How politics have impacted music.

Everyone knows that politics and music go hand in hand. There are many songs/genres which protest against political issues which drive people to get their voices heard. Music is a way of expressing yourself, which is why it is widely used to convey certain issues and opinions. I have listened to so many songs in my life which have made me think: “wow this is what they’re talking about. They want something to change”. It’s strange how much a song can impact people. Punk, of course, is the biggest genre relating to politics. Back in college we learned a lot about Punk and the impact it had on politics and music. This is something I wrote in an assignment I had to do: “The lyrical content is one of the main reason was very popular at the time. The lyrics contained messages which were about politics and anti-establishment views. In the 1970s the economy was suffering from mass unemployment and bad Government, as well as many other political issues occurring around the world and in England. Due to this, teenagers were angry about the effect it was having to them and some started making music because of it. Because these teenagers were speaking the truth and sending out messages to society, they quickly became popular, as music users wanted to share these views and help protest against politicians and the monarchy.

‘Anarchy In The UK’ is a great example of a Punk song that is influenced by Politics. The message behind this song is to get society to rebel against the politicians and the Monarchy. This song impacted music users because they wanted to follow Sex Pistols’ message and they thought it would impact Government laws if they rebelled.”

Yeah, a lot to read there, but it’s amazing to think what music makers can do to help spread a message amongst society. They wanted to make people aware of the political situations going on at the time. Not only that, but music users responded. They made the genre one of the most popular in the 1970s. They brought together a fractured community and made a change. If we didn’t have Punk or music who knows where we would be today!

Another genre which has had a big impact on politics and music is Reggae. I never really thought about how politics came into Reggae until we discussed the issue in college. Reggae wasn’t a big genre for me to listen to. I found out that the lyrical content was about social and political issues not just love and religious beliefs. That is why the genre became so popular. Reggae began when Jamaica was going through a time of suffering. The music created gave the people hope or a better future and they were able to speak their beliefs through music. People were too afraid to speak up about their sufferings, so they had to find another way of conveying their message. Because it kept getting heard and just became increasingly popular, the music started to air on radio stations across the country! Now, to me, that is pretty remarkable that this small community of people started making music, it became so popular that musicians heard and wanted their work to be broadcast. Obviously, because Reggae was all over the radio, people started to become aware of the issues and they were able to reach out to politicians and upper class people to show them the effect of the country’s issues.

Music is craziest thing, thinking about it. How can people so small have so much impact? How does it bring people together so well, just by having them listen to the same lyrics and express their messages? Those were only two genres that have had an impact on politics and society. There are so many more…do you know a song that’s lyrics convey maybe a social or political message? Has it impacted your views at all or how you think about a certain aspect of society?

#allthingsindsutry