10 Perfect Rock And Roll Protest Songs

10. Electioneering - Radiohead

Throughout their entire career, Radiohead were never really known to be the most political band in the world. If you ever were listening to albums like OK Computer, the focus was always on the impending doom that was happening with the rise of technology, as we slowly started to lose touch with the human side of ourselves. We see that dehumanizing in lots of different ways though, and you could see it clearly in that plastic smile of every politician.

Far and away the most rock centric cut on the project, Electioneering is one of the few songs on the record that seems to have a much clearer target than before. Whereas songs like Subterranean Homesick Alien may be focused on general alienation, the pure venom in this song seems directed at those who use their status as a politician to brainwash their constituents into keeping them in power, using the machine of promotion to keep them going and always counting on the diehards to drive their voting schemes.

The chorus does offer a bit of a respite from everything though, with Thom Yorke knowing that one day they will all meet in the middle, as the common man goes forward and the pampered other half continue to fall backwards at every turn. That kind of posh lifestyle can be used as a security blanket a lot of the time, but once we're all on the same playing field, it's survival of the fittest.