Politics and Modern Musical Artists Essay -- Music Essays

Politics and Modern Musical Artists Musical artists of the modern age have had a great affect upon the generation that the writers of the paper are a part of. Not only have the songs they produced brought us enjoyment and heightened our emotional states, they have also informed us of their opinions. One of the issues drawing the strongest opinions as of late is the American government, particularly the Bush administration. Some of the most popular bands and artists have made it a point to express their views on such matters through their music and concerts, rallying to fight or support a matter relating to the U.S. government. The following bands have influenced at least one of us as their listeners, and the message we carry is that opinion expressed through music is quite an important thing. Eminem has become a huge media icon, not only amongst young people, but also by the regard given to him by older adults. He is the king of controversy, not only for his opinions of homosexuals and drugs, but also his political views. He has been in the public spotlight for about five years now, and ever since his first single, â€Å"My Name Is†, in which he portrayed a promiscuous President Clinton; he has made his view on political figures clear. Eminem seems to have a major problem with authority, and the President is the highest authority, so you can bet your bottom dollar that he has a few things to say pertaining to our Commander and Chief. For Eminem this is not a one-time thing, throughout all of his albums he has always had something to say about politics or the government. In songs such as â€Å"White America†, he speaks on the government's efforts to silence him with censorship. In ... ...hville, 2002. Klosterman, Chuck. â€Å"Fitter Happier: Radiohead Return† Spin Magazine . 2003. Vibe Ventures LLC. 14 Nov. 2004 Mathers, Marshall . Encore . Interscope Records, 2004. Mathers, Marshall . Straight from the Lab EP . Interscope Records, 2003. Mathers, Marshall . The Eminem Show . Interscope Records, 2002. Radiohead. Hail to the Thief . Capitol Records, 2003. Radiohead. OK Computer . Capitol Records, 1997. Sum 41. Chuck. Island Records, 2004. â€Å"Sum 41 Online: Biography.† Island Records . 2004. Fearless Concepts. 16 Nov. 2004 â€Å"Toby Keith: Biography.† CMT.com . 2004. Viacom Company. 17 Nov. 2004