Did You See Rolling Stone's List Of '100 Best Protest Songs Of All Time'?

On January 27, Rolling Stone put out a list of what they deemed the "100 Best Protest Songs Of All Time." Because I have curated “The Protest Music Project” for over a decade (now on Substack), the list naturally caught my attention.

I put together a video on Rolling Stone’s selections and discussed what was included and what didn’t make their list.

A decent range of musical genres are represented on the list. I was familiar with around two-thirds of the songs.

Gil Scott-Heron is featured twice, which pleased me, but the list only features Nina Simone once. There are no songs from Curtis Mayfield.

Rolling Stone included only one song from Rage Against the Machine. That is probably fair. Still, it stunned me. Bob Dylan had the most songs with three included in the list.

Is The Coup’s best protest song really “Ride The Fence”? I was glad to see The Coup included on the list, but I quibbled with this selection.

And U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” but not “Bullet the Blue Sky”? That’s blasphemous.

Here’s the full list from the Rolling Stone:

100. Bonzo Goes to Washington - “Five Minutes (B-B-B Bombing Mix)” [1984]

99. Xenia Rubinos - “Mexican Chef” [2016]

98. Heaven 17 - “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” [1981]

97. Midnight Oil - “Beds Are Burning” [1987]

96. McKinley Dixon - “Run, Run, Run” [2023]

95. The Byrds - “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” [1969]

94. Molotov - “Gimme tha Power” [1997]

93. Team Dresch - “I’m Illegal” [1996]

92. Ani DiFranco - “Fuel” [1998]

91. Bright Eyes - “When the President Talks To God” [2005]

90. Barry McGuire - “Eve of Destruction” [1965]

89. Crass - “Do They Owe Us a Living?” [1978]

88. Natalia Lafourcade, Carla Morrison, Julieta Venegas, Alan Ortiz, Pambo, Madame Récamier, and Manuel Torreblanca - “Un Derecho de Nacimiento” [2012]

87. The Stop the Violence Movement, “Self-Destruction” [1989]

86. System of a Down - “B.Y.O.B.” [2005]

85. Fugazi - “Merchandise” [1990]

84. Dead Prez - “‘They’ Schools” [2000]

83. Tracy Chapman - “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution” [1988]

82. Thomas Mapfumo and the Acid Band - “Hokoyo!” [1978]

81. Iron Maiden - “Run to the Hills” [1982]

80. Johnny Cash - “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” [1964]

79. Isley Brothers - “Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)” [1975]

78. The Coup - “Ride the Fence” [2001]

77. Charly Garcia - “Dinosaurios” [1983]

76. Against Me! - “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” [2014]

75. Artists United Against Apartheid - “Sun City” [1985]

74. The O’Jays - “Ship Ahoy” [1973]

73. Helen Reddy - “I Am Woman” [1971]

72. The Linda Lindas - “Racist, Sexist Boy” [2021]

71. Killer Mike - “Reagan” [2012]

70. Los Tigres Del Norte - “Tres Veces Mojado” [1988]

69. Billy Bragg - “There Is Power In A Union” [1986]

68. Janelle Monáe feat. Wondaland Records - “Hell You Talmbout” [2015]

67. Mecca Normal - “I Walk Alone” [1986]

66. Junior Murvin - “Police and Thieves” [1977]

65. Kris Kristofferson - “They Killed Him” [1986]

64. Gil Scott-Heron - “Whitey On The Moon” [1970]

63. The Special AKA - “Free Nelson Mandela” [1984]

62. YG feat. Nipsey Hussle - “FDT” [2016]

61. Emel Mathlouthi - “Kelmti Horra” [2012]

60. Carl Bean - “I Was Born This Way” [1977]

59. Tupac feat. Talent - “Changes” [1998]

58. Country Joe and the Fish - “The Fish Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” [1967]

57. Nena - “99 Luftballons”

56. The Clash - “The Guns of Brixton” [1979]

55. Loretta Lynn - “The Pill” [1975]

54. Peter Tosh - “Legalize It” [1976]

53. Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar - “Freedom” [2016]

52. Victor Jara - “Manifiesto” [1974]

51. Dead Kennedys - “Nazi Punks Fuck Off” [1981]

50. Phil Ochs - “Love Me, I’m A Liberal” [1966]

49. Peter Gabriel - “Biko” [1980]

48. Black Sabbath - “War Pigs” [1970]

47. KRS-One - “Sound Of Da Police” [1993]

46. Fela Kuti - “Zombie” [1976]

45. Bronski Beat - “Smalltown Boy” [1984]

44. The Equals - “Police On My Back” [1967]

43. The Temptations - “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)” [1970]

42. Woody Guthrie - “All You Fascists Bound To Lose” [1944]

41. Syl Johnson - “Is It Because I’m Black” [1969]

40. Merry Clayton - “Southern Man” [1971]

39. Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky, Yotuel Romero - ‘Patria y Vida’ [2021]

38. Buffalo Springfield - “For What It’s Worth” [1967]

37. H.E.R. - “I Can’t Breathe” [2020]

36. MDC - “Born To Die” [1982]

35. The Wailers - “Get Up, Stand Up” [1973]

34. Lil Baby - “The Bigger Picture” [2020]

33. Joni Mitchell - “Big Yellow Taxi” [1970]

32. Tom Robinson Band - “(Sing If You’re) Glad To Be Gay” [1978]

31. Stevie Wonder - “You Haven’t Done Nothin” [1974]

30. U2 - “Sunday Bloody Sunday” [1983]

29. Bikini Kill - “Feels Blind” [1992]

28. Bruce Springsteen - “41 Shots (American Skin)” [2001]

27. Sex Pistols - “God Save the Queen” [1977]

26. Bob Dylan - “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” [1964]

25. Green Day - “American Idiot” [2004]

24. Edwin Starr - “War” [1970]

23. X-Ray Spex - “Oh Bondage Up Yours!” [1977]

22. Kendrick Lamar - “Alright” [2015]

21. Rage Against the Machine - “Killing In The Name” [1992]

20. Phil Ochs - “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” [1965]

19. Plastic Ono Band - “Give Peace A Chance” [1969]

18. The Honey Drippers - “Impeach The President” [1973]

17. Bob Dylan - “Blowin’ In the Wind” [1963]

16. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - “The Message” [1982]

15. Marvin Gaye - “What’s Going On” [1971]

14. Gil Scott-Heron - “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” [1971]

13. Creedence Clearwater Revival - “Fortunate Son” [1969]

12. Bob Marley - “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry” [1974]

11. Woody Guthrie - “This Land Is Your Land” [1945]

10. N.W.A. - “Fuck Tha Police

9. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - “Ohio” [1970]

8. Pete Seeger - “We Shall Overcome” [1948]

7. Nina Simone - “Mississippi Goddam” [1964]

6. Bob Dylan - “Masters Of War” [1963]

5. James Brown - “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” [1968]

4. Aretha Franklin - “Respect” [1967]

3. Billie Holiday - “Strange Fruit” [1939]

2. Public Enemy - “Fight the Power” [1989]

1. Sam Cooke - “A Change Is Gonna Come” [1964]