Essential Politically Charged Music
The 4th of July is here, which means an endless supply of vomit-inducing patriotic music is upon us. Although my own political and social bias is clearly shown through that statement, I don’t care.
No matter what your feelings on the 4th of July might be, my own consensus feels that any holiday dedicated to cheeseburgers and explosions in the sky is a bit of a useless holiday.
Regardless of this, being a fan of politically charged and anti-authoritarian music has crafted me into who I am today. Without discussing the subject too much, here is a quick list of essential politically charged bands.
1. Rage Against the Machine
When someone discusses anti-authoritarian in the music industry, Rage Against the Machine is one of the first groups most people reconcile. Evil Empire is my favorite record of theirs, partially because it’s title is a play-on-words against Ronald Reagan’s statement about the Soviet Union from the 1980s.
2. System of a Down
Similar to Rage, System of a Down is a historic band on the landscape of politically charged music. Toxicity is an incredibly unique listen and serves a great representation of what System of a Down offers.
3. Public Enemy
Arguably one of the greatest rap groups in history, Public Enemy is a staple for anti-establishment and anti-control-oriented music. Definitely a must-listen.
4. Dead Kennedys
Using satirical lyrics to represent the hypocrisy in authoritarians and having one of the best names in Punk history, everything by the Dead Kennedys is worth checking out.
5. Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a fantastic punk group that prides itself on anti-establishment, anti-religion, and all-around socially conscious motivated records.
6. Pink Floyd
Although Pink Floyd isn’t as known for their contributions as a politically charged band, they should be. Lyrically, Pink Floyd is filled with anti-war, anti-classism, and countless other similar motifs throughout their records. Their 1977 release, Animals, is my favorite record of theirs. The record paints classism and greed through a simple representation of dogs, sheep, and pigs.
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I’m 24 from Buffalo, NY, and graduated from SUNY Buffalo State in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. I play guitar in SPACED and Funeral Coat.
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