Communist and Working Class Music

In our archives are an expansive collection of Communist, working class, labor, national liberation, and others sorts of music made by freedom-loving groups and artists.

This music is provided for educational, historical and archival purposes only. We do not provide download links and we do not endorse the redistribution of any of these files for any reason.

The full, uncurated archive can be found here: [[1]]

American Communist and Working Class Music

Explicitly Socialist Bands and Artists

Folk

• Paul Robeson - Prominant CPUSA member and skilled baritone
• Phil Ochs
• Woody Guthrie - Folk Singer and Activist
• Red Star Singers - Short-lived live LA band formed in response to Vietnam War
• David Rovics - Modern folk singer

Rappers

• Shiangyu - Chinese-American Rapper
• The Coup
• dead prez
• Immortal Technique
• M-1
• Bambu - Filipino-American Rapper
• Murs -

Metal/Punk

• Sankara - Seattle-based metal band
• The Dils - Punk band with tracks such as "Class War", "Red Rockers", and "I Hate the Rich"
• The Proletariat - Massachusetts Hardcore Punk

• Liberation Music Orchestra - Jazz band

Labor and Working Class Music

Folk

• Pete Seeger - Folk Musician, pro-labor but anti-Communist
• Joe Glazer - Folk Musician, pro-labor but anti-Communist
• Lead Belly - Folk and Blues musician, performed for CPUSA at Camp Unity
• Josh White - Folk musician, fellow traveler who was victim of McCarthyism

• Anti-Flag - Left-wing activist punk band
• Antibalas - Left-wing Afrobeat
• [[Consolidated - Anti-Capitalist and Activist punk

State Sponsored Music from Socialist States

Soviet Music

• The Red Army Choir

Music from the DPRK

• Korean People's Army State Merited Chorus and Symphony Orchestra
• Moranbong Band
• Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble
• Wangjaesan Light Music Band

Communist Bands and Artists from Around the World

• Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird - German klezmer band with explicitly Communist songs. Sings in English, German and Yiddish.

National Liberation Music

• The Dubliners

Miscellaneous

Fun Facts and Eyebrow Raisers

• They Might be Giants is suspected to be Socialist friendly with lyrics such as "I build a little empire out of some crazy garbage called the blood of the exploited working class". Although that sounds like solid evidence, their lyrics in general are surreal to the extent that such a line does not stand out. They also released a song called "The Communists Have the Music", but due to the humorous tone it is hard to say whether it is for or against Communism.

• The Rolling Stones released a song "Sweet Black Angel" which is believed to be about Angela Davis.

• John Lennon had this to say about his most popular song: "'Imagine', which says: 'Imagine that there was no more religion, no more country, no more politics,' is virtually The Communist Manifesto, even though I'm not particularly a Communist and I do not belong to any movement."

• John Lennon and Yoko Ono released a song about Davis simply called "Angela".

• Tupac Shakur was a member of the Young Communist League, though it did not particularly reflect in his music.

• Mojo Nixon and The Dead Kennedy's lead singer Jello Biafra collaberated on a cover of the song "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" in the album Prairie Home Invasion.