"The startling sound for a rebellious soul was not a speech, but a song carrying the heavy weight of sorrow and defiance."

– Frederick Douglass

Mahalia Jackson singing At The March On Washington, 1963.

In times of war, injustice, and struggles that test democracy, Americans sing. We call out for freedom, for peace, and for an end to poverty and unjust laws. Our cries of anger and our visions of the future ring out from homes and fields, from mass rallies and marches, from porches and porticos.

ClassACT HR73 invites you to listen to “Vibes for Voting,” a Spotify Playlist for the November 3 midterm elections, a civic exercise and duty that will determine the future of our democracy.

Tune in as you plan your vote, while you text or send postcards to voters, and when you canvass or drive fellow citizens to the polls. Let the anthems, lyrics, and melodies that have bound together protesters from Mississippi to Minneapolis ring out anew as we all prepare to cast our ballots.

Bob Dylan, Newport, 1963 © Rowland Scherman.

The playlist starts with Mavis Staples's cover of "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" and ends with Bruce Springsteen's recent "Streets of Minneapolis." In between is music from protest movements that continue to define our country. These songs have spoken to those who championed civil rights ("We Shall Overcome"), opposed the Vietnam War ("Fortunate Son," "War"), pleaded for the environment ("Big Yellow Taxi") and stood up for women’s rights ("Respect" and "9 to 5").

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar at 2016 BET Awards.

On the playlist are jubilant calls for freedom ("Redemption Song") as well as furious prophesies ("Masters of War"). Some tunes may spur you to dance ("London Calling”) while others will make you stop and listen hard ("Mississippi Goddam").

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band perform at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images

ClassACT HR73 celebrates the composers and musicians who have taken our collective pain and anger and turned those feelings into songs that still strengthen us today. These artists have given us a songbook that endures through the darkest chapters in our history. Now, with another war in the Middle East and the arrests of protestors in our streets, these words and chords encourage us to stand firm again for all the liberties that our Constitution and our forebears have bequeathed to us.

Thanks for listening.