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Bob Dylan -

Bob Dylan was anything but apolitical. His songs like ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ were anthems in both the anti-war and Civil Rights movements.

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M.I.A. -

M.I.A. has frequently discussed politics in her music. She has spoken about Sri Lankan affairs, as well as WikiLeaks and open borders.

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Billie Holiday - You won’t find a more chilling song than ‘Strange Fruit,’ a poem protesting the lynching of African Americans during the 20th century.

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Stormzy - The London rapper has voiced his support for the Labour party, and criticized then-Prime Minister Theresa May at the Brit Awards.

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U2 - Bono fronts this legendary rock band, who have written political songs like ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday.’ Bono made sure to perform the song at Live Aid.

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Taylor Swift - Swift made headlines with a political Instagram post. In 2018, she told her 112 million followers to vote in America’s midterm elections, and endorsed Democrat Marsha Blackburn.

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James Brown - Aside from being a pop culture icon, Brown often got political. ‘Don’t Be a Drop-Out’ tackled education, while ‘America Is My Home’ protested the Vietnam War.

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Bob Marley - Where to start with Bob Marley? The artist helped introduce the world to reggae, as well as problems that plagued his home country, Jamaica, and countries like Haiti.

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Paloma San Basilio - The Spanish singer is an international star, and in the ‘80s, she supported the “No” campaign against Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

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Marvin Gaye - Motown star Marvin Gaye got political with his 1971 album, ‘What’s Going On.’ The record addressed drug abuse, poverty, and even doubts about the Vietnam war.

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John Lennon - John Lennon was very political, and wrote songs about war, peace, and Bloody Sunday. It’s said that the Nixon administration desperately tried to deport him from America.

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Rihanna - In 2018, Rihanna told her 65 million Instagram followers to register to vote. “You have 1 job today and that is to properly register to vote,” she said.

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Manu Chao - The French-Spanish singer is very politically charged. His song ‘Rainin in Paradize’ talks about conflict in countries like Iraq and Baghdad.

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Hugh Masekela -

Masekela has been described as the father of South African jazz. He is famed for his anti-apartheid songs, such as ‘Soweto Blues’ and ‘Bring Him Back Home.’

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Junior Reid/Black Uhuru -

Junior Reid is a Jamaican reggae artist, who has sung about political struggle as a solo artist and as a member of Black Uhuru.

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Willie Nelson - Willie Nelson has always been something of an outlaw in country music. His song ‘Delete and Fast Forward’ was inspired by the 2016 US election.

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The Herd -

Not to be confused with the British band, this Australian outfit talk about politics in their lyrics. They have attacked Australia’s past attitudes towards asylum seekers.

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Midnight Oil - This politically charged band hails from Australia. Their song ‘Beds Are Burning’ criticized how their government handles the Aboriginal population.

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Stiff Little Fingers -

This punk band is from Belfast, and have frequently talked about “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

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Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba was very influential in the anti-apartheid movement. After she died, Nelson Mandela said “her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us.”

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Artists United Against Apartheid - Steven Van Zandt co-founded this protest group, which also featured artists like Ringo Starr, Run-D.M.C., and Miles Davis.

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Fela Kuti -

Few artists are as outspoken as Fela Kuti was. The musician was a pioneer, and protested the Nigerian government in songs like ‘Coffin for Head of State.’

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Linton Kwesi Johnson - LKJ is a Jamaican dub poet based in the UK. His song ‘Sonny's Lettah’ took aim at the sus laws, which allowed stop and search in the UK.

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The Specials/The Special AKA - This ska band has always been political. Their song ‘Ghost Town’ addressed themes of underemployment and deindustrialization, and went number one in the process.

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Gil Scott-Heron - Scott-Heron fused soul, jazz, and rap. Check out songs like ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ and ‘H2ogate Blues.’

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N.W.A. -

The surviving members of N.W.A. have become global stars, but they were once protesting the police in a very divided Los Angeles.

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Neil Young - Whether as a solo artist, or with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Canadian singer has always laced his work with political messages.

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Pete Seeger - Pete Seeger was a folk singer who laid the groundwork for artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. He added “shall” to the song “We Shall Overcome,” drawing attention to the Civil Rights Movement in America.

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Public Enemy - Through songs like ‘Fight the Power’ and ‘Rebel Without a Pause,’ Public Enemy talked about struggles in the African-American community.

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DAM -

DAM is a dynamic rap group from Palestine. They often talk about close-to-home conflicts, as well as commentary on racism, poverty, and women's rights.

See also: The greatest opening lyrics of all time

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