Can a song ever 'change the world'?

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Inspired by one of the most recent comments on the Taking Sides: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Versus "Hey Ya!" thread.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 20:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes. But I don't think it's been written yet.

― Colin Cooper, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

*imagines world without songs*

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I will become a genius.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

A song can make me change the station.

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

The music world, yes (I'd suggest SLTS, Trans-Europe Express, Rock Around the Clock as three candidates). But the world at large? No.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I was thinking about this something like this lately. Which songs (irrespective of their musical merits) have brought the most benefit/done the most harm?
I was thinking about songs like:
'Do they know it's Christmas', 'The Red Flag', 'Deutschland Uber Alles', 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud'.
Or Bob Marley's music (especially) drawing the world's attention to Jamaica. Or Irish rebel songs doing their bit to help keep the Troubles in Northern Ireland going. Or the various influences of hip-hop in America and around the world.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Bill and/or Ted to thread!

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Who can forget the effect of the Monsters of Rock fest playing Moscow, which almost single-handedly led to the collapse of the Soviet Union (accelerated by the good fight led by Billy Joel and UB40, among others)?

But seriously, Vaclav Havel regularly cited Frank Zappa and the VU as a source of inspiration leading up to the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and later regularly consulted with Zappa and Lou Reed.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Interesting point Joe. I agree that the songs you mentioned had a sphere of influence that extended beyond "mere" pop music, but my definition of "change the world" seems different than yours. My def = the history of the event(s) must include the role of the song. For instance, when historians write about the Iraq war, they're not going to mention the Black Eyed Peas factor or the REM factor (or any of the other anti-war songs).
This is not to say that my definition is the best one, but that was my thought process when I wrote my answer.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

They wrote about the Star Spangled Banner being written.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Vaclav Havel played with Plastic People of the Universe for a brief period, who from what I understand were integral to kickstarting the "velvet revolution".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Barry, your definition is pretty much what I was thinking of. Asking
'Will it make the history books?' is a good way of thinking about it. Certainly musical movements lead to changes in wider society (jazz, rock and roll, hip-hop), but it's harder to think of individual songs that have done this.
The four examples listed above are the best I could think of.
'Do they know it's Christmas?' will certainly be mentioned in history books and did directly cause change in the world (in a limited way, admittedly).
The other 3 perhaps more reflected what was happening around them, than actually caused changes.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Clapton's "Change the World" is the obvious answer what with its dead-on lyric, smooth and tasteful guitar lines/Babyface production, and emotive vocal. I would say that yes this song changed many a world in the late '90s, and changed them for the better.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I can't figure out how I forgot that one.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

'Imagine' seems to have had a big impact on a whole lot of people.

― Debito (Debito), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Although it didn't necessarily effect society on a massive scale, I seem to recall a lot of social backlash over NWA & 2 Live Crew's lyrics and much legislation being addressed towards such.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

'Let's Spend the Night Together' and the sexual revolution of the '60s.

― Debito (Debito), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

i believe 10 years after's "i'd love to change the world" speaks for all songs when it says: "i'd love to change the world, but i don't know what to do."

on the other hand, if a butterfly's wings can change the weather halfway around the world, i have no doubt a song can change the world itself. but just like the butterfly will never realize what it's responsible for, no man will ever know that that song affected the earth's rotation. but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"We Shall Overcome," maybe?

― mike a, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

hmm, it's a slippery thing, trying to attach music to historical events, and trying to argue whether it was just a soundtrack reflection of the times, or whether it led to action of some kind...
in terms of the latter, perhaps:
NWA's "fuck tha police" and L.A riots

but to say that a song "only changed the history of music" downplays the way that different music creates different leisure forms (ie, hippie, hip hop or rave "cultures"). But as for one song...no, one song may be the emblem for such changes, but it can't do it alone

― paulhw (paulhw), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

'Cop Killer' and America's ballooning prison population.

― Debito (Debito), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

"White Flag"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's be more likely to see a particular group of people/generation, as represented by their music helping things along, rather than seeing one song 'change things'.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

example of a song that had the power to change "things" if not the world" - bob dylan's "hurricane."

the song didn't literally get hurricane carter out of a jail -- it took a few judges do that. but it raised public consciousness about the case and about carter's life story, not to mention the fact that it raised a lot of money for carter's defense fund. it certainly changed carter's life. and you couldn't possibly write carter's story without mentioning the song.

but, obviously, hurriane /= world.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

insert "to" between "judges" and "do." and insert another letter in the name "hurriane," wherever you think appropriate.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree with what Dave Kendall writes on the "Never Mind The Mainstream" compilation liner notes. As I remember it:

"Music may not change the world, but it can change the world in you"

― daavid, Thursday, 19 February 2004 02:52 (twenty-two years ago)

It can change people, create scenes, make people dance and pro-create and be happy or feel sad. If people are the world, then yes, that's all it does.

