Some of the most famous songs of struggle in the United States were written during labor conflicts from the mid 19th century up to the present.

Joe Hill (1879-1915) was a songwriter for the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.), a radical movement in the early 20th century committed to the formation of a worldwide workers' organization: One Big Union. His songs described struggles with strikebreakers ("Casey Jones- The Union Scab"), the plight of the homeless and unemployed ("The Tramp"), the economic base of prostitution ("The White Slave"), and charity organizations that help support an oppressive status quo ("The Preacher and the Slave"