Famous rock musicians have adopted causes ranging from the environment (Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and the movement against Apartheid (Peter Gabriel "Biko"), violence in Northern Ireland (from U2 "Sunday Bloody Sunday") and economic policy around the world (The Dead Kennedys "Kill the Poor"). Another important protest song is a recording of Patti Smith "People have the power." At the During this participation goes beyond simple writing and take the form of sometimes spectacular concerts or TV events, often raising money for charity and awareness of global issues.
Rock and roll as a social activist has achieved a milestone in concert Live Aid, held July 13, 1985, which is the development of the charity's 1984 single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and became the biggest concert in history with the players on the two main stages, a inLondon, England and others in Philadelphia, USA (plus some other measures that appear in other countries) and television worldwide. The concert lasted 16 hours and with almost all the people who are at the forefront of rock and pop in 1985. Charity event to raise millions of dollars for famine relief in Africa. Live Aid became a model for other efforts to raise funds and awareness, many, including Farm Aid concert for family farmers in North America, and the victims of television shows advantages attacks of September 11 . Live Aid was resumed in 2005 with the Live 8 concert to raise awareness of global economic policy. Environmental issues are also a common theme, an example of Live Earth.