I feel like there are lots of parallels between the eighties and now (recession/inflation, yuppies/inequality, skin-heads/fascists, hot-cold wars etc.) but there used to be protest music! Where is that stuff now? Music that’s intelligent and outraged - like we should be!
I’m out of touch now, so if it exists, educate me! Or have the protest songs been removed from tiktok by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (UK specific, but suppression of protest seems to be everywhere)? (I’ve linked to the Levellers - maybe it really was better back in the day?)
edit: Maybe not the right audience, but if the song is old enough to vote then I might already know it! What’s happening now? Any songs from the last 10 years!
edit: Thanks for everyone’s insights. I’ve spent the day discovering music that I’d never have found otherwise. Really enjoying a load of these, but thanks to everyone! It seems like protest music is confined to certain genres/places, and lots of older songs - maybe they just last longer… which is maybe a little interesting.
Billy talent are great for political, fuck the government/ big corporations type songs. Not protest songs so much. But it feels pretty on theme. Their messages are great.
Surprise surprise and viking death march are two of my personal favourites songs by them.
That album is absolutely killer and I’ve loved BN since I heard Try Honesty many moons ago.
That said … They have been singing about how young people need to fight the system while having one of the most clean, corporate images I can think of for bands in their category.
Watching a 40 year old man dance around an arena in VANs and Atticus hoodies while telling contemporary youth that their generation is a “fucking joke” is peak cringe to me.
Still love the music though. Wish he’d do more heartbreak songs, they’re his forte.
I hate to break it to you but Billy Talent formed in 1993! ;)