Top 10 musicians – How has music influenced social change

Many musicians have changed the world, using their celebrity to raise awareness and championing causes to alleviate human suffering.

Extending from social problems caused by famine, natural disasters, war, civil rights violations, environmental abuse and others.

Some have achieved it through their music, some by using their fame as musicians and others using both.

Whichever way you look at how music has influenced social change, the list of musicians who changed the world is long. We may have differing opinions as to which of them has been the most influential. But in bringing about social change, justice, and raising awareness of serious social issues, they should be commended.

Many of their songs are memorable. I’ve listed my favourites below, some of which would also be contenders as the most influential musicians of all time.

Choosing 10 out of so many deserving of the accolade was not easy. I have gone for longevity, passion, sincerity and musicianship as my main criteria.

My Top 10 Musicians who changed the world by influencing social justice

In chronological order by birth date.

Pete Seeger (1920 -2014)

Civil Rights activist Pete Seeger who died in January 2014 was a prime mover in the folk revival that transformed popular music in the 1950s. He was a mentor to many young musicians, including Bob Dylan. He sang for the labour movement in the 1940s and 1950s. For civil rights marches and anti-Vietnam War rallies in the 1960s, and for environmental and antiwar causes in the 1970s and beyond. He was undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of all time.

My song for Pete is “We shall overcome” 

Featured image – ABC News.

Willie Nelson (1933- ) 

Environmentalist Willie Nelson is one of the great songwriters. He has written some of the most popular country songs of all time, including hits like “Crazy.” A multiple award winner he has a staggering 2500 songs and 300 albums to his name. He is well-known for his activism and for his compassion. With Neil Young and John Mellencamp, he organised the first Farm Aid concert in1985 to help family farmers. To date, the Farm Aid organization has raised more than $30 million. It continues to work to keep family farmers on their land. Choosing one from 2500 songs wasn’t easy.

My song for Willie is “You were always on my mind” 

John Lennon (1940 – 1980)

John promoted World peace and social change throughout his music career. During the solo years after the Beatles finished, it was present in almost everything he did. His wife Yoko Ono continued his work after he was murdered in 1980. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney was prolific and his impact on music and his generation was unparalleled. Who knows what he would have achieved by now had he lived on after that fateful day.

My song for John could only be “Imagine” 

Bob Dylan (1941 – )

Bob Dylan has supported many causes and is arguably one of the most influential musicians of all time and the most influential music icon of his age. They say everyone gets round to listening to Dylan eventually. He was involved in civil rights in the 1960s, and joined protest rallies and concerts. Dylan was a genius, reflecting the times in his poetry and music rather than being involved in any cultural revolution. In his eyes, he was just a guitar player who wrote over 1000 songs. He performed at George Harrison’s concert for Bangladesh in 1971. It was the first big rock concert organised by a musician to aid a cause.

For me, his most powerful among many great songs is “The Times they are a changing” 

Joan Baez ( 1941 – )

Joan Baez, unlike Dylan, is an Idealist committed to champion a cause, so they are very different. But like Dylan, she had a profound effect on the young generation of the Sixties. She has had a life-long commitment to political and social activism in the fields of nonviolence, civil rights, human rights and the environment. Baez’s distinctive vocal style and political activism had a significant impact on popular music. She shared a close relationship with Bob Dylan and I have chosen her rendition of Dylan’s “Blowing in the wind” as my song for her. (Photo credit Wikipedia.)

Roger Waters (1943 – )

The Wall is still relevant today: The loss of a father is the central prop on which ‘The Wall’ stands. As the years go by, children lose their fathers again and again, for nothing. You see it now with all these fathers, good men and true, who lost their lives and limbs in Iraq for no reason at all. I’ve done Bring The Boys Back Home in my encore on recent tours. It feels more relevant and poignant to be singing that song now than it did in 1979. (Source, Wikipedia)

Much of Roger Waters music is based on an anti-war message to the world. He is driven by being haunted from the death of a father in World War Two, who he never met. It took him years to come to terms with the tragedy. But through his powerful music and outspoken views, he has moved and influenced many people. He has been and still is, without doubt, one of the great rock musicians, songwriters and stage performers.

My song for Roger is the incredibly powerful song “The tide is turning”

(Photo credit Wikipedia)

Bob Marley(1945 -1981)

Bob preached ‘Peace and love’  – “We got to realise we are one people, or there will never be no love at all.” Bob died of cancer aged 36. He was immensely influential during his lifetime and probably even more so since his death. His son Ziggy and wife Rita have carried Bob’s torch since his death through performing and the family charity.

My song for Bob is “No woman no cry”

Neil Young (1945 – )

Neil Young is an environmentalist and outspoken advocate for the welfare of small farmers. He co-founded the benefit concert Farm Aid in 1985. In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website described him as ‘one of rock and roll’s greatest songwriters and performers’. Neil has been compared to Bob Dylan in that regard. But he, modestly, refers to himself as a ‘B’ student of Dylan. Nevertheless, he had a monumental influence over his generation musically.

My song for Neil is “Heart of Gold” 

Sir Bob Geldof (1951 – ) 

Nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes and Knighted in 1986, Bob  Geldof was the lead singer in the punk band the Boomtown Rats. But since those days he has become widely known for his political activism. Particularly his anti-poverty efforts in Africa with the organisations Band Aid and Live Aid, have raised countless millions of dollars to alleviate human suffering. He has masterminded some of the biggest rock concerts the world has ever seen since 1984. Raising awareness and funds for famine relief. (Photo credit Wikipedia)

Without hesitation, Bob’s song must be “Do they know it’s Christmas?” which in its first week of release became the UK’s fastest selling single of all time. It entered the chart at number one and went on to sell over three million copies. That made it the biggest-selling single in UK history up to that point, a title it held for thirteen years.

Bono (1960 – ) 

Apart from his music with U2, his humanitarian workhas brought him considerable commendations from his peers and the public alike. Live Aid brought him to prominence, and like Bob Geldof, his contribution to raising awareness and funds for famine relief has been immense. His passion for social activism led him to raise awareness through his songs, using politics and religion often. He has used his celebrity status to raise awareness about many global problems. Among them were apartheid and aids. He was a favourite of Nelson Mandela, for whom he worked and worked with since he was a teenager.

On Sunday, January 30^th 1972 British army troops, unjustifiably, opened fire on unarmed peaceful civilians at a Civil Rights march in Derry, Northern Ireland. 14 people were killed and 14 injured.

My song for Bono is “Sunday bloody Sunday” 

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