Derek, amazing synchronicity between your (brilliant of course) blog and the one that I was writing in my head. Similar artists spring to mind as well, though some different songs; for me it was Bragg's Great Leap Forward; Costello's Oliver Army (one of his best songs period); Midnight Oil's Bed are Burning and Dreamworld; REM's Cuyahoga; TPE's Big Decision (one of the best songs from the eighties off of one of the best albums of the eighties); Lou Reed's Last Great American Whale; ...others will come to me.

BUT WAIT!!

Have we forgotten that "protest" music was popularized through the American folk music of the sixties (a generation raised in the shadow of World War II) and the Anti-Vietnam music. Given the long-standing eerily similar situation in Iraq surely it still resonates? No need to list too many songs, but Dylan's Master of War, McGuire's Eve of Destruction; The Byrds Turn Turn Turn or Draft Morning; Buffy St. Marie's Universal Soldier (covered by Donovan); Buf Springfield's For What its Worth; Airplane's Volunteers etc etc

and

what about about the great social commentary music coming out of Britain at the same time - like the Stones 19th Nervous Bkdn; the Kinks (almost every bloody song actually) Well Respected Man (as an aside: isn't it fun to live that every day?! yeah baby!); Who's My Generation; Yardbirds' Mr You're a Better Man Than I.

This sixties' msuic was some of the key music for me in my mid-late teens, and I think to a degeree it is re-discovered by every subsequent generation for the same reasons as you mentioned.

Kyle, still thinking of my favourite videos, and will blog on same......just......need.....more......tiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmme