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Zoe Ellis
Professor McKeever
English 1020
27 June 2014
Word Count: 1,328
Protest Music: Theres Less Than People Think
When most people think of Rock music, they think of the sixties and the counterculture
revolution. This period in American society is known for the civil rights movement, the
Vietnam War, the protests involved with these and other political events, and the rock songs that
were part of these protests. But according to Deena Weinstein, author of Rock Protest Songs:
So Many and So Few included in The Resisting Muse: Popular Music and Social Protest edited
by Ian Peddie, there arent nearly as many protest songs as people think there are. In this
chapter, Weinstein explores the different kinds of protest songs and why most identify sixties
rock music as mostly protest music, when in actuality there are other influences that make it
seem that way. Weinsteins insightful article delves into the topic of protest music, explaining
the different types of protest songs, the affects audiences have on the perception of protest music,
and the outer influences that make non-protest songs be perceived as political.
Protest songs can be categorized in multiple different ways, but the central focus of
protest songs is the different forms of power abuse. For example, there is a plethora of Rock
music surrounding the criticism of police brutality, government involvement in civil rights, and
protest of the record labels. Weinstein also points out that there are many categories of rock
music that can debatably considered protest music, such as songs protesting the education system
like Pink Floyds The Wall. Another category that the author explores is the protests of specific
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incidences, such as a new government policy or a particular event where something was unjust.
This song category is often referred to as re-ax or reaction songs, one famous example being
Ohio in response to the May 4
th
shootings at Kent State University (Weinstein 4). Weinsteins
purpose, as the title suggests, is to point out that there are many different categories of protest
music and that depending on how broadly or narrowly one defines protest music, there are a
varying number of protest songs from the sixties.
Another aspect of protest music that the author points out is that the reception of the
songs by the listeners can really affect the impact of the protest song. For example, there are
many songs that were intentionally written as protest songs, but due to things like unclear
intonation the messages of the songs have fallen on deaf ears, so to say. On the other end of the
spectrum, there are some protest songs that have made a huge impact on society simply because
of the fans positive reception of the song. This is the first of many points that the author makes
which intone that she believes most of the recognition that various protest songs get is not
because of the lyrics or musicality, but often due to outside forces of the time like the
government, fans, the artists themselves, and music critics (Weinstein 4).
Next, Weinstein delves further into the reason why we often believe that the sixties had
so many protest songs. Her main conclusion was that it was because of the youth involvement in
both rock and protest. Youths involvement in these protests and, simultaneously, their interest
in rock music, created the conditions for a proliferation of protest songs. Thus rock history,
which is celebrated more today than ever before, is associated with protest (Weinstein 5). The
author is pointing out to the reader the power of association, and is prompting the audience to
look beyond the it is what it is mentality and explore why some things, like rock music, are
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seen in a particular light. Furthermore, this Youth influence on the perception of rock music is
seen greatly in the rock criticism that started in the 1960s.
Most critics throughout history have been fairly biased when it comes to reporting on
certain topics, and this was especially true for the emerging rock critics of the sixties. These
early critics were, more often than not, part of many of the protests and movements of the time
and therefore they often focused on artists and songs that had the same political views that they
did. Consequently, most of the rock music that is glorified and still listened to today has a
protest influence, despite the fact that there was a lot of non-political sixties music as Weinstein
points out. The critics naturally gravitated towards and focused on the more politically active
musicians in rock, which is another reason why many people associate rock with protest
(Weinstein 7).
While most musicians have some movement that they support, it seems that rock
musicians especially are known to protest politics, and because of this add to the protest and rock
music image. As stated in the article, rock is synonymous with protest because of the image
provided by rock musicians when they involve themselves with various protest activities in
addition to, or instead of, performing protest songs (Weinstein 7). The author clearly
recognizes that rock has been influenced by multiple outside sources, all of which build upon
each other and continue the legacy of protest and rock, and I think her intent in presenting these
background reasons is to enlighten the reader to these facts and to help them see rock from a new
perspective. It is made very clear what the purpose of the article is when she states the
following:
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We can divide a somewhat complex explanation into three categories: (a) there are
relatively few protest songs, (b) protest songs that do exist arent widely heard, and, most
significantly, (c) protest songs that are heard arent understood as protest songs.
(Weinstein 8)
The last main point that is touched upon is the idea of the effectiveness of the protest songs that
do exist in rock music.
While many more conservative individuals view rock music as recruiting tools used to
encourage things like promiscuity, suicide, drug abuse, and political radicalism, the author has
the viewpoint that rock music, specifically protest songs, doesnt actually have a profound effect
on individuals. Weinstein believes that protest songs are more about strengthening values and
rallying the troops, and that like advertisements, at best they can reinforce our beliefs and
perhaps heighten our resolve to act (Weinstein 14). Much like prayers are to religion and
patriotic hymns are to the troops, so is rock music to protests simply a way of building morale
within the activist community and very rarely is rock music a means of recruitment.
As the first chapter of The Resisting Muse: Popular Music and Social Protest, I believe
that the intent of this article was to put the audience in a more objective mindset, to recognize the
types of protest music, and to be more aware of the outside influences that alter the perception of
rock and protest music. Weinstein represents a view on rock music that goes beyond the
opinions of critics and rock historians and really looks at the more factual side of protests
association with rock. Clearly she has a deep interest in rock music and protest music, so much
so that she is one of the few scholars that sees the difference between the two and can explain
each one as its own entity. The author is also very insightful when it comes to explaining the
difference between the musician and the music, and showing the reader that protest music is
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often considered so not because of the lyrics or the intonation, but because of the political views
of the musician. This article does a great job of educating the audience and represents an
interesting and valid viewpoint on protest music.
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Works Cited
Weinstein, Deena. Rock Protest Songs: So Many and So Few The Resisting Muse: Popular
Music and Social Protest. Ed. Ian Peddie. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Co., 2006. 3-
16. Print.