Can popular music achieve genuine political change?

It is very difficult to quantify what effect music can have in a political sense as it if impossible to identify the full effects. Although a song itself can have no actual power to change things, John Street asserts that music has the potential to influence and change opinions. Artists have often made political statements within their work, and although this may raise awareness about particular issues, it is unlikely to lead to political change, as only specific audiences are being reached. Popularity also plays a part as fans may respect and mimic view of the artists they admire.

There have been attempts to make a change through music which have been unsuccessful, however Band Aid and what followed, proved to have a strong influence, as the outcome was shown through the money raised. This was achieved through a mixture of the artist involved, constant media attention and the emotive lyrics within the song.