Who are some of music's most outspoken and sometimes even hated artists and why? Here's my list...

Madonna - One of the biggest Icons in music male or female. People can't handle what she has to say about anything.

Yoko Ono- People think she broke up the Beatles

Kanye West - Where do I begin?

Axl Rose - Controlling & always late for gigs but I love him!

By the way, I am a fan of all the people I mentioned.

There are musicians who are "outspoken" on trivial stuff, and musicians who truly "speak out" on pressing issues. Based on memory, I will list these folk who have spoken on issues at critical times

Louis Armstrong -- Spoke out on the civil rights movement after his legacy was secure

James Brown -- though IIRC he was a Nixon supporter

Dave Brubeck -- refused to bow to Jim Crow laws when he took his integreated quartet on tour

Bob Dylan

Gil Scott-Heron

Stevie Wonder -- without him there may not be a national MLK holiday

The Beastie Boys -- introduced so many young fans to Tibet

The Dixie Chicks

There are tons of artists, a la Hank Williams Jr., who speak out in ways I disagree with but are outspoken all the same.

John Lennon - who didn't really fit into any box and argued against...everybody!

2Pac

Public Enemy - but of course

Dave Grohl

Cyndi Lauper (especially about causes concerning gay folks)

Peter Tosh

Frank Zappa

Johnny Rotten

The Clash

Johnny Ramone

John Lennon constantly had a new cause that he forced down everyone's throat (or ears, in the case of Yoko)

NDRU said:

John Lennon constantly had a new cause that he forced down everyone's throat (or ears, in the case of Yoko)

Yeah, he was just annoying. Like Todd Rundgren once told him (through song), he was just a "rock and roll pussy" lol

[Edited 11/14/12 13:12pm]

Timmy84 said:

NDRU said:

John Lennon constantly had a new cause that he forced down everyone's throat (or ears, in the case of Yoko)

Yeah, he was just annoying. Like Todd Rundgren once told him (through song), he was just a "rock and roll pussy" lol

He built up a lot of good will to endure it all and still be loved.

NDRU said:

Timmy84 said:

Yeah, he was just annoying. Like Todd Rundgren once told him (through song), he was just a "rock and roll pussy" lol

He built up a lot of good will to endure it all and still be loved.

Near the end of his life, he dissed anyone who thought he was serious about his activism lol

NDRU said:

Timmy84 said:

Yeah, he was just annoying. Like Todd Rundgren once told him (through song), he was just a "rock and roll pussy" lol

He built up a lot of good will to endure it all and still be loved.

Last Poets, Gil-Scott Heron and Public Enemy come to mind immediately.

Historically, Harry Belafonte and Paul Robeson are probably even more important, but I doubt too many on this board listen to their records and that was along time ago. So was Woody Guthrie.

While feeding the hungry wasn't necessarily controversial you could make a case for Bob Geldof being much more successful for his activism than his music. Billy Bragg is probably equally well known for both.

Among punk rockers, the one in the last 20 years that seemed to get under peoples' skin, and also where their politics informed their music in a good way, was Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill.

Grohl, really? What's he for or against? I like him but never thought of him as particularly political or outspoken.

Oh yeah, Pussy Riot! They went to JAIL for those songs you know.

bobzilla77 said:

Oh yeah, Pussy Riot! They went to JAIL for those songs you know.

What songs though is the real question.

bobzilla77 said:

Last Poets, Gil-Scott Heron and Public Enemy come to mind immediately.

Historically, Harry Belafonte and Paul Robeson are probably even more important, but I doubt too many on this board listen to their records and that was along time ago. So was Woody Guthrie.

While feeding the hungry wasn't necessarily controversial you could make a case for Bob Geldof being much more successful for his activism than his music. Billy Bragg is probably equally well known for both.

Among punk rockers, the one in the last 20 years that seemed to get under peoples' skin, and also where their politics informed their music in a good way, was Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill.

Grohl, really? What's he for or against? I like him but never thought of him as particularly political or outspoken.

