Stephen Cummings

Flickr/grotos (CC BY-ND 2.0)

In the spring of 2017, the #MacroSW Protest Song Playlist was born. Chat participants were asked to name their favorite protest songs. A short list was compiled based on the suggestions, and the original playlist was shared to the group, using the #MacroSW’s YouTube account as the platform.

Since that chat, suggestions on songs to add to the list have been solicited through Twitter. Since this spring, the list has grown to nearly 30 songs. The mix is eclectic, the songs ranging from the 1960s (Bob Dylan) through current day (Eminem).

Here’s the list as of this week (click the upper left corner of the YouTube window to reveal the playlist):

So, what constitutes a protest song? On the surface, this seems straightforward enough: A topical song with a focus on social justice and social change. However, a seemingly simple definition comes with…