Political Music?

I need music to do with politics and radical social ideologies. I already have pretty much all of A Thousand Suns by Linkin Park on the playlist (always spoken to me as a story about a society ruled by an unfair ruler) but I need more. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Muse's music is heavy with political messages, especially those of revolution - Assassin, Take A Bow, Exo-Politics and Uprising are some that come to mind. I've heard Rage Against The Machine's songs focus heavily on anti-government themes, though I've never listened to them personally.

My inner theatre geek is also screaming at me that La Vie Boheme B from Rent is a great song about 'radical social ideologies', even though that's probably not the sort of music you're after. Good luck!

The Clash.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Shake the Sheets and Living with the Living are two amazing albums with some awesome political themes.

Also check out Thom Yorke's The Eraser, particularly "Harrowdown Hill." Cheers if you can tell what it's about without looking it up...

If social criticism from the (far?) left is something you'd be interested in, check out Geoff Berner (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knnLr65EeGg).

Second Rage Against the Machine for revolutionary ideations, and I'll add Bad Religion for general abstract dissent.

for RATM, "No Shelter" is a great one that is very relevant to modern Western life

for Bad Religion "Sorrow" is great for abstract rebuke of humanity itself

I would say Serj Tankian/System of a Down, but they are more of the criticising the USA's actions type of political music, not really radical out-there political ideologies. They sure do sound angry and like a call to arms though >.>

Pete Seeger
Melvina Reynolds
Billy Bragg
all of the 60's protest movement songs (Joan Baez, early Dylan, "We shall overcome"" et al) and many of the classic rock/funk songs of the early 70's

Ani DiFranco. Your Next Bold Move and Paradigm both make good starting points.

I don't know if this will help, but I hope it does.

Propagandhi
http://youtu.be/RzPAEoEPb9Y

Anti-Flag
http://youtu.be/PynWTLeUJRA

Leftover Crack
http://youtu.be/jxG1STI3SDo

Pennywise
http://youtu.be/H-Yihs6S0Ac

Strike Anywhere
http://youtu.be/6ejrM1wR6Ow

NOFX
http://youtu.be/LzpTmcq7nBg

a lot of punk music discusses political themes.

if you like this style/genre, let me know. i can probably put together some more for you given the time. :)

Rage Against the Machine v. Public Enemy feat. Moby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RkgP_HFfCf4#t=72s

The Clash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2aItuM1-J4

Future of the Left

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvWG6RvXQUw

Sodom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUIce4FGvfM&feature=related

Kreator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR7xBj0bDD8

I'll try to avoid redundancies, because there are some great suggestions above.

Hip-hop and urban:
Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Public Enemy
Common
Blue Scholars
Flobots
Tim Fite: Over the Counterculture (available for free on his website--he decided it would be hypocritical to sell the album)
Marvin Gaye: What's Goin' On
Sly and the Family Stone
The Roots: Phrenology

Rock and alternative:
Steve Earle: "John Walker Blues"
John Vanderslice: The Emerald City
Neil Young: "Alabama", "Southern Man", "Pocahontas", Living With War
Frank Turner: "Glory Hallelujah"
The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks
Jack Johnson (yes, that Jack Johnson. Listen more closely to some of his lyrics...)
The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible

Anything by Blackfire. ( http://www.blackfire.net/ ) Although it is very high-energy, so staying in your seat in order to write may become an issue.

Definitely check out pretty much anything by The Clash and Billy Bragg, too.

Adding to this for anyone, like me, who's starting the new year with a new project and has realised that they don't have very much music fit for writing revolution.

I'm a fan of music where you can really hear the lyrics. No angry shouty noises for me!

Anyhoo, check out these;

Frank Turner - I know he's been mentioned already, but I wanted to add my current writing faves. 'Love Ire + Song', 'I Still Believe', and 'Thatcher F***ed the Kids'.

Les Miserables - Heck, it's the soundtrack to a tale about the French Revolution! In particular 'ABC Café/Red and Black', 'Do You Hear The People Sing', 'One Day More', the Attack & Battle tracks... Half the musical really!

Seconding the OPs Linkin Park mention, although I only have an older album; Minutes to Midnight. 'Hands Held High' is a modern political statement. 'No More Sorrow' is too shouty for my taste, but the lyrics are inspiring when I'm in a revolutionary mood writing-wise.

I'm sure there's plenty more I could offer, but I killed my old laptop. When I've recovered my old iTunes library I'll have a look see.

Folk music tends to be about as political as it gets. Someone already mentioned Pete Seeger and Niel Young, I'll throw out Utah Phillips , Moxy Fruvous , , Phil Ochs (particularly the timeless "love me, I'm a liberal"), Arlo Guthre, Tom Paxon, and hundreds of others.

What about Rise Against? - they're mostly anti-America, and they focus on a lot of different issues - politics, the world, humanity, and life in general. Try anything of theirs, there has to be a message in it somewhere ("The First Drop", "Black Masks And Gasoline", and "Collapse (Post-Amerika)" are a good start)

I'm a bit surprised nobody has mentioned Green Day yet. 'American Idiot' caused quite a stir on my conservative college campus when it was released. Excellent album. The videos for both 'American Idiot' and 'Holiday' have some pretty spectacular political imagery.

Specifically Anti-War songs that were pretty big are Chicago - by Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and Stop Children, What's that Sound - by Buffalo Springfield. They're pretty good. Also: War - Edwin Starr.

Three Dog Night - Black and White. It's definitely about politics.

A lot of Al Stewart's music, the best being; Road to Moscow (about the end of WWII in Russia); Warren Harding (about Warren G. Harding, 29th American President); Post World War Two Blues (a fantastic song).

Most importantly, Man in Black, by Johnny Cash.

Another great song is Don't Get Fooled again - The Who. It's about as political as it gets.

For more, just listen to a few songs. A lot of musicians write passionately about politics. You don't have to look very far to find them.