How and why music provides a powerful auxiliary to collective social mobilization.

Hymns, whether nationalist or revolutionary; folk music, whether Irish, Basque, or Kabyle; African American civil rights protests swaying to gospel music; pacifist songs – no revolt, no social or mass mobilization seems to be without some form of music. In the course of these chapters, political leaders weaponizing music will cross paths with artist embracing activist causes, such as Joan Baez, Zebda, Bob Geldof, and British groups from Red Wedge or Rock Against Racism. Christophe Traïni also examines the various social uses of music and its capacity to swing from subversive protest to more or less conformist resignation.