― David Allen (David Allen), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:29 (twenty-two years ago)

The song that changed the world most was probably used in an advertisement. Seger's "Like a Rock" probably kept a few thousand UAW workers on the line.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

'We Are the World'

― Debito (Debito), Thursday, 19 February 2004 03:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"But seriously, Vaclav Havel regularly cited Frank Zappa and the VU as a source of inspiration leading up to the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and later regularly consulted with Zappa and Lou Reed."

Aside from Chris Cutler, no one else ever seems to want to point out that Havel equally credits his other great hero, Ronald Reagan, as one of his great inspirations. Make of it what you will, but 'tis a fact.

― Kjoerup, Thursday, 19 February 2004 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

"Voices That Care" changed the world.

― billstevejim, Thursday, 19 February 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Didn't Vaclav Havel actually appoint Zappa Czechoslovakian foreign minister at one point? Zappa alledgedly told him not to deal with Dan Quayle.

― Nick H (Nick H), Thursday, 19 February 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes. For if (if? when.) I blow up the world, it will be because of 'My Sharona'

― Sasha (sgh), Friday, 20 February 2004 03:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that The Beatles early releases pretty much changed the American music scene for the better. Which one in particular would be the first one that you heard. For me, "I want To Hold Your Hand".

― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 20 February 2004 04:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I hope so.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 20 February 2004 04:43 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

i love to tit fuck

― jizz face, Wednesday, 31 May 2006 01:30 (nineteen years ago)

OTM.

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 06:10 (nineteen years ago)

The correct answer is 97 Candles In The Wind by Elton John, for this hearts felt, melodious and pognant tribute stopped the wars and made people behave with tears for each other, so it is better place the world, with the exceptions of Irag, which is not selling Elton Johns records and this is why they are war.

― Comstock Carabineri (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 07:00 (nineteen years ago)

or they all do. so does a sneeze.

― molly (bulbs), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 07:39 (nineteen years ago)

There are songs that have actually had an important impact. The most obvious example is "Free Nelson Mandela", which helped people in the Western world become aware that there was this guy called Nelson Mandela, which in turn may have been an important factor to get rid of Apartheid.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 07:53 (nineteen years ago)

You are inaccurate to call Free Nelson Mandela a song, for it is not melodics, simply a tribal chant which go nowhere. Such message should have been left to an accomplish songwriter to write, such as Neil Sedaka.

― Comstock Carabineri (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 07:59 (nineteen years ago)

then again Neil's "Mandala Mandele Mandela" had no global impact

― molly (bulbs), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:08 (nineteen years ago)

despite

― molly (bulbs), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:08 (nineteen years ago)

That was Neil Diamond, wasn't it? "Mandala Mandele Mandela/He's such a happenin' fella."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:09 (nineteen years ago)

*smacks head*

why has no one mentioned neil before? redefined a lotta folks thoughts

― molly (bulbs), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:14 (nineteen years ago)

Mandela would still be in the nick were it not for Neil's African Trilogy.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:17 (nineteen years ago)

it was the pop sneeze that caused lips to flap

― molly (bulbs), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:32 (nineteen years ago)

i remember the first time i heard it. seduced by hot august night i bought all four of the trilogy.

never looked back.

― molly (bulbs), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 08:36 (nineteen years ago)

Like Eric Clapton, I'm doing my best:
http://www11.nrk.no/urort/user/?id=13875

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 09:58 (nineteen years ago)

Perhaps an unfortunate choice of artist there, given the context...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 10:03 (nineteen years ago)

I used to scoff at this notion, but then I saw that TV commercial which uses that EMF song, rejigged to say "You're CRUMB-Believable"......

Now I see crumbs in a whole new light.

― Hot Hot Heat (Hot Hot Heat), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 10:41 (nineteen years ago)

I'm seconding Lennon's Imagine, in addition to much of Bob Marley's stuff.

― shorty (shorty), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 11:18 (nineteen years ago)

Can't see how either of these has gone one atom towards changing the world.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 11:27 (nineteen years ago)

Then perhaps you need glasses. :)

Look, are we trying to talk about a song that instantly transforms the world into a beautiful place, or are we talking about songs that change the outlook of millions of people? I think the former is unfortunately out of reach, and if you don't think that either John Lennon or Bob Marley have affected many people for the better I honestly feel kinda sorry for you.

― shorty (shorty), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 11:39 (nineteen years ago)

do ideas change the world, or does the world change our ideas?
i dunno

― Steven Patrick Morrisey, Wednesday, 31 May 2006 11:42 (nineteen years ago)

after that crystal waters track there is no more problem with homelessness. well done her.

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 11:58 (nineteen years ago)

From anyone else this would warrant serious comment, but I smell a troll and will not rise to the bait (xpost x 2).

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 12:15 (nineteen years ago)

Dunno about "Imagine" but Bob Marley in general (rather than one song) has certainly helped rasie the confidence of millions of people living in third world countries.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

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