The past decade has been a whirlwind of disillusionment for my generation. Around '01-'03 in the US of course there was a huge surge of patriotism and stuff, we all know what happened. As the war dragged on, the public acceptance of it started to waver. By the middle of the decade most of the country was sick of it and just wanted it to be over. Then came the market crash in 2008, the economic woes that followed, the optimism following Obama to the White House followed by the reality that the problems facing the country (and the world) couldn't be fixed quickly or easily. At this point it feels like we're just swimming in cynicism towards the way things are done in Washington. To cap things off, after what happened in Staten Island and Ferguson last year, it's like the public perception of police officers has done a complete 180 since 2001.

Far from trying to start a political discussion, I want to know where the protest songs are. People are riled up, but are they flexing their creative muscles to prove it? Do we have a modern Won't Get Fooled Again? Ohio? Does anyone have the balls (or the chops!) to do this?

Nah today's music is about appealing to a young audience. Bubblegum pop crap. Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber are no Hendrix or The Who.

Protest the Hero makes a lot of songs with political and social commentary...Progressive Metal doesn't exactly have a ton of mass appeal though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMc0Hb-dSUc (Protesting a Canadian bill which ruled that Pitbulls were considered weapons)

Flobots (Alt Rap) and Rise Against (Alt Rock) have a lot of protest songs too (generally anti war)

Flobots ft. Tim McIlrath (the guy from Rise Against) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsgbb23z27w (general anti war)

There aren't any that are popular mainstream. Looking to the underground; most of Immortal Technique's songs are political.

Point of No Return - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWwyMb0tEjU

Rich Man's World (1%) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeE3-rOG7i4 (Song starts at 38 seconds, but the movie quote is technically part of the song)

Land of the Gun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVvKEU42myE

It's not about what's popular, the 60s and 70s were no different in that regard. Most of the chart-toppers were pop music. Besides, everybody starts somewhere. Before The White Album and Let it Be, The Beatles did Please Please Me and Hard Day's Night. Before Who's Next, The Who had My Generation and A Quick One. The musicians were still great but the lyrics weren't exactly inspired.

Edit: I'm dumb.

This sure was a thing in 2003. Not exactly topical now, but boy was it controversial back then.

Well, there's Waiting on the World to Change. Maybe it's actually being critical of the attitude it seems to preach, but it's an awfully passive protest song. Anyway it sounds like I'd have to embrace genres I was never really crazy about to get much else. Never was much of a heavy metal or rap fan. But I guess in that case I might as well just continue listening to CSN, it's not like old music is going away.

Rise Against is a lot more palatable when it comes to rock music...their old stuff bordered on hardcore punk (and it was damn good), but their newer stuff can be pretty great too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DboMAghWcA

Walking around in circles from Jeff C

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVo4VTwVld8