12 Classic Songs Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.
The world is forever indebted to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who fought valiantly and peacefully in the name of equality.
Our nation honors the late civil leader every year with a national holiday scheduled around his Jan. 15 birthday. Given the importance of his work, much of which continues to ring true today, it’s no surprise that King has inspired music from a wide range of vaunted artists.
Queen, Paul Simon and Elvis Presley are some of the many acts to have written or performed tracks about King and his work. Never ones to shy away from social causes, U2 released two songs about the iconic activist on the same album. Prince penned his track reflecting on the continuing efforts to combat racism, while Stevie Wonder used music to champion the MLK Day holiday.