Playlist

Michael Albert has curated a companion playlist to accompany the book, The Wind Cries Freedom. Each chapter is paired with a group of songs that captures or works off, or embellishes its mood, energy, and emotional tempo. These selections are not background music but an extension of the narrative — a way to feel the atmosphere of each moment as it unfolds. Whether reflective, urgent, hopeful, or defiant, the music will help set a supportive tone, deepen immersion, and bring the themes of the chapters vividly to life, or at least it will for someone who has taste very like Michael's. For others, at the least the music is a very nice listen. Michael had help from his good friend and music knowledgeable, Sandy Carter

Chapter 1 – Oral History Ends At Civilization’s Start

  • Billy Holliday: God Bless the Child
  • Chuck Berry: Roll Over Beethoven
  • Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock
  • Impressions: People Get Ready

Chapter 2 – Back to the Beginning

  • Rolling Stones: Satisfaction
  • Otis Redding: The Dock of the Bay
  • Lorde: We’ll Never Be Royals
  • The Tokens: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Chapter 3 – End the Orange Monster

  • Sam Cooke: A Change Is Gonna Come
  • Woody Guthrie/Pete Seeger: Deportees
  • Odetta: Jim Crow Blues
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bad Moon Rising
  • Los Lobos: Will The Wolf Survive

Chapter 4 – From Sanctuary to Program

  • Buffalo Springfield: For What It’s Worth
  • Iris Dement: Wasteland of the Free
  • Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway
  • Richard and Mimi Farina: Bold Marauder

Chapter 5 – Academia or Activism

  • Woody Guthrie: I Ain’t Got No Home
  • Bob Dylan: A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
  • Bruce Springsteen: Badlands
  • Beatles: Here Comes the Sun

Chapter 6 – Activism Meets Cynicism

  • Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddam
  • Bruce Springsteen: The Rising
  • Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone
  • Ben E King: Stand By Me

Chapter 7 – Cynicism or Informed Hope

  • Tom Morello: Let Freedom Ring
  • Bob Dylan: It’s All Over Now Baby Blue
  • Lead Belly: Bourgeois Blues
  • Alejandro Escovedo: Wave

Chapter 8 – Fight to Win

  • Chrissie Hynde: Revolution
  • Laura Nyro: Save the Country
  • Jackson Brown: The Pretender
  • Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On

Chapter 9 – Convene and Transcend Baggage

  • Odetta: This Little Light of Mine
  • The Clash: London Calling
  • Bruce Springsteen: Youngstown
  • Amy Ray: Laramie

Chapter 10 – Chapters Are Essential

  • Billie Holiday: Strange Fruit
  • Bob Marley: Get Up Stand Up
  • Donovan: Catch the Wind
  • The Neville Brothers: Sister Rosa

Chapter 11 – Post Convention Vision

  • Gil Scott Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  • Bob Dylan: It’s Alright Ma
  • Jim Carroll Band: People Who Died
  • Paul Simon: The Boxer

Chapter 12 – Health and Class

  • Bob Dylan: Maggie’s Farm
  • Drive By Truckers: Once They Banned Imagine
  • Bob Marley: Redemption Song
  • Jimi Hendrix: The Star Spangled Banner

Chapter 13 – Health Gets Personal

  • Donovan: To Try for the Sun
  • Joan Baez: Blowing in the Wind
  • Rage Against the Machine: Killing in the Name
  • John Lennon: Imagine

Chapter 14 – Housing, Right to the City, and Winning Time

  • Ruthie Foster: Lord Remember Me
  • Bob Dylan: Hurricane
  • Simon and Garfunkle: Sounds of Silence
  • Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows

Chapter 15 – Rights Beget Ideas and Values

  • Jimmie Cliff: Sitting Here in Limbo
  • The Clash: Revolution Rock
  • John Lennon: Power to the People
  • Leonard Cohen: Democracy

Chapter 16 – Which Begets More Ideas and Values

  • Marianne Faithful: Broken English
  • Jim Page: I’d Rather Be Dancing
  • Buffy St. Marie: Now That The Buffalo’s Gone
  • Shannon Labrie: It’s Political

Chapter 17 – Actors’ Activism

  • Randy Newman: Political Science
  • Public Enemy: Fight the Power
  • Louis Armstrong: What A Wonderful World
  • Lucinda Williams: Soldiers Song

Chapter 18 – Activism’s Actors

  • Neil Young: After The Gold Rush
  • The Clash: The Call Up
  • Neil Young: Rockin’ In The Free World
  • Indigo Girls: Go Go Go

Chapter 19 – Athletes Revolt

  • Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
  • Jimmy Cliff: The Harder They Come
  • Beatles: Dear Prudence
  • Aretha Franklin: Respect

Chapter 20 – Religious Renovation

  • Indigo Girls: Closer to Fine
  • Laura Marline: Next Time
  • Ani Difranco: I Am Not A Pretty Girl
  • Hooray for the Riff Raff: La Pa’lante
  • Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah
  •  
  • Chapter 21 – Legal Upheaval
  • Drive By Truckers: What It Means
  • Valerie June: Workin’ Woman Blues
  • John Lennon: Working Class Hero
  • Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone

Chapter 22 – Transcend Media Madness

  • Jimmy Cliff: You Can Get It If You Really Want
  • Springsteen: 41 Shots
  • The Clash: Spanish Bombs
  • Tracy Chapman: Talkin’ ‘bout a Revolution

Chapter 23 – Educate and Economize

  • Thunderclapp Newman: Something in the Air
  • Rolling Stones: Street Fighting Man
  • Joan Baez: Farewell Angelina
  • Creedance Clearwater Revival: Fortunate Son

Chapter 24 – End Misogyny

  • Paul Robeson: No More Auction Block
  • Rolling Stones: Brown Sugar
  • Run for the Jewels: “A Report To The Shareholders / Kill Your Masters”
  • Tom Morello: Which Side Are You On

Chapter 25 – Win Intercommunalism

  • Sharon Jones: This Land Is Your Land
  • Public Enemy: Get Up Stand Up
  • Joan Baez: We Shall Overcome
  • Peter Gabriel: Biko

Chapter 26 – Beyond Capitalism, Classlessness

  • Los Lobos: Revolution
  • The Roots: Next Movement
  • Kendrick Lamar: How Much A Dollar Cost
  • David Bowie: All The Young Dudes

Chapter 27 – Tactics Matter

  • Nina Simone: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
  • Lucinda Williams: Born to Be Loved
  • Lady Ga Ga: Born This Way
  • Johnny Cash: Man in Black

Chapter 28 – Self-Definition

  • Buffy St. Marie: Universal Soldier
  • Patti Smith: People Have the Power
  • Prince: Sign O the Times
  • Bob Dylan: Chimes of Freedom
  • Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall

Chapter 29 – Planting Seeds

  • Mavis Staples: Wrote a Song for Everyone
  • Jackson Browne: Lives in the Balance
  • Jefferson Airplane: Crown of Creation
  • Bob Dylan: Times They Are A Changin
  • Phil Ochs: Ringing of Revolution 

Chapter 30 – Today and Tomorrow

  • Phil Ochs: Cops of the World
  • Shannon Labrie: War and Peace
  • Bob Dylan: Masters of War
  • Chambers Brothers: Time Has Come Today
  • Bob Dylan: When the Ship Comes In

An oral history of the next American revolution

Available at all major bookstores and online retailers.

©2026 The Wind Cries Freedom

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