Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • All Woman
  • Career & Education
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Classifieds
  • Design Week
Songs by Tosh, Marley and Junior Murvin make Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time
Bob Marley & Peter Tosh
Entertainment, Latest News, News
Kevin Jackson  
January 27, 2025

Songs by Tosh, Marley and Junior Murvin make Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time

KINGSTON, Jamaica -Music publication Rolling Stone on Monday rolled out its list of the “100 Best Protest Songs of All-Time” and two songs by Bob Marley and the Wailers, one by Junior Murvin and one by Peter Tosh, were ranked among the list.

The number one spot is occupied by Sam Cooke’s 1964 classic, A Change is Gonna Come.

According to Rolling Stone, its list spans nearly a century and includes everything from pre-World War II jazz and sixties folk to eighties house music, 2000s R&B, and 2020s Cuban hip-hop.

Said the publication, “Some of these songs decry oppression and demand justice, others are prayers for positive change; some grab you by the shoulders and shout in your face, others are personal, private attempts to subtly embody the contradictory nature of political struggle and change from the inside. Many of our selections are specific products of leftist political traditions (like Pete Seeger’s version of We Shall Overcome), but just as many are hits that slipped urgent messages into the pop marketplace (like Nena’s anti-nuclear war New Wave bop 99 Luftballons).”

Police and Thieves, a 1977 hit by Junior Murvin, is ranked at number 66 on the list. This reggae classic is about violence in the streets of Kingston be it from police brutality or warring street gangs.

Peter Tosh’s 1976 pro-marijuana anthem Legalize It, ranks at number 54 on the list. Following his exit from the Wailers, Tosh launched his solo career with what would become the most timeless pro-marijuana anthem of them all. Over a languid pulse, Tosh speaks of cannabis’ medicinal benefits and cross-cultural impact creating a song and slogan that have lit up decriminalisation movements across countries and decades.

A 1975 hit, Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley and the Wailers, takes the number 35 spot on the Rolling Stone ranking.

Marley wrote Get Up, Stand Up after witnessing poverty on a trip to Haiti. Co-written with Peter Tosh and built off a melody from American funk rockers War, this plainspoken call to arms insists that you shouldn’t wait for peace in the afterlife but demand it right now.

Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) by Marley and the Wailers, is number 12 on the list. This 1974 recording is featured on the Natty Dread album.

Among the other songs that made the list are:

Talkin About a Revolution by Tracy Chapman, Fight the Power by Isley Brothers, I am Woman by Helen Reddy, Freedom by Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar, Sound of Da Police by KRS-ONE, I Can’t Breathe by H.E.R., War by Edwin Starr, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud) by James Brown and Respect by Aretha Franklin.

Tags:

Bob Marley Junior Murvin List Peter Tosh Rolling Stone
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

UDC announces the reopening of Turtle River Park
Latest News, News
UDC announces the reopening of Turtle River Park
November 18, 2025
ST ANN, Jamaica — The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has announced that Turtle River Park in Ocho Rios, St Ann, is now open and ready to welcome ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
US delivers HIV prevention drug to two African states
International News, Latest News
US delivers HIV prevention drug to two African states
November 18, 2025
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—The United States said Tuesday it has delivered a new treatment to prevent HIV in two African countries, months after ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
New York AG urges temporary protected status for Jamaicans after Hurricane Melissa
International News, Latest News
New York AG urges temporary protected status for Jamaicans after Hurricane Melissa
November 18, 2025
NEW YORK, United States — New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday called on the federal government to grant temporary protected status (TPS)...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
WATCH: Curacao Football Federation president says his team is on the verge of ‘history’
Latest News, Sports
WATCH: Curacao Football Federation president says his team is on the verge of ‘history’
November 17, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Curaçao Football Federation President Gilbert Martina says his team is on the verge of history as they gear up for their World Cup...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Haitian gangs getting rich off murky market for baby eels
International News, Latest News, Regional
Haitian gangs getting rich off murky market for baby eels
November 17, 2025
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Gangs in Haiti are profiting from a lucrative trade in baby eels caught in the crime-ridden country's rivers and...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Ministry ramps up measures to assist persons to safeguard their health
Latest News, News
Ministry ramps up measures to assist persons to safeguard their health
November 17, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Health and Wellness is ramping up measures to help the public safeguard their health by promoting safe water and f...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Fontana Pharmacy sets $10 million goal for Hurricane Melissa fundraising campaign
Latest News, News
Fontana Pharmacy sets $10 million goal for Hurricane Melissa fundraising campaign
November 17, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — In light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, Fontana Pharmacy, through the Fontana Foundation, has launched a $10 mill...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
WATCH: Sport minister confident in Reggae Boyz ahead of World Cup qualifier
Latest News, Sports
WATCH: Sport minister confident in Reggae Boyz ahead of World Cup qualifier
November 17, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sport Minister Olivia Grange is expressing confidence in the Reggae Boyz ahead of what could be one of the most important days in ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct