Some events aren’t just in the history books—they have also been immortalized in song. While it’s no surprise musicians often look to their own experiences for inspiration, some have gone even further, turning landmark events into art. And although artistic license sometimes comes before historical accuracy, these songs paint a vivid picture of real events, and they can be a great entry point for listeners eager to learn something new.
- “April 29, 1992 (Miami)” by Sublime
- “Zombie” by The Cranberries
- “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
- “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot
- “Enola Gay” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
- “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2
- “All and Everyone” by PJ Harvey
- “American Witch” by Rob Zombie
- “Cities in Dust” by Siouxsie and the Banshees
- “Run to the Hills” by Iron Maiden
“April 29, 1992 (Miami)” by Sublime
The 1992 Los Angeles riots—a response to the acquittal of the officers involved in the violent beating of Rodney King the year prior—inspired the band Sublime to write “April 29, 1992 (Miami).” The lyrics of the song, however, get the date wrong, as frontman Bradley Nowell made a mistake during recording, but the band felt the take was too good to scrap.
“Zombie” by The Cranberries
Irish band The Cranberries released their second album, No Need to Argue, in 1994, featuring the guitar-heavy grunge protest song “Zombie.” It’s about the young victims of a bombing during a period of time in Ireland known as The Troubles.
“Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
Singer-songwriter Neil Young wrote the protest song “Ohio” as a response to the shooting of students protesting America’s plan to bomb Cambodia at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. The National Guard was called in to settle things but opened fire, killing four students and injuring nine. The song was released as a B-side to Stephen Stills’s “Find the Cost of Freedom” just weeks after it was recorded.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot
A year after the ship Edmund Fitzgerald got caught in a storm and sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, killing all 29 men onboard, singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot commemorated the event with his six-minute epic folk ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Lightfoot considered the song to be his best, and with its sea-shanty style and vivid imagery, it’s hard to disagree.
“Enola Gay” by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Today, electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is best known for “If You Leave” from the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink, but one of their earlier hits was the anti-war song “Enola Gay,” named for the aircraft which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. According to frontman and songwriter Andy McCluskey, the band’s manager threatened to quit if they released it as a single.
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“Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2
Irish rock band U2 addressed the long, violent history of conflict between Ireland and Britain in “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” from their 1983 album, War. The track references two events known as “Bloody Sunday.” The first was in 1920, followed by another in 1972, in which British soldiers shot and killed 14 unarmed protesters.
“All and Everyone” by PJ Harvey
Singer-songwriter PJ Harvey was moved to write “All and Everyone” while researching the Gallipoli campaign of World War I, which she compared to modern times. But the track is just one piece of Harvey’s exploration of the events—the album it’s from, Let England Shake, was entirely inspired by them.
“American Witch” by Rob Zombie
The 1692 Salem witch trials were a dark period of American history that has been explored throughout pop culture—including music, thanks to Rob Zombie. The musician recounts the gruesome events in “American Witch” from his 2006 album Educated Horses. The lyrics describe not only the ways accused “witches” were brutalized, but they also touch on the climate of “fear, guilt, and anxiety” that led to it.
“Cities in Dust” by Siouxsie and the Banshees
On “Cities in Dust,” goth band Siouxsie and the Banshees explored the city of Pompeii, famous for having been destroyed when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year 79 A.D. The lyrics are packed with the harrowing images of people, including children, running to safety and being overcome by ash and lava.
“Run to the Hills” by Iron Maiden
Metal band Iron Maiden often wrote songs about actual events, but “Run to the Hills,” the first single from the album The Number of the Beast, is perhaps their most famous. The lyrics describe the tension between Native Americans and European settlers, and the perspective shifts throughout the song.
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