Country” Joe McDonald, a hippie rock star of the 1960s whose “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” was a four-lettered rebuke to the Vietnam War that became an anthem for protesters and a highlight of the Woodstock music festival,

Last month, well-known Iranian singer Mehdi Yarrahi released a song titled “Auschwitz,” about the regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters earlier this winter, which estimates suggest killed between 7,

It’s not just the megastars. In Minnesota, many musicians have lent their voices – and drum kits — to vigils, benefit concerts and protests. Artists in North Texas are using music to make sense of this moment too.

Why, in an era when music's biggest stars are more outspoken than ever, does it feel like we're still waiting for the contemporary political anthem?

Explore powerful protest songs from the 1970s that defined change, iconic tracks captured political unrest, social justice, and cultural transformation.