Who says you can’t fight the power and dance at the same time? The next ninety minutes I am serving up revolution, resistance, and a whole lot of groove!
| Title | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Revolution | The Beatles | Revolution by The Beatles, written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, addresses the radical protest movements of the time, with a clear message of wanting change, but without endorsing violence. |
| Seven Nation Army | The White Stripes | Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, written by Jack White who as a kid misheard “Salvation Army” as “Seven Nation Army”, became with its iconic bass-like guitar riff a stadium anthem worldwide. According to White, the song is about gossip. |
| Indian reservation | Raiders | Indian Reservation by Paul Revere & the Raiders, written by John D. Loudermilk, highlight the plight of Native Americans, specifically the Cherokee, in the face of displacement and oppression. |
| Buffalo Soldier | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley & The Wailers, written by Bob Marley and Noel “King Sporty” Williams, was released posthumously in 1983, reflects on the historical African-American soldiers who fought in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars. |
| Blackbird | The Beatles | Blackbird by The Beatles, was written by Paul McCartney in response to the civil rights movement in the United States. |
| For What It’s Worth | Buffalo Springfield | For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, written by Stephen Stills, became an anthem for the 1960s counterculture. Originally written about the Sunset Strip curfew riots, the song’s message of social unrest and protest resonated with the broader movements of the decade. |
| Almost Cut My Hair | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Almost Cut My Hair by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, written by David Crosby, describes a real-life dilemma faced by many hippies: whether to cut one’s hair to a more practical length, or leave it long as a symbol of rebellion. With long hair and a walrus moustache, Crosby was clearly part of the counterculture movement. Cutting his hair would represent an assimilation, giving in. This song deals with when he considered it. |
| Standing In The Way Of Control | Gossip | Standing In The Way Of Control by Gossip, written by Beth Ditto, Brace Paine and Hannah Blilie, became an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community and anyone feeling oppressed. |
| Grace Kelly | Mika | Grace Kelly by Mika, was written in response to pressures from music industry executives to change his style. The melody is based on Gioachino Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville aria “Largo al Factotum”. Mika was born in Beirut, Lebanon and is London-based. |
| We Will Rock You | Queen | We Will Rock You by Queen, written by Brian May, is a stadium anthem recorded in an old, disused church in North London with no echo on it whatsoever. The lyrics may have reference to Sex Pistols’ bassist Sid Vicious, called Simon Ferocious by Freddy Mercury. |
| Black Or White | Michael Jackson | Black Or White by ‘The King of Pop’ Michael Jackson, written by Michael Jackson and producer Bill Bottrell, is a plea for racial tolerance. It is a powerful anthem against racial discrimination. |
| Me Myself And I | De La Soul | Me Myself And I by De La Soul, written by David Jolicoeur, Vincent Mason, Kelvin Mercer, Paul Huston, George Clinton and Garry Shider, samples Funkadelic’s “Not Just (Knee Deep)”. |
| Jerk Out | Morris Day And The Time | Jerk Out by Morris Day And The Time was written by Prince, who initially recorded it and reworked it twice in 1985 and 1989 before it became a major hit for Morris Day and The Time. |
| Wisemen | James Blunt | Wisemen by James Blunt, was written by James Blunt, Jimmy Hogarth and Sacha Skarbek, dealing with themes of wisdom, love, and loss. |
| The Riddle | Nik Kershaw | The Riddle written and performed by Nik Kershaw, is known for its enigmatic lyrics, which Kershaw later admitted were nonsensical placeholders. |
| Karma | Lady | Karma by the duo Lady (Terri Walker and Nicole Wray) is about the consequences of one’s actions, delivered with powerful, soulful vocals. |
| Balance ton quoi | Angèle | Balance ton quoi by Belgian singer-songwriter Angèle (born Angèle Van Laeken), references the #MeToo movement and became a feminist anthem in the French-speaking world. |
| Each And Everyone | Everything But The Girl | Each And Everyone by Everything But The Girl, written by Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, are a response to the patronizing tone used by many male writers when covering Tracey Thorn’s earlier all-female band Marine Girls in the British music press. |
| It’s a Sin | Pet Shop Boys | It’s a Sin by Pet Shop Boys was inspired by Neil Tennant’s experiences in Catholic school. The song’s dramatic production and themes of guilt and religion made it one of the Pet Shop Boys’ biggest hits. |
| Seal My Fate | Belly | Seal My Fate by Belly, written by lead vocal Tanya Donnelly who describes it as her “first successful joyous love song”. |
| A Real Mother for Ya | Johnny “Guitar” Watson | A Real Mother for Ya is written and performed by Johnny “Guitar” Watson who probably only got away with the title because in 1977 most music pundits didn’t realize that “mother” was half a word. |
| Un ptit coup de motherfuck | KAMINI | Un ptit coup de motherfuck written and performed by French artist KAMINI (born Kamini Zantoko) is a humorous rap song mixing sharp social commentary with playful language. Kamini’s father, Seyolo Zantoko, and his family moved from Zaire to Marly-Gomont, France in 1975. They had difficulty assimilating as the first Black people in town. |
| Jaded (Acoustic Version) | Gustaph | The stripped-down arrangement of Jaded (Acoustic Version) written and performed by Belgian artist Gustaph (born Stef Caers) highlights the song’s emotional depth. He chose his stage name based on his father’s godfather’s name, Gustav. |
| Love & Hate | Michael Kiwanuka | Love & Hate by Michael Kiwanuka was written and composed by Michael Kiwanuka, Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) and Dean Josiah Cover and is a powerful exploration of personal and social struggles. The song “Cold Little Heart” is also known for being the opening theme of the HBO television series Big Little Lies. |
| Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) | John Lennon, Yoko Ono & The Plastic Ono Band | Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon, Yoko Ono & The Plastic Ono Band was one of the first solo singles written by John Lennon after The Beatles. The song’s urgent recording process (completed in a single day) and its message of immediate cosmic justice made it one of Lennon’s most memorable solo hits. The song was produced by Phil Spector and conceived, written, recorded, and released within a period of ten days, making it one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history. |
Sources
The information sources of the song facts include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, songfacts.com, discogs.com, secondhandsongs.com, YouTube and artists’ related websites.
