Protest songs will probably always be a thing as long as injustice exists in the world. The following protest songs, released way back in the 1960s, still have that revolutionary sound that people can identify. And most of them are also, sadly, still relevant in today’s world, more than half a century later. Let’s take a look at some classic protest songs from the 1960s.
“A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke (1964)
“It’s been too hard livin’ / But I’m afraid to die / ‘Cause I don’t know what’s up there / Beyond the sky.”
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This soulful classic from Sam Cooke was one of the most well-known R&B protest songs of its era, particularly when it came to the Civil Rights Movement. That movement still rages on, despite so many decades that have passed from the 1960s to today. Cooke was inspired to pen this tune after being turned away from a Whites Only motel located in Louisiana. Despite the fact that “A Change Is Gonna Come” was a small hit compared to Cooke’s previous releases, the tune remains one of the most well-known protest songs of its time.
“For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield (1966)
“There’s battle lines being drawn / Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong / Young people speaking their minds / Getting so much resistance from behind.”
This well-known classic from Buffalo Springfield is six decades old, but its message is still relevant in today’s world. The “battle lines” referenced in this tune are still very much present today. This song was about the political divide of the 1960s. But, somehow, the above-mentioned line is way more relevant in the 2020s.
“For What It’s Worth” resonated with audiences in a big way back in 1966. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
“Yeah, some folks inherit star-spangled eyes / Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord / And when you ask ’em, ‘How much should we give?’ / Ooh, they only answer, ‘More, more, more, more.’”
Though this entry on our list of protest songs dropped at the tail end of the 1960s, it remains one of the most poignant songs about the Vietnam War. John Fogerty penned this tune as a criticism of the draft during the Vietnam War. He points a finger directly at the wealthy and affluent who were able to avoid the draft by virtue of nepotism and money alone. “Fortunate Son” remains one of CCR’s most famous songs of their career.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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