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Selected Discography

What follows is a small sample of albums and artists of historical or contemporary relevance to issues of racial equity and social justice. From the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter movement of today, this discography merely represents a starting point for exploring issues of race within popular music genres from the 1960s through today.

1960s

The Essential Mahalia Jackson—Mahalia Jackson

Sam Cooke’s SAR Records Story 1959-1965—Sam Cooke

A Love Supreme—John Coltrane

Stand!—Sly & The Family Stone

The Essential Nina Simone—Nina Simone

This Is Madness—Last Poets

 

Various Artists Compilations:

Voices of the Civil Rights Movement

Change Is Gonna Come: Voice Of Black America

Say It Loud! Black Music in America

 

1970s

What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye

Rappin’ Black in a White World—Watts Prophets

The Best of Gil Scott-Heron—Gil Scott-Heron

Back to the World—Curtis Mayfield

Chocolate City—Parliament

Young, Gifted and Black—Aretha Franklin

 

1980s

Hits—Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

Straight Outta Compton—N.W.A.

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back—Public Enemy

By All Means Necessary—Boogie Down Productions

All Hail The Queen—Queen Latifah

 

1990s

To the East, Backwards—X Clan

Ready To Die—Notorious B.I.G.

3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of—Arrested Development

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill—Lauryn Hill

The Low End Theory—Tribe Called Quest

Nu Nation Project—Kirk Franklin

Soul Food—Goodie Mob

 

2000s

Be—Common

Illmatic-Nas

Game Theory—The Roots

The Beautiful Struggle—Talib Kweli

New Amerykah Part One—Erykah Badu

 

2010s

To Pimp A Butterfly—Kendrick Lamar

The Electric Lady—Janelle Monae

The Love and War MasterPeace—Raheem DeVaughn

Black Messiah—D’Angelo

Lemonade--Beyonce