Below are the top 10 political punk songs. Punk grew out of Rock and Roll’s 70s self-absorbed self-indulgence and instrumental artsy solos. Punk and in particular the best political punk songs cut through all the artsy garbage of rock n roll in the 70’s and responded with all the energy, shouting, anger, and alienation of good political punk music. The Stooges were angry, singing and shouting about alienation during the Flower Power hiatus in the late sixties and early seventies.
Whenever I go into a store like Hot Topic, I am always amazed by the expensive long, black leather coats and the pricey large Demonia Boots. It amazes me how different the wardrobe is when I was following punk. We wore the long overcoat, combat boots and other apparel we could snag from the Army Surplus store. I was lucky because I snared much of my wardrobe from my father in the military. It cost us very little to dress in punk attire.
10. Rebel Girl, by the Bikini Kill
A hardcore feminist punk band that was formed in 1990. There seems to be a lack of women musicians in punk.
9. War Sucks, Let’s Party, from the album War Sucks, Let’s Party 2008 by the Anti-Flag.
In the tradition of punk the anger against a war. A good hard rocking anarchist political punk song.
8. Holiday, from the album American Idiot, released in 2004 by Green Day
An anti-government song from the punk opera album American Idiot in the tradition of the Who’s Tommy.
7. I Wanna Conquer the World, 1989 from the album No Control, Bad Religion
One of the few punk bands that you can actually understand the lyrics to their songs. Much more cerebral than other punk bands.
6. The Politics of Starving, from the album Reinventing Axl Rose in 2006, Against Me
An excellent political punk band in the tradition of anarchist punk music.
5. Prayer of the Refugee, from the album Sufferer and the Witness, in 2006 by Rise Against
A song about the discrimination against refugees.
4.California Uber Alles in 1979 by the Dead Kennedys
The first song by the Dead Kennedys, a song about California Governor Jerry Brown who was in power from 1975 to 1983. Some of the lines and imagery in this song is great. The Dead Kennedys sing about Jerry Brown and his “suede denim secret police” who kill all the uncool people in organic poison gas chambers.
3. London Calling, from the album London Calling December 1979 by the Clash
The London Calling album is probably one of the most successful punk albums. It is rated number 8 of 500 on Rolling Stone’s list of all time albums. This song is a polished punk song. Many of the rough edges of early Clash songs are missing. This song will get you singing. Almost put it as my number 1 political punk song.
2. Anarchy in the UK, by the Sex Pistols
Anarchy in the UK, was first recorded on November 26th 1976, it was also the Sex Pistols first record. Anarchy in the UK would not appear on an album until the Sex Pistols released their one and only studio album “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols”.
1. Search and Destroy, from the album Raw Power, by Iggy Pop and the Stooges 1973.
An anti-Vietnam song. Many punk bands have sung this song. It has much of the raw rock energy of punk music in an era of artsy, rambling, self-indulgent rock.
You can purchase all these are for download, for .99 a song at Amazon.com. There are so many excellent Political Punk Songs.
