Best social protest bands?
 

What are the best social protest bands? Bands like RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE! Bands that stand for something. Bands about being rebell and protesting again injustice or inequality. Idealistic bands that stand for something!!!

The tricky thing for me about protest bands is that they're always going to have an air of hypocracy about them, due in part to the industry they find themselves in, especially with all that money swirling round the music industry.

I dont doubt the merits of individual songs and which part of the heart they came from, but I cannot take bands with a protest message all that seriously, I'm afraid.

To answer the question though, I do really love Gogol Bordello, but I aint an anarchist punk dude

Prayers for Athiests.

Rage Against the Machine is an obvious top choice.

And thank you for not posting this in the Punk category. Although people tend to exemplify punk rock as the most rebellious or socially-aware music around.

Usually, one of the things I look for in a band is poignancy. So here's some of my tops that at least have select moments of political/social intensity.

Immortal Technique
Soundgarden
The Who
The Clash
NOFX
Bad Religion
Tom Waits
The Roots
Les Claypool
Pink Floyd
Tool
Corrosion of Conformity

Excellent list, I would concur with all of these! Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and Tom Waits would be some of my favourites.

1. Crass
2. Crass
3. Crass
4. Crass
5. Crass

Cress>Crass

Crass renders every other social protest band irrelevant
I don't even care they hate my favorite band
they do

System of a Down?

Skrewdriver