Political Music-do you listen to it?

musicismylife78

I used to listen almost exclusively to political music, if it didnt have a political overtone I wouldnt give it a hearing.

I think of myself as knowledgeable about the political song history in america, and especially in terms of vietnam and music that reflected the public's turning against the war effort.

Whats interesting, is how few overtly political albums have been released as a result of the war in iraq, a war the american public disagree with in numbers greater than those who disagreed with vietnam.

Yes there are bands who are out there spreading the good word, propaghandi, against me, pearl jam of course, street sweeper social club, the coup, uncle bruce and neil etc... but by and large, as a rabid music fan, you dont have massive amounts of bands releasing antiwar and political albums.

Maybe thats because the war was vehemently opposed by so many prior to it even starting, that musicians didnt feel like that they had to write about something most people already felt. That said its still something I cant wrap my head around.

A war that is more unpopular than vietnam, hasnt inspired much protest at all, and hasnt inspired many political albums.

The albums that it has produced arent really "lets get these bums out of office and stop the war machine". Its oddly more "war is bad and these folks are crooks, but what can we do?". Seems very generationally reflective

While our parents participated in sit-ins and firebombed campuses in protest of vietnam, we seem to feel race isnt an issue and that war is bad... but we dont do anything about it

Stu42

I would say the major difference is that there is no draft for this war. The iraq war may be more unpopular statistically, but I would say vietnam was more vehemently opposed by the youth (and by extension, the music scene) because those people were being forced to fight in the war.
that said there's still plenty of political music out there, although my minds blanking this late at night