This article originally appeared in the Off-Script print issue, in stands November 2025. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.
From the symphonies of long-gone days to the indie artists of today, music is as popular as ever. Yet music does more than provide entertainment. It allows us to feel and connect. It can spread messages across the world, letting it be as much of a tool as it is a form of art. While every song carries a message like this, there is a specific category that lends itself to the singular goal of change: protest music.
Like nearly every genre of music, there is no specific beginning to the concept of protest music. For as long as people have been able to express themselves, they have put their issues with the state of the world into being. Even you have heard some of these protest songs. From the bold and iconic “Fortunate Son” to the slow, funk-based “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” there are a plethora of protest songs in the last few decades that are known to many. Yet what of the modern era? In this time of political turmoil and unrest, it seems like the perfect time for a song to rise to the occasion and capture the soul of the country. Yet there seems to be no one song for the masses to get behind. It begs the question: what happened to protest music?
Changing times
Protest music may not be as popular as it used to be, and that’s true for modern musicians at the University of Utah. “I don’t think protest music is recognized in the same way it once was,” Caedyn Noel said. She is a student double-majoring in economics and accounting while minoring in political science, gender studies and music. Noel also plays oboe with the campus symphony.
Her statement is easy to understand if we take a step back and look at the music industry now compared to how it was during the time the more popular protest songs came out. “The distribution system is so different,” said Elisa Alfonso, a professor in the School of Music specializing in ethnomusicology.
Alfonso said that there were far fewer channels for music to move through, meaning that more groups were pushed towards the same songs. To put it simply: you listened to whatever was on the radio and that was that. “The famous protest songs from the 1960s to the 90s that unified people through criticism of major social issues have largely been replaced by formulaic, commercially driven music that prioritizes chart success over genuine or meaningful social critique,” Noel said.
Down, not out
Artists are still pushing forward with protest as the focus point of their art. And not small ones either. Kendrick Lamar is a prime example of this. From his first album to his newest, Lamar has tackled themes ranging from racial inequality to toxic masculinity. One of his most recent songs, “TV Off,” even acts as a response to “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by proclaiming that “this revolution has been televised.” In a similar vein, Bad Bunny implements Latino struggles in his music. Not to mention that the fact that he never sings in English could be seen as an act of protest in and of itself.
Let’s not forget that he has been chosen to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show this year, a clear message sent after the previous halftime show presented by Lamar. Along with this, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” is another example of using music as a form of protest. The song, especially the music video, took the internet by storm and is still played time and time again today. As of this writing, the music video for “This Is America” has 986 million views on YouTube.
Female artists also add to this spectrum. Lizzo and Megan Thee Stallion are celebrating women’s sexualities with their music as well, which can also be seen as pushing against the status quo.
So, when it comes to answering the question of “What happened to protest music?” the answer is that nothing has happened. It’s still here, same as it ever was and will be. Of course, it’s more dispersed than it once was. Though not every artist is willing to go for it, some of the largest musicians in the world are willing to put their hearts, beliefs and truths into their art. And we might need that now more than ever.