People in the past and present – especially politicians, politically engaged musicians, and listeners – hold that music can 'express' political ideas and ideologies, such as rejection of the establishment. There are a variety of factors that come into play here. The first is topical lyrics which reflect how voters are feeling, artist perspective and expression, music used in campaigns and much more.
The politics in music will forever be defiant and pioneering. Its history is incredibly powerful and thought-provoking. But how does an artform, which is adored around the entire globe and the often controversial way society is governed, actually relate together? Let's find out.
'Politics can be strengthened by music, but music has a potency that defies politics': Topical Lyrics Inspired by Political Discourse
For centuries, music has always been a form of resistance against established power, often showing its effectiveness as a force for social change. Most, but not all, of the music that is considered political or related to politics are songs, and many of these are topical songs, i.e. songs with topical lyrics, made for a particular time and place. In the words of the late activist Nelson Mandela, ‘politics can be strengthened by music, but music has a potency that defies politics’.
In the United Kingdom, music and politics have always gone hand in hand. Political views are at the forefront of many artists' minds when writing music and performing. Many decades ago, we saw themes of anti-establishment and the monarchy running through most tracks by the Sex Pistols. Seeing the Government as the public enemy is a common thread that wove itself through the history of punk since the genre emerged as a musical force on both sides of the Atlantic during the mid-to-late 70s.
The Pistols’ legendary single ‘Anarchy In The UK’ remains the clearest manifesto of punk politics on record, drawing the blueprint for virtually every political punk song of value. However, at the time of writing, the band was mainly a call to arms and a state-of-the-nation address rather than responding to political discourse. In many ways, the political ideology of the Sex Pistols was incoherent and non-specific.
But just by being the Sex Pistols—or more accurately, being the Sex Pistols at the right time in the right place—they became a genuine political band. Their first release in circa 1976 ‘Anarchy in the U.K’ was a response to the encoded discrimination against the lower classes. Today though, the potentially destabilising social and environmental issues that are being brought directly to our doorsteps mean this song still have relevance in these turbulent political times making the lyrics relevant and topical when responding to the political climate ultimately summarising the feelings of voters. 'Anarchy in the U.K.' was number 56 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
Some years later, in the winter of 92’, LA band Rage Against the Machine released what is now their most notorious ‘Killing in the Name'. Journalist Peter Buckley described it as 'a howling, expletive-driven tirade against the ills of American society'. The lyrics were inspired by the police brutality suffered by Rodney King and the subsequent 1992 Los Angeles riots, which steers more to the artistic expression side. However, the lyrics have made this song become topical, for example, the right-wing UK Independence Party used 'Killing in the Name' in rallies, which the band’s guitarist Tom Morello demanded them to stop using.
Following the 2020 United States elections, a video of pro-Trump protesters dancing to "Killing in the Name" was widely shared on social media, leading to Morello mocking them.
Bringing us much closer to the present day, a song which on the surface is not inherently political but has topical lyrics reflecting on voters' feelings is Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream.
On the 22nd of May this year, a drenched Rishi Sunak stood out at Number 10, Downing Street, calling an eagerly awaited election. As he addressed citizens of the UK down the lens of a sea of cameras, protesters blasted out the 30-year-old hit so loud it was difficult to hear his speech. Brexit implemented by the Tory government and a controversial topic in the UK was a big nail in the Tory coffin for many, and it was prominent anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray who sacrificed his two amplifiers in the soaking rain to get his message across to the nation. The song was frequently used by the Labour Party, then led by Tony Blair, in their successful 1997 campaign. During the 1997 general election, the Labour Party adopted the song as their campaign theme (the title claiming that things 'cannot get worse').
D:Ream’s track with a catchy chorus of blasting out ‘Things can only get better’ repeatedly reflected on how the nation felt after years of a Tory government: things can only get better and this was demonstrated as it led to the song entering the top 10 on the iTunes Charts within 24 hours.
