Classic Protest Songs of the Sixties

The turbulent era had a soundtrack

Student protesters marching down Langdon Street at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the Vietnam War era. UW Digital Collections, CC BY 2.0 DEED, via Wikimedia Commons

The recent unrest on college campuses reminds me of my own experiences as a university student in the Sixties. Protesting back then was very personal — young men from my generation faced being drafted into a war many of us were against. There were other social and environmental injustices we protested as well.

Music was essential to those of us growing up during that time, so it is not surprising that protest songs became an integral part of our lives. Here is just a sampling, in chronological order, of some of the classic protest songs of the Sixties.

Blowin’ in the Wind (1962)

Composed by Bob Dylan and first performed by him in 1962, “Blowin’ in the Wind” was released as a single from the album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, in 1963. Some believe “Blowin’ in the Wind” is an anthem of the civil rights movement, while others interpret the lyrics as having a more generalized protest message. The song, famously covered by Peter, Paul and Mary, marked the true beginning of Dylan’s rise as the unparalleled poet of the baby boomer generation.