Songs That Built Solidarity: How Music Shapes Society 

By Jaeseung Lee, Yewon Kim

Music is not simply art; it's a powerful medium connecting people, love, and even society. We face countless challenges in our daily lives, yet music consistently serves as a language of emotion. Emotions like sadness, loneliness, anger, and hope resonate even across different languages, and some songs touch the depths of our hearts, evoking comfort and empathy. A lot of people believe music is more than just sound; it possesses the power of connection.

Before we know about music’s role in uniting communities, it is essential to understand the psychological mechanism that often underlies this effect: Emotional Contagion. The way emotions such as sadness, loneliness, anger, and hope are transmitted through music can be explained by Emotional Contagion. Emotional Contagion is a phenomenon where people catch and mirror the emotions of others. When it comes to music, emotions in music are passed onto listeners, creating emotional synchronization. Through mimicry, a core principle in emotional contagion, listeners may unconsciously adopt the performer’s expressions or the crowd’s reactions, allowing emotions in music to be physically felt and shared. For example, during a concert a lot of the audience clap, nod, sway and sing along without realizing. As they mimic those actions, their bodies respond in ways that mirror the performer’s emotions or the crowd’s, creating an emotional experience that is encoded in memory, allowing them  to share the same feelings as the crowd.  Emotional sharing, another core principle of Emotional Contagion, allows music to connect hearts: sadness, joy, or hope expressed in a song is absorbed by listeners, making them feel what others feel and reinforcing social bonds. It also applies even without direct interaction with the performer. This theory shows how music can turn personal emotion into collective resonance.

Across decades and continents, music has repeatedly emerged as a powerful tool for social integration, capable of bridging divides during moments of political upheaval and cultural transformation. From the Cold War’s symbolic concerts in Berlin to the global reach of John Lennon’s Imagine, and most recently, to the streets of Seoul during South Korea’s political turmoil, melodies have brought people together in unexpected yet profound ways.

In the late 1980s, the winds of change sweeping through Eastern Europe found their soundtrack in songs like David Bowie’s Heroes and Scorpions’ Wind of Change. Bowie’s 1987 performance near the Berlin Wall carried across the divide, reverberating with East Berliners who longed for freedom. When the Wall fell in 1989, these songs became enduring symbols of unity, encapsulating the hope of a reunited Germany.

From these historical events to modern movements, it is obvious that music can turn individual feelings into a shared sense of belonging. According to Social Identity Theory, people define themselves based on the groups they belong to, and this group membership shapes their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Individuals prioritize the group identity ‘we’ over personal identity ‘I’. The previous story of Berlin Wall demonstrates ingroup identification from Social Identity Theory. East Berliners were connected through music which strengthened their shared identity as a group longing for freedom. Lennon’s Imagine also follows this theory as the song ‘Imagine’ allows listeners to see themselves as part of the global community striving for peace. Similarly, during the protests in Korea, a shared musical experience allowed citizens to feel part of a larger civic group and additionally illustrated how music can foster collective identity and solidarity in contemporary society. 

A decade earlier, Lennon’s Imagine had envisioned a borderless, harmonious world. Released during the height of the Vietnam War and amid Cold War tensions, Imagine offered a vision starkly opposed to the era’s geopolitical divisions. It provided a counterpoint to the protest chants of the time, offering hope through introspection rather than confrontation. The song’s adaptability has allowed it to serve as a peace anthem in diverse contexts, from Cold War diplomacy to contemporary humanitarian causes—cementing its status as one of the most universally recognized appeals for global unity. Actually, the lyrics draw on utopian ideals : imagining a world without possessions, countries, or religion-conditions Lennon believed could eliminate much of the conflict between people. Lennon described the song as “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic,” but intended it to be sugar-coated in a simple melody so that listeners could absorb the message more easily.

Also, during South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, music served as both a cultural expression and a means of political resistance. Songs such as “Nkosi Skelel’ Iafrika” were not only hymns but also collective calls for dignity and freedom, sung at rallies to unify voices across racial and social divides. Artists like Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, and Johnny Clegg used their performances to highlight injustice and inspire resilience; their work demonstrated how music could merge artistry with activism. For instance, Makeba’s song Soweto Blues became a poignant reminder of the Soweto uprising, its sorrowful tone echoing the pain of oppression while reinforcing the determination for change. The influence of music extended beyond South Africa’s borders; international campaigns such as Artists United Against Apartheid mobilized musicians worldwide to oppose segregation. 

We should remember. Society is not a machine. It runs on emotion, sentiment, and the feelings people feel throughout everyday lives. The act of society coming together can be done when this truth is acknowledged, and the effect of artistic works, especially music, is not overlooked. Music can move hearts, bring peace, and unite society as one.