Artist Perspective and Expression
While topical lyrics are an important part of this subject, it is key to note songwriters have always turned to their craft when confronted with social and political injustices, and give birth to songs that seek to shine a light on the perceived inequities of the day.
One band that used their platform and art to create change were The Clash who released ‘White Riot’ in 1977 aiming to encourage disaffected young white people to riot like their black peers at the time. Their album ‘Sadinista!’ featured an extensive list of songs inspired by political issues outside of Britain; notably, ‘The Call-up’ was a prolific rumination on 1980 US draft policies.
Mikal Gilmore, a rock historian, once recalled a 1977 music festival in Belgium where 20,000 people were separated from their idols by a ten foot-high barbed wire fence. Joe Strummer, a front man of The Clash, leapt from the stage in efforts to knock it down, and Mikal described The Clash’s actions as 'their political and social gumption in a nutshell; ‘fighting the good fight that few others would’'. The Clash’s efforts to combat hate and create change didn’t stop just there; two years later, they released ‘London Calling’, an apocalyptic, politically charged rant. The track provided reference to a time of political doom, using the BBC World Service opening line 'This is London calling…' as a metaphorical reference to the political bleakness surrounding Cold War Europe. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Clash number 28 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In the 10’s one of the biggest stars across the entire globe released a track that was politically charged but with love coursing through every single word. ‘Born This Way’ by Lady Gaga. The lyrics discuss the self-empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community and racial minorities, during the verses talk about empowerment, while the chorus talks about making no apologies and accepting one as themselves.
'Born This Way' was Gaga’s opportunity to create something that not only supported her political and social beliefs, but also empowered her to artistically say, "’I'm not being safe with this record’. In 2011, the unsubtle 'Born This Way' may have been what the world needed, and it's intensely meaningful to many queer people—including Gaga, who has the phrase tattooed on her left thigh. In 2023, Rolling Stone named 'Born This Way' the 'Most Inspirational LGBTQ Song of All Time," claiming that 'few artists have had the kind of impact on the LGBTQ community as Lady Gaga, and few songs have fully captured the joy and resilience of the community as this one'. 'Born This Way' has sold 8.2 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. More recently, Gaga has stuck to her guns and continued on supporting the LGBTQ+ community while sharing her own political values when speaking about why she never denied the transgender rumours aimed at her during the start of her career, explaining that she didn’t want trans kids to 'feel shame.'
Another UK artist who is widely renowned around the world and has shown his political position throughout his platform art is Stormzy. Stormzy is a figure who hasn't shied away from taking a strong political stance, coming out in support of Corbyn's socialism and making many political references in his 2019 Glastonbury set, including the Union-Jack, Bansky-designed, stab-proof vest that he was wearing.
During his 2018 Brit Awards performance, addressed the UK Prime Minister at the time, Teresa May, singing 'Theresa May, where's the money for Grenfell? Just forgot about Grenfell, you criminals, and you got the cheek to call us savages, you should do some jail time, you should pay some damages, we should burn your house down and see if you can manage this.' In 2019, Stormzy publicly supported the leader of the Labour Party, at the time, Jeremy Corbyn, calling him 'the first man in a position of power who is committed to giving the power back to the people' and branded leader of the opposition Boris Johnson 'a sinister man.' A track off this album ‘Rainfall’ was described as 'reminding us of how interlinked the struggles are between African Americans and black Brits' and the entire album was filled with a sense of 'an explicit message of encouragement for young black Brits: to not be weathered by the state of the nation, but fight back instead and remember how powerful they really are.' In 2020, Stomzy was estimated to have a net worth of £20 million, making him one of the most successful black British rappers of all time.
From this piece, you can see how integral and adjacent the relationship between music and politics really is, and despite some people viewing this relationship as lost in time, this completely disproves this. Politics, perspective and passion runs through the vein of every artist and those who are brave enough and dare to share their own political position seem to prosper the most.
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