For decades, music has been an influential social mobiliser for the political left. With the tendency for young people to be more left-wing than their elders, it is no surprise that as the innovators and primary listeners of contemporary music, the political themes close to their hearts are often reflected through the music they create and consume.
Whether it’s the folk-protest songs of the pre-1970s, the punk revolution in the 1970s and 1980s, or new wave feminist and civil rights movements; music and left-wing politics appear to naturally go hand-in-hand.
This should hardly be a surprise. Anger and vented frustration always sell well. Popular music, like left-wing politics, is in many ways an artistic form of rebellion.
Protest themes, for example, remain popular and persist within every music genre. The issue of workers’ rights in Florence Reece’s folk song Which Side Are You On? (1931), has been rehashed several times; including covers by Pete Seeger (1967), Billy Bragg (1985), Natalie Merchant (2003), and acted as a source of inspiration for Bob Dylan’s Desolation Row (1965).
Similarly, issues of racial politics and gender equality have transcended the classic music genres; spanning across almost every decade for the last century. Songs like Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit (1939) – later sampled in 2013 by Kanye West in his track Blood on the Leaves – and Mississippi Goddam (1964) by Nina Simone, sparked controversy for their shameless approach to denouncing racial hatred in front of a mainstream American audience.
The push for equality has continued to be a dominant voice within music, ranging from Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On (1971), to N.W.A’s Fuck Tha Police (1988) and Lauryn Hill’s Everything is Everything (1998). More recently, Kendrick Lamar’s album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) has helped pass the political flame onto a new generation.
However, while music and the political left have formed a comfortable alliance, where does this leave those who are of the opposite political persuasion? Where are the musicians preaching about right-wing issues?
According to some people, they probably don’t exist. When was the last time you heard an album voice a complaint about ludicrous government spending, how public services should be privatised, or how family values should be upheld? It’s clear that “Reduce the Deficit, Here’s the Spending Cuts!” lacks the sexiness and heartfelt rallying cry of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977) – as well as carrying a distinct lack of euphonious lyrical charm.
The only two exceptions that come to mind are Taxman, the tax-cutting and anti-Harold Wilson anthem on tRevolver (1966) by The Beatles, and more broadly the 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. In the case of the latter, most tracks revel in the niceties and quaint aspects of English life, while simultaneously lamenting the loss of its old traditions.
Despite these exceptions, for the most part, songs or albums exploring right-wing issues either fail to achieve success or never make it beyond the garage band practice. So, can we safely assume that there are few right-wing musicians gracing our local concert halls or spinning on our turntables?
Unfortunately for some, we cannot. As music has become more commercial, we shouldn’t be surprised to find that many musicians, in a personal capacity, are in fact, right wing. Whether it’s to protect their large incomes or out of genuine philosophical tendencies, it makes as much sense for musicians who regard music as an art form to be of a right-wing persuasion as it does for the average person.
Iggy Pop, for example, in his 1980 track I’m a Conservative, is being no more satirical as he is ashamed of his political alignment. He’s also not alone. Moe Tucker from The Velvet Underground is a proud Tea Party Republican, Kate Bush declared that she liked Theresa May, Kanye West publicly sympathised with Donald Trump’s message, Neil Young declared his support for Ronald Reagan, Gary Barlow supported David Cameron and the Conservative party, and Ian Curtis from Joy Division claimed to have voted for Margaret Thatcher.
To protect record sales and to uphold their reputations, they have often been cautious or reluctant to admit this. For Kanye West, his popularity took a significant blow when he openly supported Donald Trump. Rightfully, many right-wing musicians have learned to keep their opinions personal and not let it infiltrate their music.
While the content of their music may not show their politics, right-wing musicians are some of the most successful and influential people in world music.
However, political opinions aside, perhaps there’s something more to admire about right-wing musicians than solely their musical talent. Their general ability to try and keep their own political beliefs and views personal has allowed for millions to enjoy their music without the need to split people based on politics.
While protest songs should be praised for their brilliance and social influence, perhaps its time to praise those artists who keep their political views away from their songs and away from the audience. Music can be about social change, but it can also be about escape.
With politics engulfing our everyday lives and dividing families and friends, a common love of music is something that could unite us. Right-wing musicians tend to set a good example when proving that sometimes songwriting and politics can, in fact, remain separate issues. It’s something many liberal and left-wing voices could learn a great deal from.