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> Highest charting protest/political songs?
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vidcapper
post 29th March 2012, 06:49 AM
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Paul Hyett
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Not counting charity ones.

With Plan B looking likely to go top 10 this week, it seemed an appropriate time for this thread.

I remember The Specials 'Nelson Mandela' being #9 in the mid-80's - I hadn't even heard of hm up to that point.
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Herbs
post 29th March 2012, 07:41 AM
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it didnt chart too highly in the uk but 'Not Ready To Make Nice' by the Dixie Chicks is an excellent F.U. to the USA in the aftermath of their lynching over what their lead singer said about George Bush. Multiple grammy win and movie theme included....!
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Herbs
post 29th March 2012, 08:04 AM
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I would assume 'Imagine' by John Lennon and 'Happy Xmas' (War is Over) count. The ones I listen to are:

Little Boxes - original never charted in the uk, an o2 have reworded it slightly causing it to chart at #68
Unplayed Piano - Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan charted at #24 and was a song in protest about Aung San Suu Kyi being in house arrest.
Dear Mr President - by Pink. It was the double a-side to 'Leave Me Alone' which peaked at #34. A lot of the time Leave me alone is just credited as an entry on its own though
'World On Fire' by Sarah Mclachlan - charted at #72. Protest song about the 3rd world. She spent £150 of £150,000 video budget and donated the rest. the music video basically shows you everything the rest of the money brought/can by
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vidcapper
post 29th March 2012, 10:00 AM
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QUOTE(Herbs @ Mar 29 2012, 09:04 AM) *
I would assume 'Imagine' by John Lennon and 'Happy Xmas' (War is Over) count. The ones I listen to are:

Little Boxes - original never charted in the uk, an o2 have reworded it slightly causing it to chart at #68


Although this version has had all the anger removed, so I'm not sure it really qualifies - though the original would.
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fchd
post 29th March 2012, 11:40 AM
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On the John Lennon theme, of course there was also "Give Peace A Chance".

His ex-bandmate Paul had a hit with "Give Ireland Back To The Irish"

Robert Wyatt's "Shipbuilding" peaked criminally low.


Most Billy Bragg songs will probably fall into this category as well.
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Joinwithus
post 29th March 2012, 11:43 AM
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Didn't "Sing if you're glad to be gay" chart quite highly?

Another one I can think of is "Part of the Union" in the 1970s. I would love Plan B to get the #1 but the morons of this country want a woman beater #1.
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fchd
post 29th March 2012, 11:47 AM
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QUOTE(Joinwithus @ Mar 29 2012, 12:43 PM) *
Didn't "Sing if you're glad to be gay" chart quite highly?


It was a track on the "Rising Free" E.P. from February 1978 which went 30-24-{18}-26-24-41 but the lead track at the time
and the name it's listed under on things like chartstats.com was "Don't Take No For An Answer"
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Steve201
post 29th March 2012, 12:06 PM
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Was swing low sweet chariot not a slave song originally??

Was Working Class Heroe by Lennon an album track, great song!!

This post has been edited by steve201: 29th March 2012, 12:07 PM
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Steve201
post 29th March 2012, 12:08 PM
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Also would Ghost Town by the Specials not be one - it symbolised 1981 and thatchers broken britain?
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Joinwithus
post 29th March 2012, 12:15 PM
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QUOTE(steve201 @ Mar 29 2012, 01:08 PM) *
Also would Ghost Town by the Specials not be one - it symbolised 1981 and thatchers broken britain?



Good point there smile.gif Should be released with someone like Plan B singing it or working with The Specials on it.

I was going to say "Swagger Jagger" by Cher Lloyd mainly because of the co-incidence of her getting to #1 and the riots last summer happening the same week biggrin.gif
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fchd
post 29th March 2012, 12:19 PM
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QUOTE(Joinwithus @ Mar 29 2012, 01:15 PM) *
Good point there smile.gif Should be released with someone like Plan B singing it or working with The Specials on it.


Why on earth would you want to do that? Nothing that Plan B could add to it would make it any better. Besides it was very much of its time - a new version just wouldn't be right, in my opinion.
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Soy Adrián
post 29th March 2012, 12:46 PM
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"Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 charted quite well in some of the rest of Europe but inexplicably wasn't released as a single over here.
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Suedehead2
post 29th March 2012, 12:59 PM
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Various songs about the Vietnam war including

Paul Hardcastle - 19 (number 1)
Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA (number 5)

Other general anti-war songs such as

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes (number 1)
Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction (number 3)

Many other Springsteen songs are fairly political such as

The River (number 35)
War (number 18)

I'll come up with more later
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Steve201
post 29th March 2012, 01:01 PM
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QUOTE(¿ CHARLIE ? @ Mar 29 2012, 01:46 PM) *
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2 charted quite well in some of the rest of Europe but inexplicably wasn't released as a single over here.


Just as well it wasnt released in N.Ireland! sleep.gif
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Suedehead2
post 29th March 2012, 01:03 PM
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Forgot to mention one of the oddest of them all

OMD - Enola Gay (number 8) sounds like a love song but is about the first nuclear bomb.

Oh, and a Manics song has just come on the radio to serve as a reminder that they have been known to record the odd political song.
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Colm
post 29th March 2012, 02:23 PM
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Masses Against the Classes - Manic Street Preachers


Number 1

This post has been edited by tonyttt31: 29th March 2012, 02:26 PM
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Chez Wombat
post 29th March 2012, 02:27 PM
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QUOTE(Suedehead2 @ Mar 29 2012, 02:03 PM) *
OMD - Enola Gay (number 8) sounds like a love song but is about the first nuclear bomb.


Truly incredible song heart.gif

on topic, protest in a light sense maybe, but Black Eyed Peas' debut hit Where Is The Love was about the state of the world and did go to number 1, Imagine by John Lennon could count as well, God Save The Queen by the Sex Pistols got as high as 2 as well (and could well come near that peak again if a certain campaign works later in the year!)

regarding the Manics, If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next was about the Spanish Civil War and that got to number 1

This post has been edited by C.W: 29th March 2012, 02:28 PM
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fchd
post 29th March 2012, 02:28 PM
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While they were about war, I don't think either "19" or "Enola Gay" were protest songs.
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Suedehead2
post 29th March 2012, 02:56 PM
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QUOTE(C.W @ Mar 29 2012, 03:27 PM) *
Truly incredible song heart.gif

Along with so many other OMD songs biggrin.gif

QUOTE(fchd @ Mar 29 2012, 03:28 PM) *
While they were about war, I don't think either "19" or "Enola Gay" were protest songs.

Enola Gay is debatable but 19 was definitely political.
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Colm
post 29th March 2012, 03:10 PM
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Desree - Life
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