Rock music, really. He don't seem to be real political compared to Krist Novoselic.

bobzilla77 said:

Last Poets, Gil-Scott Heron and Public Enemy come to mind immediately.

Historically, Harry Belafonte and Paul Robeson are probably even more important, but I doubt too many on this board listen to their records and that was along time ago. So was Woody Guthrie.

Robeson is probably no. 1 on this list. He spoke out when Jim Crow was at its peak.

While feeding the hungry wasn't necessarily controversial you could make a case for Bob Geldof being much more successful for his activism than his music. Billy Bragg is probably equally well known for both.

Indeed.

[Edited 11/14/12 15:46pm]

This is all good and informative stuff guys. Keep em coming.

Dave Grohl was definitely a surprising entry on this list. Never thought of him that way really. Here's a couple more I thought of....

Johnny Rotten

Courtney Love

Green Day??

dancerella said:

This is all good and informative stuff guys. Keep em coming.

Dave Grohl was definitely a surprising entry on this list. Never thought of him that way really. Here's a couple more I thought of....

Johnny Rotten

Courtney Love

Green Day??

I wouldn't think Green Day to be that outspoken... that's just me though.

Neil Young

Noel Gallagher

Laim Gallagher LOL

Curtis

Morrissey

Sinead O'connor

bobzilla77 said:

Historically, Harry Belafonte and Paul Robeson are probably even more important, but I doubt too many on this board listen to their records and that was along time ago. So was Woody Guthrie.

I was just reading about Paul Robeson today. I didn't really know his history, but I saw he was banned from performing in the US for being a communist, and did things like performing right on the border, despite his concerts being violently broken up by KKK memmbers

[img:$uid]http://www.kalamu.com/bol/wp-content/content/images/miles%20davis%2071.jpg[/img:$uid]

NDRU said:

bobzilla77 said:

Historically, Harry Belafonte and Paul Robeson are probably even more important, but I doubt too many on this board listen to their records and that was along time ago. So was Woody Guthrie.

I was just reading about Paul Robeson today. I didn't really know his history, but I saw he was banned from performing in the US for being a communist, and did things like performing right on the border, despite his concerts being violently broken up by KKK memmbers

Paul Robeson was a very controversial figure before the word controversy became a norm in show business but he was controversial for his non-show business activism. I add Pete Seeger to the outspoken musicians list if anyone failed to mention him. Nice pick on Woody. He's after all the man who originated the quote: "this guitar kills fascists" or something to that degree.

Sinead O'Connor

Prince

Kanye West

James Brown

Sly Stone

KRS-One

Doug E. Fresh

Public Enemy

Dionne Warwick

aardvark15 said:

[Edited 11/14/12 15:46pm]

Fraud.Money grubbing whore trying to corner the gay market with her dance music.

Some disses.

“People talk about Eric Clapton. What has he ever done except throw his baby off a fuckin’ ledge and write a song about it?”

Anton Newcombe on Eric Clapton

“A vile, hideous human being with no redeeming qualities.”

Boy George on Madonna

Musicians like most celebrities are hideous people.

[Edited 11/16/12 7:16am]

iaminparties said:

aardvark15 said:

[Edited 11/14/12 15:46pm]

Fraud.Money grubbing whore trying to corner the gay market with her dance music.

thank you.

Rococo said:

iaminparties said:

Fraud.Money grubbing whore trying to corner the gay market with her dance music.

thank you.

Wolf in sheep clothing.It's like an evil priest hiding in the church.

iaminparties said:

Some disses.

“People talk about Eric Clapton. What has he ever done except throw his baby off a fuckin’ ledge and write a song about it?”

Anton Newcombe on Eric Clapton

“A vile, hideous human being with no redeeming qualities.”

Boy George on Madonna

Musicians like most celebrities are hideous people.

[Edited 11/16/12 7:16am]

Anton is a loser!! Always has been and always will be. Who says things like this about someone's child who has died in a tragic accident? Jealous losers say things like this, that's who.