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From folk ballads to punk anthems and hip-hop tracks, protest songs have long helped people express feelings of anger, hope, and resistance. They offer a way to make unheard voices heard and help build a sense of community, especially among groups who have historically been excluded or marginalised. In this way, political songs can challenge dominant ideas – not just through their lyrics, but through sound, performance, and the construction of collective identities. These dimensions work together to strengthen the songs’ emotional and symbolic power, making them key cultural texts in times of conflict and transformation.

In this seminar, we will examine the role of selected protest songs in British and American cultural history. Through selected case studies such as the Vietnam War, the Miners’ Strike, Occupy Wall Street, the climate movement, and the Trump presidency, we will analyse how music can reflect and shape political consciousness.