• Songs That Shook the Planet

  • Words + Music | Vol. 26
  • By: Chuck D
  • Narrated by: Chuck D
  • Length: 1 hr and 44 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,791 ratings)
Songs That Shook the Planet  By  cover art

Songs That Shook the Planet

By: Chuck D
Narrated by: Chuck D

Publisher's summary

Hip-hop pioneer Chuck D, the legendary lyricist and cofounder of Public Enemy, takes listeners on an extraordinary journey through politically and socially conscious music. Part history lesson and part memoir, Songs That Shook the Planet spans genres and decades to call out the brave artists who continue to inspire necessary change in the world. 

You’ll hear the stories behind legendary tracks as well as the songs themselves, performed by Billie Holiday, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Too Short, and more. Listening is both empowering and haunting; too often the artists paid a shocking price for their ability to articulate injustice so forcefully. Chuck D makes the experience even more revelatory by adding his own reminiscences about how the songs - many heard on the record player at home that his mother kept spinning with a stunning range of music - influenced his early life and his own career as an agent of change. 

Songs That Shook the Planet reintroduces listeners to indelible songs from artists who literally put their lives on the line to speak truth to power and provides a soundtrack of civil uprising that is perhaps even more powerful and relevant today. 

Songs That Shook the Planet was conceived, written, and produced, by Chuck D & Lorrie Boula as the latest installment of Audible’s Words + Music franchise, with additional writing by Arthur Turnbull and Gia'na M.Garel.

©2021 Audible Originals LLC (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.

About the Creator and Performer

Chuck D is a primary architect of the movement that revolutionized rap as a means of serving truth to power. He is co-founder of Public Enemy, writing the lyrics behind anthems such as "Fight the Power," "By the Time I Get to Arizona," "Bring the Noise," and "State of the Union (STFU)" while establishing a new voice of Black-centered activism.
Critically lauded, Chuck D is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, one of XXL’s top 20 MCs of all time, a best-selling author (This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History), and a preserved member of The Library of Congress (Fear of a Black Planet). He continues to make work that moves us forward. From his long-running RAPstation.com website to founding music groups like Prophets of Rage, Chuck D embodies the ideal of hip-hop as activism.

Featured Article: From the Queen of Soul to the Purple One, Hear the Stories of Black Musicians and Artists Who Broke Boundaries


This Black History Month—and every day of the year—we're shining a light on artists and thinkers who demonstrate the boundless depths of Black creativity, joy, and love. We've gathered a list of memoirs by and biographies about artists who totally upended the expectations of a white-dominated field and crafted something entirely their own, making history and changing lives as a result.

What listeners say about Songs That Shook the Planet

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skAMAZING!

Chuck D's narration, especially his obvious passion for the music, is intoxicating. I love how much he acknowledges songs from original Jamaican Ska!!

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Still have to Fight the Power!!

A great view of how past artists music are influencing the community and movement of today’s society and their culture issues!

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Awesome

This was artfully produced, and lovingly placed into all of everyone’s lives. It is awesome, please listen.

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historical insight, a must listen

Fantastic insight into the making and historical influences to so many iconic songs. a must listen

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Excellent!

Great narration by Chuck D. These songs truly shook the planet. They are eye openers!

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Wow!!

What a wonderful walk through history! I enjoyed this so much. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.

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Our Youth Need To Listen

Mainstream media has pushed our kids into one form music. This is a great review and we need to empower everyone especially our youth to listen and or read this.

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Chuck D .... Enjoyed the Music

“.... songs from artists who literally put their lives on the line to speak truth to power”.

Those powers-that-be threw wickedness at him plus demonize and marginalize Chuck D & Public Enemy. Enjoying his Podcast aimed at folks like me.

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Music and Uplifting

This was a nice introduction into how music be influenced and reflected the thirst to be human, that is to be treated equally. Nice job.

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Short yet informative

Very informative, well performed, yet oh so short. I was ready for more as I was finding the stories behind the music intertaining, but the book was finished in what seemed like a couple hours.

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