Was asked by a friend to suggest some songs for a playlist of popular songs that revolutionaries might have been listening to in the 1970s. Spent over an hour on it so it counts as content. Have interpreted both ‘revolutionary’ and ‘1970s’ very liberally. It’s a fun list, so have fun:
No, I won’t be putting these into a Spotify playlist for your convenience. Feel free to do so and share it however :).
Nina Simone ‘Revolution (Pts 1&2)’ (1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6yyqoBmI0M
Jefferson Airplane ‘Volunteers’ (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wRslSfsSOk
Marlena Shaw ‘Woman of the Ghetto’ (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaQTwVPvCAU
Steeleye Span ‘Blackleg Miner’(1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDhK_glbVmI
The Lumpen ‘Free Bobby Now’ (1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2llXaUMMqc
Gil Scott Heron ’The Revolution Will Not be Televised’ (1971) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg
Helen Reddy ‘I am Woman’ (1971) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrVLL7soS1U
Marc Bolan & T. Rex ‘Children of the Revolution’ (1972) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcCQCYok3pg
The Wolfe Tones ‘The Men Behind the Wire’ (1972) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3vnPYaSm0A
Strawbs ‘Part of the Union” (1973) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJYbFFFZwdE
Bob Marley & the Wailers “Get Up, Stand Up’ (1973) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UubfH-1S43k
Miriam Makeba ‘We Got to Make It’ (1974) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1emTjr3_ko
Karaxu ‘Bolivariana’ (1974)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMCBeV23Hs8
Max Romeo ’Socialism is Love’ (1974) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTvUs4rY4to
Sylford Walker ‘Burn Babylon’ (1975) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2BF0TAhyDU
Valentino ‘Born this Way’ (1975) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VroOVN9ReY
Jorge Ben ‘Africa Brasil’ (1976) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2avTXlDO-t4
The Last Poets ‘Blessed are those Who Struggle’ (1977) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U51qIRZb7Cs
Thomas Mapfumo ‘Hokoyo’ (1978) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFYpFglsatE
The Slits ’Typical Girls’ (1978) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brtGLeNR12g
Tom Robinson Band (1978) ‘Power in the Darkness’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU6Uyh6iGVM
Tom Robinson Band (1978) ‘Glad to be Gay’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAO0uS4hebY
The Last Poets ‘Blessed are those Who Struggle’ (1978) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U51qIRZb7Cs
The Clash ‘ Remote Control’ (1977) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLZ-TPRZzrk
Machine (1979) ’There But for the Grace of God Go I’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGBDAxCDLs4
Crass ‘Mother Earth’ (1979) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDW3mCQ8qHU
The Jam ‘Going Underground’ (1980) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE1ct5yEuVY
Lindsay Cooper ’The Charter’ (1980) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WnZxa24gTY&t=701s
Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers ‘2000 Blacks Got to be Free’ (1980) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tq28s3T8aE
If you like this sort of thing then check out these podcasts: