The Ongoing History of New Music, episode 1074: A brief history of protest music (part 2)
Music is not only a powerful motivating tool, but it’s also a way to get a message out to a vast number of people. And when things hit the fan, music can be used to let the powers that be know that we see what you’re doing—and we are not happy about it. We wish to protest.
Protest songs help coalesce thoughts and feelings about things like social, political, and labour injustice. They help rally people to a cause and sometimes inspire action against oppressors or those who seek to abrogate rights, keep people down, and gain power by spreading lies and propaganda.
Sometimes they call out specific people, organizations, and issues. In other cases, they’re couched in metaphors and stories. But make no mistake: this music is about “us” and “them,” and the “them” needs to be addressed.
This kind of music has never gone away and is still very much with us. Despite that, a lot of people ask, “Whatever happened to protest songs?”
Nothing. They’re right here. And they’ve always been right in front of us. Let me explain. This is a brief history of protest music, part two.
Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.
The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations.
- 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
- Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
- Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm.
- 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
- FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
- Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
- 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
- Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
- The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm
- The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10anm and 10pm
- The Goat Network/Interior BC
- Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
- WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm
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