Music as a vehicle for protest has a long and proud history. During the McCarthy era of the 1950s and the civil rights era of that and the following decade, folk artists used songwriting as a means of shining a light on important social issues. During the Vietnam War, artists in rock \u2013 and in fact across the musical spectrum \u2013 worked protest into their music. Today, those periods in history are the ones most readily associated with protest anthems. But the tradition of using music to communicate heartfelt and strongly-held views has been with us before and after those tumultuous years. Here are five protest songs from eras other than the \u201850s and \u201860s. They show that the social consciousness and rebellious spirit of musical artists endures \u2013 and will continue to endure \u2013 through the ages.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod Save the Queen\u201d from Sex Pistols\u2019 Never Mind the Bollocks, Here\u2019s the Sex Pistols<\/em> (1977)<\/strong>
\nWhile some viewed Sex Pistols\u2019 music as designed merely to shock and offend, their songs often had more depth than might first appear. \u201cGod Save the Queen\u201d was a protest against what the band members saw as the British government\u2019s mistreatment of the country\u2019s working class. The single \u2013 which was banned by the BBC \u2013 followed another protest song, the equally strident \u201cAnarchy in the U.K.\u201d While nearly a half century later the music might seem less abrasive than it once did, the song\u2019s sentiments are as sharp as ever.<\/p>\n