From dust bowl ballads to modern anthems—these albums and their songs tell the story of justice through sound.
Songs that refuse to stay silent
A curated collection of songs that fight back, lift up and never back down
"Soundtrack for Justice" is a collection of anthems that have echoed through movements, marched alongside protests, and given voice to resilience.
From Woody Guthrie’s timeless declaration of belonging to H.E.R.’s raw lament of injustice, these songs span generations, yet their messages remain heartbreakingly relevant.
This is music that refuses to stay silent, carrying the weight of struggle and the hope of change.
This is musical resistance.
This is art activism.
What song of justice resonates with you? Let me know
See songs suggested by subscribers
Soundtrack for Justice songs
Below this list of songs you can find "Soundtrack for Justice" playlists for YouTube and Spotify.
| This Train is Bound for Glory (1938) - Sister Rosetta Tharpe |  |  |  |
| Strange Fruit (1939) - Billie Holiday | | | |
| I Don't Want Your Millions, Mister (1941) - Pete Seeger | | | |
| I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night (1943) - Paul Robeson | | | |
| This Land is Your Land (1944) - Woody Guthrie | | | |
| All You Fascists Bound to Lose (1944) - Woody Guthrie | | ||
| 16 Tons (1947) - Merle Travis | | | |
| Keep Your Hand On the Plow (1955) - Mahalia Jackson | | | |
| Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) (1958) - Woody Guthrie | | ||
| If I Had a Hammer (1962) - Peter, Paul and Mary | | | |
| We Shall Overcome (1963) - Pete Seeger | | | |
| Masters of War (1963) - Bob Dylan | | | |
| Blowin’ in the Wind (1963) - Bob Dylan | | | |
| A Change Is Gonna Come (1964) - Sam Cooke | | | |
| Mississippi Goddam (1964) - Nina Simone | | | |
| I Ain't Marching Anymore (1965) - Phil Ochs | | | |
| Eve of Destruction (1965) - Barry McGuire | | | |
| For What It's Worth (1966) - Buffalo Springfield | | | |
| Give Peace a Chance (1969) - John Lennon and Yoko Ono | | | |
| Freedom (Woodstock) (1969) - Richie Havens | | ||
| Ohio (1970) - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young | | | |
| Woodstock (1970) - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young | | | |
| The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1970) - Gil Scott-Heron | | | |
| Peace Train (1971) - Yusuf / Cat Stevens | | | |
| What's Going On (1971) - Marvin Gaye | | | |
| Find the Cost of Freedom (1971) - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young | | | |
| Imagine (1971) - John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band | | | |
| Impeach the President (1973) - The Honey Drippers | | | |
| Get Up, Stand Up (1973) - Bob Marley and The Wailers | | | |
| Smalltown Boy (1984) - Bronski Beat | | | |
| Todo Cambia (1984) - Mercedes Sosa | | | |
| That's What Friends Are For (1985) - Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder | | | |
| We Are the World (1984) - U.S.A. for Africa | | | |
| People Have The Power (1988) - Patti Smith | | | |
| Fight the Power (1989) - Public Enemy | | | |
| Changes (1992) - Tupac Shakur | | | |
| Zombie (1994) - The Cranberries | | | |
| Somos Sur (2000) - Ana Tijoux and Shadia Mansour | | | |
| American Skin (41 Shots) (2001) - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | | | |
| Пливе кача по Тисині (2002) - Pikkardiyska Tertsiya | | | |
| Where is the Love (2003) - Black Eyed Peas | | | |
| American Idiot (2004) - Green Day | | | |
| American Land (2006) - Bruce Springsteen | | | |
| Born This Way (2011) - Lady Gaga | | | |
| ICE El Hielo (2013) - La Santa Cecilia | | | |
| Glory (2014) - Common and John Legend | | | |
| Fuck Donald Trump (2016) - YG and Nipsey Hussle | | | |
| Land of the Free (2017) - Joey Bada$$ | | | |
| American Dream (2017) - Raye Zaragoza | | | |
| This Is America (2018) - Childish Gambino | | | |
| Caro (2019) - Bad Bunny | | | |
| Land of the Free (2019) - The Killers | | | |
| I Can't Breathe (2020) - H.E.R. | | | |
| Thoughts and Prayers (2020) - Drive-By Truckers | | | |
| Patria y Vida (2021) - Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky, Yotuel Romero | | | |
| Welcome To The Revolution (2021) - Hi-Rez and Jimmy Levy | | | |
| Hind's Hall (2024) - Macklemore | | | |
| Gaza is Calling (2024) - Mustafa the Poet | | | |
| Fly Like an Eagle (2025) - Steve Miller and Playing For Change | | | |
| Land of Hope and Dreams (2025) - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | | | |
| Bella Ciao (2013) - Trieste Partisan Choir | |
Soundtrack for Justice - Spotify playlist
Soundtrack for Justice - YouTube playlist
Click the ☰ navigation icon to open the complete "Soundtrack for Justice" playlist of music videos.
On August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, gospel legend Mahalia Jackson delivered a stirring rendition of “How I Got Over.” Her performance deeply moved the crowd and set the stage for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Leonard Bernstein led a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Berlin. Bernstein brought together musicians from East and West Germany, as well as from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union, to perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. He also altered the word "Freude" (Joy) to "Freiheit" (Freedom) in the choral finale, transforming the "Ode to Joy" into an "Ode to Freedom."
Additional Songs for Justice suggested by subscribers
| You Don't Own Me (1963) - Lesley Gore [suggested by Pam Doty] | | | |
| We Won't Be Backing Down (2024) - Annette Dion [suggested by Kathy Biehl] | |
What song of justice resonates with you?
Let me know
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