elanie Purky**
Man of God, Eliza Gilkyson
White America, Eminem
Far From Home, Five Finger Death Punch
Winter in America, Gil Scott-Heron
Whitey on the Moon, Gil Scott-Heron
Chicago, Graham Nash
The Message, Grandmaster Flash
American Woman, Guess Who
Wake Up Everybody, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes
I Am Woman, Helen Reddy
Hay Una Mujer Desparecida, Holly Near
Megalomaniac, Incubus
Let It Be Me, Indigo Girls
Wasteland of the Free, Iris Dement
Living in the Wasteland of the Free, Iris Dement
For America, Jackson Browne
Soldier of Plenty, Jackson Browne
Lives in the Balance, Jackson Browne
I Am a Patriot, Jackson Browne
We Can’t Make It Here Anymore, James McMurty
Volunteers of America, Jefferson Airplane**
The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff
Joe Hill, Joan Baez
Birmingham Sunday, Joan Baez
Pie in the Sky, Joe Hill**
Déjà Vu All Over Again, John Fogerty
Working Class Hero, John Lennon**
Luck of the Irish, John Lennon**
Gimme Some Truth, John Lennon
Imagine, John Lennon
Our Country, John Mellencamp
Sam Stone, John Prine**
Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore, John Prine
The Fiddle and the Drum, Joni Mitchell
Marat Sade, Judy Collins
Bourgouis Blues, Leadbelly
If I Had a Hammer, Lee Hays
Palaces of Gold, Leon Rosselson
The World Turned Upside Down, Leon Rosselson
Democracy, Leonard Cohen
We Are the Many, Makana
What Have They Done to the Rain, Malvina Reynolds
Isn’t It Nice, Malvina Reynolds
What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye
Innercity Blues, Marvin Gaye
Mercy Mercy Me, Marvin Gaye
In a World Called Catastrophe, Matthew Good
Driva Man, Max Roach
Garvey’s Ghost, Max Roach
American Ruse, MC5
Solo Le Pido a Dios, Mercedes Sosa
Hey World, Don’t Give Up, Michael Franti
Bring on the Change, Midnight Oil
Make Love F War, Moby and Public Enemy**
Uprising, Muse
Inconvenient Time, Nanci Griffith
Rockin’ in the Free World, Neil Young
I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free, Nina Simone
Mississippi Goddam, Nina Simone
Eve of Destruction, P.F. Sloan/Barry McGuire
People Have the Power, Patti Smith
Ballad for Americans, Paul Robson
El Salvadore, Paul Stookey
Bring Them Home, Pete Seeger
L’Internationale, Pete Seeger**
Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, Pete Seeger
Hammer Song, Pete Seeger
The Big Muddy, Pete Seeger
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, Pete Seeger
Bring Them Home, Pete Seeger
Banks of Marble, Pete Seeger
Bells of Rhymney, Pete Seeger
Biko, Peter Gabriel
No Easy Walk to Freedom, Peter Paul and Mary
Downpressor Man, Peter Tosh
Equal Rights and Justice, Peter Tosh
Great Mandala, Peter Yarrow
We Ain’t Marching Anymore, Phil Ochs
When I’m Gone, Phil Ochs
Cops of the World, Phil Ochs
The Dogs of War, Pink Floyd**
Shut ‘Em Down, Public Enemy
Fight the Power, Public Enemy
Whatcha Gonna Do About Me, Quicksilver Messenger Service
Killing in the Name, Rage Against the Machine
Bullet in the Head, Rage Against the Machine
Handsome Johnny, Richie Havens
Freedom, Richie Havens**
The Powers That Be, Roger Waters
Street Fighting Man, Rolling Stones
Big Money, Rush
No Banker Left Behind, Ry Cooder
Stand!, Sly & The Family Stone
Yell Fire, Spearhead
Monster, Steppenwolf
Suicide, Steppenwolf
Rich Man’s War, Steve Earle
He’s Misstra Know it All, Stevie Wonder
Alternative Ulster, Stiff Little Fingers
Blackbird, The Beatles
Revolution, The Beatles
The Patriot Game, The Clancy Brothers
Know Your Rights, The Clash
White Riot, The Clash
Washington Bullets, The Clash
Five to One, The Doors
Going Underground, The Jam
Running on the Spot, The Jam
People Got to Be Free, The Rascals
Ball of Confusion, The Temptations
Won’t Get Fooled Again, The Who
Something in the Air, Thunderclap Newman
Whose Garden Was This, Tom Paxton
Which Side Are You On?, Tom Paxton
Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution, Tracy Chapman
Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2
Close it Down, Wolfstone
Plane Wreck at Los Gatos, Woodie Guthrie
** Not available on Spotify list.
