Top 20 Best Protest Songs of All Time

Armed with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica, Bob Dylan formulated the questions in 1962 that would define the civil rights and anti-war movements forever. The poetic simplicity and timeless metaphors make Blowin' in the Wind the original protest song of modern times.

Recorded during Lennon's famous Bed-In for Peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, this song became the global anthem of the peace movement. The hypnotic chant, handclaps and universal slogan gave millions of protesters a shared voice against the Vietnam War.

Written from the perspective of a returning Vietnam veteran confronted with racial tension and police violence at home. Marvin Gaye's velvety, concerned vocals over lush strings and a relaxed soul groove hide razor-sharp social criticism.

Made at the request of director Spike Lee for Do the Right Thing, Fight the Power is a sonic sledgehammer against institutional racism. The Bomb Squad built a swirling wall of sound full of samples and screeching saxophones, over which Chuck D fires his razor-sharp call to resistance.

Inspired by Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind and his own experiences of racial segregation, Sam Cooke wrote this monumental soul anthem. The dramatic orchestra and Cooke's unmatched, emotional vocals made it the hymn of the civil rights movement.

Released in the wake of the Rodney King beating and the Los Angeles riots, RATM delivered an explosion of pure rage against police brutality and racism. Tom Morello's ripping guitar riffs and Zack de la Rocha's defiant, repeated refusal remain an unmatched beacon of rebellion.

Written by Dolores O'Riordan after an IRA bombing in Warrington in which two children were killed. The heavy grunge guitars, pounding drums and O'Riordan's anguished, yodeling vocal bursts capture the despair and vicious circle of violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Inspired by the poverty and political violence Marley saw in Haiti, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh wrote this blazing call for self-determination and resistance. The tight reggae groove and unmistakable message to stand up for your rights make it a worldwide human rights anthem.

With the unforgettable opening cry 'War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!', Edwin Starr delivered the most direct anti-war anthem ever. Norman Whitfield's pumping Motown production, dominated by heavy drums and fierce horns, breathes pure adrenaline and outrage.

Opened by Larry Mullen Jr.'s tight military drum roll and The Edge's piercing guitar chords, Bono sings about the 1972 massacre in Derry. The song refuses to take sides with armed factions and instead calls for peace and universal mourning for innocent victims.

Often mistaken for a nationalist party song, Born in the U.S.A. is in reality a bitter indictment of how disadvantaged Vietnam veterans were treated. The monumental synth riff and Max Weinberg's thundering drums hide a harrowing story of hopelessness.

With just congas, a subtle bassline and his masterful spoken-word poetry, Gil Scott-Heron warned that real change can't be consumed through the TV screen. His razor-sharp satire of consumerism and media apathy laid the foundation for political hip-hop.

Written by Stephen Stills after the Sunset Strip unrest in Los Angeles, the song captures the tense atmosphere of the late '60s with its subtle guitar harmonics and restrained tension. 'Stop, children, what's that sound' became the soundtrack of an awakening youth culture.

Written in a fit of anger after the National Guard shot four students dead at Kent State University in 1970. Neil Young's ripping guitar riffs and the raw harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young made Ohio one of the most direct journalistic rock indictments ever.

The Australian rock band led by Peter Garrett demanded the return of land to the Pintupi Aboriginal people with Beds Are Burning. The pumping rock beat, piercing horns and Garrett's energetic vocals turned this local struggle into a worldwide hit.

With four simple acoustic chords and her warm, soulful voice, Tracy Chapman paints the approaching uprising of the impoverished underclass. The quiet hope and belief in economic justice give the song remarkable moral force.

Co-produced by Pharrell Williams, Alright became the unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kendrick Lamar's virtuoso flow over a jazzy, syncopated beat pairs the harsh reality of police violence with an indestructible hope of survival and resilience.

In 1969, John Fogerty denounced the class inequality around the US military draft, from which the children of the wealthy elite escaped. The furious Southern rock riff and Fogerty's gravelly vocals breathe pure working-class anger.

Composed by Abel Meeropol, Strange Fruit is considered one of the first great protest songs in American history. Billie Holiday's haunting, sparse delivery about the lynching of Black Americans in the South has a chilling, hushed beauty that still shocks deeply.

With lyrics by Lennaert Nijgh, Boudewijn de Groot wrote the most important Dutch protest song ever. Addressed to American president Lyndon B. Johnson, it condemns the atrocities of the Vietnam War, wrapped in a deceptively sweet acoustic melody.