I would also add John Flynn to the top of Deb C's list, as well as people like Rod MacDonald, SONia, Ani DiFranco as well as the "old guard" such as Tom Paxton, Kim & Reggie Harris, Utah Phillips and many others who are out there on the lines. I hear numerous "protest" or "topical" songs from a variety of artists, not all of who specialize in that type of music.

I think selective memory also tends to cloud our memories. I would turn Kendall's question around and ask "who were the protest singers in the 1960's?"    Sure I remember songs from people like Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Peter LaFarge, Peter,Paul & Mary and Buffy Sainte-Marie, but even these artists did more than just sing. They appeared in demonstrations and worked for change.   If we think back on the 1960's, there were LESS outlets for this type of music in the media. Certainly top-40 radio wasn't playing the protest songs of Phil Ochs. The outlets were the WBAI's and college radio stations of the day, and the same outlets exist today.

I challenge that there are just as many artists today involved in such causes. Folk music may not be as "mainstream" as it once was, but there are still musicians singing about important issues.   As for the pop music world, it isn't just Britney and Justin. There are messages getting out from some artists, just as they did in the 60's.