In times of trouble and conflict, music has often served as a powerful vehicle for advocating peace. Many artists have successfully used their songs to share the message of peace, love, and unity, inspiring listeners to imagine a world free from conflict. In this article, we will go over 10 peace songs that were impactful enough to become anthems of the peace movement.
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1. Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon) – Give Peace a Chance
We start this list with the man you probably first thought of when you read ‘songs about peace’: John Lennon. The Beatle wrote “Give Peace a Change” during his renowned Bed-ins for Peace honeymoon with Yoko Ono. When a reporter asked Lennon what he was trying to achieve with the Bed-ins, Lennon replied: “Just give peace a chance.” The spoken phrase became the inspiration behind the song.
The song was released as a single by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s group the Plastic Ono Band and was Lennon’s first single outside The Beatles. It was a top 20 hit in the United States and reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
2. Bob Marley – One Love
Just like John Lennon, Bob Marley is synonymous with the message of peace and love. One of Marley’s best and most prominent peace anthems is “One Love”. Marley’s message is simple but effective: “Let’s get together and feel alright.” The Jamaican reggae artist originally released the song with the Wailers in 1965, but the version we all know appears on Bob Marley and the Wailers’ 1977 album Exodus.
3. The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!
Based on the Bible’s Book of Ecclesiastes (specifically Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), folk singer Pete Seeger wrote “Turn! Turn! Turn!” in 1959. Seeger only added the title phrase and the song’s final lyric, which states it’s not too late for peace. In 1965, The Byrds’ version of the song became an international hit. Their rendition of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in late 1965.
Read more: The Meaning Behind “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds
4. Cat Stevens – Peace Train
In Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train”, the singer-songwriter invites you to hop on the train that heads in the direction of peace. “The words were attached to that time, my peace anthem,” Stevens said during The Chris Isaak Hour. “It ended every show that I did and was quite a show-stopper. It was a very important song for me because it stated one of the big goals of my life which was heading straight for that peace.”
5. George Harrison – Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
While John Lennon is the Beatle associated with peace songs, the other Beatles could share a great peace message too. In 1973, George Harrison released “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” as the lead single of his fourth studio album Living in the Material World. The song’s message is obvious via the title alone, which according to Harrison is a ‘prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it.’
6. Michael Jackson – Heal the World
Heal the world and make it a better place is the core message behind Michael Jackson’s 1992 anthem “Heal the World”. A decade later, Jackson revealed that “Heal the World” is the song he’s most proud of creating. The iconic performer also started a charity named after the song, which was active between 1992 and 2002.
7. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” is often seen as a protest anthem, but the song’s writer Renaldo Benson had different intentions with the song. “My partners told me it was a protest song,” he reflected. “I said ‘No man, it’s a love song, about love and understanding. I’m not protesting, I want to know what’s going on.”
for “What’s Going On”, Benson is credited as a songwriter together with Al Cleveland and Marvin Gaye, the last of which released it on his highly acclaimed album with the same name. Over the years, “What’s Going On” grew out to be one of the most-celebrated anthems ever recorded.
8. Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind
Bob Dylan wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind” based on an old spiritual he learned from the Carter family. The song asks rhetorical questions about freedom and peace, of which the answers are blowin’ in the wind. Some of the questions asked are still blowin’ in the wind, reinforcing the importance of sharing the message of peace.
Read more: The Story Behind “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan
9. The Beatles – All You Need Is Love
As a peace anthem released by the biggest band during the renowned 1967 Summer of Love, “All You Need Is Love” was nothing but a cultural phenomenon. Therefore, it’s no surprise the song topped the worldwide charts. “We were big enough to command an audience of that size, and it was for love. It was for love and bloody peace,” Ringo Starr reflected in the Anthology. “It was a fabulous time. I even get excited now when I realize that’s what it was for.
10. John Lennon – Imagine
We end this list with one of the most popular peace anthems ever: John Lennon’s “Imagine”. In the song, Lennon invites the listener to think of a world without divisions, where life is lived in peace. “Imagine” was heavily inspired by instructional poems in Yoko Ono’s book Grapefruit, which together with a prayer book gifted by Dick Gregory, formed the basis behind the lyrical content of the song.
Despite sharing a message of peace, “Imagine” was heavily criticized upon its release. The lyrical message didn’t align with Lennon’s personal life, nor did it offer any actual solutions. But old bandmate Ringo Starr defended the song. “[Lennon] said ‘imagine’, that’s all. Just imagine it.”
Read more: The Story Behind “Imagine” by John Lennon