The Top 10 Best Political Punk Songs
The Best 10 Political Punk Songs to Start Off Your Punk Collection
Whenever I go into a store like Hot Topic, I am always amazed by the expensive long, black leather coats and the pricey large Demonia Boots. It amazes me how different the wardrobe is when I was following punk. We wore the long overcoat, combat boots and other apparel we could snag from the Army Surplus store. I was lucky because I snared much of my wardrobe from my father in the military. It cost us very little to dress in punk attire.
10. Rebel Girl, by the Bikini Kill
A hardcore feminist punk band that was formed in 1990. There seems to be a lack of women musicians in punk.
9. War Sucks, Let's Party, from the album War Sucks, Let's Party 2008 by the Anti-Flag.
In the tradition of punk the anger against a war. A good hard rocking anarchist political punk song.
8. Holiday, from the album American Idiot, released in 2004 by Green Day
An anti-government song from the punk opera album American Idiot in the tradition of the Who's Tommy.
7. I Wanna Conquer the World, 1989 from the album No Control, Bad Religion
One of the few punk bands that you can actually understand the lyrics to their songs. Much more cerebral than other punk bands.
6. The Politics of Starving, from the album Reinventing Axl Rose in 2006, Against Me
An excellent political punk band in the tradition of anarchist punk music.
5. Prayer of the Refugee, from the album Sufferer and the Witness, in 2006 by Rise Against
A song about the discrimination against refugees.
4.California Uber Alles in 1979 by the Dead Kennedys
The first song by the Dead Kennedys, a song about California Governor Jerry Brown who was in power from 1975 to 1983. Some of the lines and imagery in this song is great. The Dead Kennedys sing about Jerry Brown and his "suede denim secret police" who kill all the uncool people in organic poison gas chambers.
3. London Calling, from the album London Calling December 1979 by the Clash
The London Calling album is probably one of the most successful punk albums. It is rated number 8 of 500 on Rolling Stone's list of all time albums. This song is a polished punk song. Many of the rough edges of early Clash songs are missing. This song will get you singing. Almost put it as my number 1 political punk song.
2. Anarchy in the UK, by the Sex Pistols
Anarchy in the UK, was first recorded on November 26th 1976, it was also the Sex Pistols first record. Anarchy in the UK would not appear on an album until the Sex Pistols released their one and only studio album "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols".
1. Search and Destroy, from the album Raw Power, by Iggy Pop and the Stooges 1973.
An anti-Vietnam song. Many punk bands have sung this song. It has much of the raw rock energy of punk music in an era of artsy, rambling, self-indulgent rock.
You can purchase all these are for download, for .99 a song at Amazon.com. There are so many excellent Political Punk Songs.
Published by Richard McDuff
I have been selling on the Internet for eight years. I have been blogging for the last 2 years, and loving every minute of it. I have gotten into social networking in the last year or so. Now, I can write... View profile
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8 Comments
Post a CommentThis is a public service announcement....with GUITAR!!!! know your right...number one! you have the right...not to kill...MURDER!! IS A CRIME!! unless of course it is done...by policemen...and ARISTOCRATS HUOH!!...KNOW YOUR RIGHT!!!!
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy covered "California Uber Alles", singing instead about then governor Pete Wilson. As good as the Dead Kennedy's version was, the DHoH version was far more threatening - both to citizens and to Wilson. One member of DHoH was Michael Franti, later of Spearhead.
DHoH only made one album, "Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury", but it was a landmark/landslide, one of the best rap albums ever recorded. It's worth a listen if you can find it. All of the songs on it are political - the first Gulf War, racism, environmental damage, stereotyping (by others and ourselves), gay hating and violence, anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, etc. And that was in 1991; so little has changed.
"Television, The Drug Of The Nation"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgOWTM5R2DA
"California Uber Alles"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBAkOifDeSw
"Punk is a political genre."
Not all punk is political. This Misfits, a very quintessential punk band, invented horrorpunk for instance, and all their lyrics are about horror movies, not politics. Other genres of punk are political, but some bands' lyrics focus partly or entirely on teen angst, social problems, or being an outcast. In some genres the lyrics are trying to be socially offensive, not necessarily political in every passage. Names like EyeHateGod, Circle Jerks, GG Allin and GWAR come to mind.
Metal started out as a political genre too. ie: Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," plenty of Slayer and Iron Maiden songs too!
Rock and Roll itself originated much earlier as a way to "stick it to the man," as Jack Black said in "School of Rock."
I also have to agree that Green Day is NOT punk! I wrote a article about that:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2936286/nofx_is_still_a_real_punk_band_after.html?cat=2
The other songs, especially the earlier ones were good ide
"Punk is a political genre."
Not all punk is political. This Misfits, a very quintessential punk band, invented horrorpunk for instance, and all their lyrics are about horror movies, not politics. Other genres of punk are political, but some bands' lyrics focus partly or entirely on teen angst, social problems, or being an outcast. In some genres the lyrics are trying to be socially offensive, not necessarily political in every passage. Names like EyeHateGod, Circle Jerks, GG Allin and GWAR come to mind.
Metal started out as a political genre too. ie: Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," plenty of Slayer and Iron Maiden songs too!
Rock and Roll itself originated much earlier as a way to "stick it to the man," as Jack Black said in "School of Rock."
I also have to agree that Green Day is NOT punk! I wrote a article about that:
The other songs, especially the earlier ones were good ideas for for your list. I just think Green Day is a bunch of sell-out poser, maistream, totally not
Good comment. These are supposed to be the best 10 punk songs, not the ten best punk songs. I am not a fan of Green Day. I like the early stuff, but the harsh sound of punk is no longer there, it is far too polished now. But I do like Holiday. Band can put out the occasional punk song like Rise Against. It is a good political song - that was what punk started out as angry young people who were tired of the artsy fartsy songs of the seventies. Punk is a political genre - and it should be, and these are the songs that I was looking for.
I dont agree with your list because alot of those bands like greenday and anti-flag sold out. Id be differnt if you named songs from there early days.. and rise against isnt even a true punk band! Sorry, but i dont accept these as the best punk songs.
Nice list you really are a punk funky fan, well done Richard. :o)
Cool list!