Chicago, IL – It was a chilly Saturday in March. It was late morning, yet many were headed to the movie theater. Not to see the typical movie, but a live stream by the Metropolitan Opera (the Met) of Beethoven’s Fidelio. The Met has been live streaming some of their productions since December 30, 2006. What motivated them to live stream? Perhaps to reach new audiences? More revenues?

Grand Rapids, MI – On December 7, 30 people gathered at Scorpion Hearts Club, a coffee shop near downtown Grand Rapids, to listen and sing along to folk and bluegrass performed by Carsten Forester and the Grand Industrial String Band.

Los Angeles, CA – On March 31, 1995, 23-year-old Chicana icon Selena Quintanilla was murdered by her employee Yolanda Saldivar. 25 years later, on December 4, 2020, Selena: The Series premiered on Netflix. Selena is indisputably one of the most important and influential Chicanas in the past 100 years. Executive producer for the series was eldest Quintanilla daughter Suzette; it was co-produced by Chicana Christian Serratos, who stars as Selena in the series.

2020 was quite a year with huge upsurges of struggle. And when there's an upsurge, you can bet it will be accompanied by protest music. This year has been no exception.

In 2019, we saw workers take to picket lines and we saw mass movements hit the streets in the U.S. and around the world. And when there’s an upsurge with lots of people hitting the streets, you can bet it will be accompanied by protest music. This year has been no exception.

St. Paul, MN – In 2017, the people’s movements took to the streets in huge numbers, facing off against Donald Trump as he assumed the presidency along with his band of billionaires and generals. Like many hated right-wing politicians before him, Trump has provoked not just protests but also a lot of music reflecting on and expressing outrage about his reactionary actions and words.

West Palm Beach, FL- On Sept. 3, legendary punk rock band Green Day rocked out before 20,000 screaming fans at South Florida’s Coral Sky Amphitheater. The concert, which started with front man Bille Joe Armstrong demanding everyone “get off [their] asses,” was in fact a two and a half hour show of contagious and non-stop energy and excitement.

2016 has been a year marked by many important struggles for justice, and also by the ascent of reactionary right wing politics to the White House. All of our movements will face big battles in 2017 as Donald Trump and his band of billionaires and generals take the reigns of power. Here’s some new music from the past year that can help inspire us to carry forward and strengthen our movements for the struggles to come. These are only a sampling of songs from this year; if you want to add more that have inspired you, comment on the article on facebook.

Minneapolis musical legend, Black movement supporter, gender-bending pioneer

“His songs were musical arguments to live free.” -Boots Riley

Grand Rapids, MI – Singer and folk music icon Pete Seeger passed away today, Jan. 28. Seeger was known for popularizing folk songs and signing everywhere he went. Peter Seeger united peoples in song across the entire society. Children in schools, teenagers at summer camps, worshippers in churches, workers on strike picket lines, civil rights marchers in the South and anti-war protesters across the country and over the decades lifted their voices to sing with Pete Seeger. Always an internationalist, Seeger helped not only to launch the American folk music revival, but folk music revivals in other countries like Australia too.

Detroit, MI – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and the Detroit music duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP), filed a federal lawsuit