Protest songs- genre research
Research of genre
Protest songs
Definition of protest song- a protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs or songs connected to current events. It may be folk, classic, or commercial in genre.
History of protest songs
The earliest protest songs and the tradition of using music in this way goes right back to the founding of America. Joseph Warren's call to action song, Free America, was possibly the first protest song to have been sung out by American soldiers.
Electrical music recording was beginning to develop in the 1930s and more people owned record players and radios. With this new technology, music was able to spread outside of the oral tradition- the lead to protest songs developing from the simple, easy-to-learn Civil War-era songs to more complex art.
The 1960s were a significant period for artists, with the civil rights movement defining much of what was happening in the media. Out of this time comes one of the most famous protest songs- Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come'. Living as a black man in 1960s America, Cooke was no stranger to racism and after being turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana, he felt compelled to write about the struggles of African Americans.
The acts that are within the protest genre
anti-war
anti-prejudice
climate change
gun violence
Protest songs
Definition of protest song- a protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs or songs connected to current events. It may be folk, classic, or commercial in genre.
History of protest songs
The earliest protest songs and the tradition of using music in this way goes right back to the founding of America. Joseph Warren's call to action song, Free America, was possibly the first protest song to have been sung out by American soldiers.
Early 20th century
As the American Civil War ended and America became divided by class and race, protest music evolved with the music of the early 20th century. Electrical music recording was beginning to develop in the 1930s and more people owned record players and radios. With this new technology, music was able to spread outside of the oral tradition- the lead to protest songs developing from the simple, easy-to-learn Civil War-era songs to more complex art.
The 1960s were a significant period for artists, with the civil rights movement defining much of what was happening in the media. Out of this time comes one of the most famous protest songs- Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come'. Living as a black man in 1960s America, Cooke was no stranger to racism and after being turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana, he felt compelled to write about the struggles of African Americans.
anti-war
anti-prejudice
climate change
gun violence
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