As we all take a moment to absorb the results of the U.S. election, I figured now is as good a time to list the “100 Greatest Protest Songs Ever!” according to the May 2004 issue of Mojo magazine (“White Riot” by The Clash was repeated twice). Of course this list is completely provisional. I have embedded a web link for each entry based on the link from Mojo. It either refers you to a record label where you can buy the track or a site with more information on the artist or song. I have not had the chance to verify these links so don’t complain if they don’t work. Fight the power!

100. Chaotic Discord- “Fuck Religion, Fuck Politics, Fuck the Lot of You”
99. Asian Dub Foundation- “Real Great Britain”
98. Chelsea- “Right to Work”
97. Tom Lehrer- “Pollution”
96. Fela Kuti and Afrika 70- “Zombie”
95. Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy- “Famous and Dandy (Like Amos and Andy)”
94. Sun Ra Arkestra- “Nuclear War”
93. The Pop Group- “We Are All Prostitutes”
92. The Dils- “I Hate the Rich”
91. Culturcide- “They Aren’t the World”
90. The Rolling Stones- “We Love You”
89. Merle Haggard- “Okie From Muskogee”
88. Max Roach- “Freedom Day”
87. The Deviants- “Let’s Loot the Supermarket (Again Like We Did Last Summer)”
86. Sonic Youth- “Youth Against Fascism”
85. Beastie Boys- “In a World Gone Mad”
84. Ralph McTell- “Streets of London”
83. Negativland- “Christianity is Stupid/Hitlerstupid”
82. Linton Kwesi Johnson- “Sonny’s Lettah (Anti-Sus Poem)”
81. Victor Jara- “Preguntas Por Puerto Montt”
80. The Smiths- “Meat is Murder”
79. Swamp Dogg- “God Bless America For What?”
78. Merle Travis- “Dark as a Dungeon”
77. Rage Against the Machine- “Sleep Now In the Fire”
76. Leon Rosselson- “The World Turned Upside Down”
75. Josh White- “Free & Equal Blues”
74. Discharge- “Realities of War”
73. The Mothers of Invention- “Trouble Every Day”
72. Jimmy Cliff- “Vietnam”
71. Archie Shepp- “Attica Blues”
70. The Jam- “Mr. Clean”
69. Creedence Clearwater Revival- “Fortunate Son”
68. Robert Wyatt- “Shipbuilding”
67. Parliament- “Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer”
66. Simon and Garfunkel- “7 O’Clock News/Silent Night”
65. Johnny Paycheck- “Take This Job and Shove It”
64. The Beat- “Stand Down Margaret”
63. U2- “Pride (In the Name of Love)”
62. Lesley Gore- “You Don’t Own Me”
61. Marlena Shaw- “Woman of the Ghetto”
60. The Specials- “Ghost Town”
59. Bill Withers- “I Can’t Write Left-Handed”
58. Eddie Cochran- “Summertime Blues”
57. The Almanac Singers- “Which Side Are You On?”
56. Eric Bogle- “No Man’s Land (The Green Fields of France)”
55. Steve Earle- “John Walker’s Blues”
54. MC5- “American Ruse”
53. Boogie Down Productions- “Stop the Violence”
52. The Staple Singers- “Respect Yourself”
51. Elvis Costello- “Oliver’s Army”
50. Junior Murvin- “The Police and Thieves”
49. The Ramones- “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg”
48. John Prine- “Sam Stone”
47. Public Enemy- “Fight the Power”
46. Laura Lee- “Wedlock is a Padlock”
45. The Impressions- “This is My Country”
44. Buffy Saint Marie- “Universal Soldier”
43. John Lennon- “Woman is the Nigger of the World”
42. The Clash- “White Riot”
41. Brand Nubian- “Wake Up”
40. Bruce Springsteen- “Born in the USA”
39. Artists United Against Apartheid- “Sun City”
38. Tom Robinson Band- “Glad to Be Gay”
37. Janis Ian- “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking)”
36. Frankie Goes To Hollywood- “Two Tribes”
35. The Who- “My Generation”
34. Les McCain and Eddie Harris- “Compared to What”
33. Buffalo Springfield- “For What It’s Worth”
32. Peter Gabriel- “Biko”
31. Sly and the Family Stone- “Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey”
30. The Clash- “White Riot” (Repeat)
29. The Last Poets- “Wake Up Niggers”
28. Johnny Cash- “San Quentin”
27. Curtis Mayfield- “We Got to Have Peace”
26. Billy Bragg- “There Is Power In a Union”
25. Country Joe and the Fish- “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag”
24. Serge Gainsbourg- “Aux Armes et Caetera”
23. Nina Simone- “Young, Gifted and Black ”
22. Dead Kennedy- “Nazi Punks, Fuck Off”
21. Gil Scott-Heron- “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
20. Edwin Starr- “War”
19. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young- “Ohio”
18. Aretha Franklin- “Respect”
17. The Beatles- “Revolution/Revolution #1”
16. Woody Guthrie- “This Land is Your Land ”
15. Stevie Wonder- “Living For the City”
14. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five- “The Message”
13. Phil Ochs- “I Ain’t Marching Anymore”
12. Special Aka- “Nelson Mandela”
11. Band Aid- “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
10. N.W.A.- “Fuck Tha Police”
09. Marvin Gaye- “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
08. The Wailers- “Get Up, Stand Up”
07. Sam Cooke- “A Change Is Gonna Come ”
06. John Lennon- “Give Peace a Chance”
05. Billie Holiday- “Strange Fruit ”
04. Sex Pistols- “God Save the Queen”
03. James Brown- “Say It Loud- I’m Black and I’m Proud”
02. Pete Seeger: “We Shall Overcome”
01. BobDylan- “Masters of War”

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