“Dancing In the Street” by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
Though it was basically intended to be a party song, this monster hit eventually took a more serious undertone after riots began erupting during civil rights demonstrations in American cities. Many interpreted its lyrics as a call to rise, including activist H. Rap Brown, who would often play it at protests. Nonetheless, Reeves herself called the assertion that the song advocated rioting “absurd.”
