Did you know that the Doomsday Clock was just set to its most dangerous time in history? Atomic scientists who worked on on the first atomic bomb founded in 1945 the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Feeling great remorse about what they had done, these scientists created the Doomsday Clock in 1947. The closer to midnight the closer to the end of humanity. The time was initially set to 7 minutes away from midnight. They've changed it 26 times in 78 years. After the end of the Cold War in 1991, the clock was set to 17 minutes, or 1020 seconds to midnight. That is chairman of the board Leonard Rieser making the adjustment on 26November1991. They just re-set it to 89 seconds. Tomorrow, the details.
- Spans nearly a century.
- To quote:
Some of these songs decry oppression and demand justice, others are prayers for positive change; some grab you by the shoulders and shout in your face, others are personal, private attempts to subtly embody the contradictory nature of political struggle and change from the inside. Many of our selections are specific products of leftist political traditions (like Pete Seeger’s version of “We Shall Overcome”), but just as many are hits that slipped urgent messages into the pop marketplace (like Nena’s anti-nuclear war New Wave bop “99 Luftballons”). - Frankly, I recognize only a very few of this top 100. I also wasn't aware many of them were protest songs. As for example, I thought 99 Luftballons was a catchy German ditty. I mostly remember 99 red balloons, and did not know the language. Turns out these balloons were misread by radar and triggered a nuclear war. This is a nuclear protest song.
- Anyway, Sam Cooke's 1964 A Change is Gonna Come is #1.
- He was denied a room at a Louisiana hotel because he was Black, and penned the heartfelt lyrics, pleading an end to discrimination. This was two years after I graduated from college, and I really don't remember that song.
- Five years later, in 1969, I went to school at Louisiana State University, and I do remember Black and White drinking fountains....and more. However, interesting to note, that as an American Japanese from Hawaii, I was considered White in Baton Rouge, and throughout the South. I could get a hotel room on my assorted trips.
- If you read the article, you will see that every song provides you an option to view that performance by clicking on it.
- #2 is Public Enemy's 1989 Fight the Power. I never heard of this funky rap song. Served as the intro music for Spike's Lee's comment on prejudice, Do the Right Thing. The powers to fight were people like Elvis, John Wayne, and even Bobby McFerrin, for his Don't Worry, Be Happy projected the wrong reality. I kind of liked this song, and should feel guilty about this.
- #3 is Billie Holiday's 1939 Strange Fruit. Again, don't remember this song. And I was born one year later.
- #4 is Aretha Franklin's 1967 Respect. (Go to this article to watch this song.) Of course, I recognize. Did not know, though, that she was seven years into her career with several failed albums, when she recorded this song written by Otis Redding in 1965. This was originally a man's song arrogantly demanding respect from his female partner. Click on his version. Didn't know it existed. She turned it around as a rallying cry for women, subsequently becoming a recording star.
- #5 is James Brown's 1968 Say It Loud--I'm Black and I'm Proud. Embarrassingly, first time I heard it.
- Notice something? Numbers 1 to 5 are by African Americans. #6 is Bob Dylan's 1963 Masters of War. I know a lot of Dylan songs, but I swear this is the first time I ever heard this.
- I recognized only one of the next four, #8 Pete Seeger's 1948 We Shall Overcome.
- #7 had to do with a church bombing in Alabama and the assassination of Medgar Evers, #9 about the Kent State University protest tragedy, and #10 about Black Lives Matter. Did not recognize any of them.
- The next song I knew was #17, Bob Dylan's 1963 Blowin' in the Wind.
- Appropriate to Trump, I could mention that #18 is Impeach the President, a 1973 song by The Honey Drippers. Of course, way back in 1973, The Donald was just trying to be a landlord, and faced a lawsuit for racial discrimination.
- #19 was the 1969 Plastic Ono Band, Give Peace a Chance. I know that one.
- Then I couldn't recognize any song until the 1970 #33 Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell. Mind you, among the performers in this span were Stevie Wonder, U2, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. I guess I'm not into protest songs. And, by the way, this song is Mitchell's protest against environmental destruction and excessive urban development. I did not know that. Did you?
- Then, no recognizable songs until #57, 99 Luftballons. For your information, Nena is both the name of the band, and the lead singer, Gabriele Kerner (her nickname), with four guys. One more time for 99 Luftballons, the 12" vinyl version with a running time of 6 min 37 seconds. In those days there were special 12" singles, for the quality of the sound was superior, plus they became popular in Discos for DJs to do their stuff.
- Go to Rolling Stone for the full article. Worth your while.
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