In the 70's you had the likes of Bob Dylan, 80's with U2, 90's with maybe Public Enemy. But lately there does not seem to be any artists out with popular protest music. Is what I am seeing real? If so, what has happened?
Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
1–10 of 34 posts
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#2Phones happened.
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#3You getting old, so you only get to know mainstream artists, and indies cannot get popular because of how the internet centralizes things, and avoids making indies have real world experiences together and gain traction.
Hacktivist is one, but there a lot more on https://www.ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com/2025/06/08/30-b...
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#4The long tail says we're not at the mercy of radio; we're still allowed to listen to the ones you know. I went to a certain CSNY song the other day and the comment section was full of people from 2026.
Here are two classics I like, plus a bonus track:
"Coat of Many Colors" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYAdKXzGtcY
"This Land" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRnHx3yVuf4
"Stop and Bust a Move": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYNSSkOOTBk
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#5I'm with you. Who is today's Rage Against The Machine?
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#6You getting old, so you only get to know mainstream artists, and indies cannot get popular because of how the internet centralizes things, and avoids making indies have real world experiences together and gain traction. Hacktivist is one, but there a lot more on https://www.ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com/2025/06/08/30-b...
> indies cannot get popular because of how the internet centralizes things
Are you joking? Some mainstream artists got their start on YouTube. Many indie artists perform there and have followings, and that is just one potential site to share your work. Sure, to become a household name you gotta grow from there and it is a tough road, but the ability to put out your music is crazy stronger today than in days of yore. I think you have an overly high bar set for what it means to "get popular"
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#7Controversial opinion - old pre-internet protests were mostly authentic and pursuing something good (whatever that meant in every case).
Today - they are mostly designed, sponsored and organized and about hating/suppressing the enemy side, virtue signaling, not achieving good and genuine self expression.
And those rare that are authentic (like current Iran revolution) are carefully and deliberately muted.
Such intentions can’t produce any great art for obvious reasons.
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#8It's not popular in your bubble. Protest-music still exists, it sometimes even gains some attention, but they can't compete with all the big professional feelgood-products and the social-slop. And I assume, the platforms have now more political filters, making it even harder to spread. Political content seems to have significantly dried up on certain platforms, since the orange king reigns.
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#9Apparently Ice-T did a recent performance where he changed the lyrics to "Cop Killer" to say "ICE Killer". It's something I guess.
https://atlantablackstar.com/2026/01/10/this-shts-been-too-l...
Re: Ask HN: Where is all the protest music?
#10The mainstream pop music scene is largely (but not entirely) devoid of authenticity, and you need authenticity to make protest music. Mostly what gets made is optimized for commercialization rather than actual communication.
To a degree, this has always been true. Even in the days when protest music got mainstream attention, most of the music wasn't of that sort. I do think it's much worse now, though.
However, there is a lot more protest music being made than you may think. You just have to look past the big names and -- even better -- go see small artists performing live.