5 Musician Activists Who Made An Impact
Check out some musicians who have sparked change and make a difference.

Music is one of the best tools to make a criticism or promote a cause. You have probably heard a song that criticizes a social, environmental, or political problem. Well… in the last decades, it has become very common.

Many artists have vented through their songs to express their disenchantment with many problems. Thanks to this, millions of fans can feel identified and support many causes, for the common good. From this idea is born the concept of activist musicians, but... what does it mean?

Musicians Raising Awareness

Those musicians use their music to raise awareness in society, either due to social, environmental, or political problems. They are the voice of minorities who often do not receive any kind of help, they are the only hope for positive change. Musician activists are constantly fighting to make the world a better place, and that is admirable.

A lot of artists have been doing this for decades, but it all started around the 1960s when artists like Bob Dylan were writing songs in support of civil rights. However, in this article, we will tell you about the 5 most important musician activists who left a significant impact on society.

Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof is a well-known singer and political activist. You may know Geldof, he was the leader of the rock band called The Boomtown Rats. He also participated in the Pink Floyd movie: The Wall. But what you probably didn't know is that he was one of the organizers of the events "Live Aid", "Live 8", and "Live Earth".

It all started in 1984 when he created a musical charity union. It had the purpose of raising enough money for the tragedy that was happening at that time in Ethiopia, a famine that killed more than a million Ethiopians. The song they used for this cause is called "Do They Know It 's Christmas?" which was a worldwide hit.

But this is not the end of the story, some twenty years later he created a series of concerts aimed at asking the G8 ("The Group of Eight" formed by Canada, Germany, United States, Japan, France, Italy, United Kingdom, and Russia) to significantly reduce the debt of African countries. In 1992, he even participated in a tribute concert to Freddie Mercury after his death!

Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is one of the queens of folk music in the 60s, as she had a high-pitched voice and a magnificent vibrato that gave a unique touch to her songs. And we can't ignore the fact that she was Bob Dylan's partner! But one of the details of her music is that it was usually composed to protest for some cause or social justice.

When Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech Baez was there supporting him, and she was amazed by his words about non-violence, social change, and civil rights for all people. In 1970 she made a trip to Hanoi to oppose the war that was going on at the time: the devastating Vietnam War.

She also protested against the Gulf War, global poverty, and the Iraq War. After that time she continued to fight for various causes, such as supporting LGBTQ+ rights, caring for the environment, and opposing the death penalty.

Nina Simone

Although her stage name is Nina Simone, her real name is Eunice Kathleen Waymon. She was a singer, pianist, and composer born in Tryon, North Carolina. She is constantly remembered for her artistic performance in the jazz and blues genres, plus she had a wonderful voice that allowed her to catch the attention of any viewer.

Simone passed away on April 21, 2003, but she was one of the activists with the most perseverance and ingenuity. Nina fought through her songs for the civil rights of all people of African descent. One of her most famous singles is "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black" which is now considered an anthem for civil rights. However, she had to leave the United States in 1969 after the assassination of Martin Luther King and racial segregation.

Sting

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner is one of the most famous British musicians in the world, although you probably know him by the name of "Sting". This man was the lead voice of one of the most successful groups in the music industry: The Police (which lasted from 1977 to 1984).

Who doesn't love The Police? We all do!

But what people may not know is that he has been an activist for many years. He wrote some songs out of his concern for political regimes that have been oppressive around the world. Sting is known for several petitions against the death penalty in Belarus that he signed, and sometimes news reports have surfaced about cancellations of his concerts due to issues of lack of human rights compliance in certain countries.

Sting has shown throughout his musical career that he cares about the welfare of humanity, and that is why a lot of people admire and respect him. He has even appeared at some concerts of non-governmental human rights organizations - he is a role model!

Alicia Keys

Last but not least we have Alicia Augello Cook better known as Alicia Keys. I don't need to explain who she is, everyone knows the queen of R&B!

She has won more than ten Grammys and has 8 studio albums. However, outside of her artistic work she is an activist and cares about the welfare of other people. Alicia is co-founder of the famous organization "Keep a Child Alive" which is in charge of helping children or families affected by HIV in places like Africa or India. Within this organization, a gala called "Black Hall" is held and Alicia invites hundreds of artists to raise money.

Alicia Keys is one of the most influential women activists today, so she couldn't be left out of this list!

If you liked this article, please share it with other friends who are interested in knowing which activist musicians made an impact in the world. But I have a question for you, do you know other important activists that were not mentioned in this list?