During SXSW, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Keith Gildart, a leading authority on the UK working class and the role of music in its culture. Gildart is professor of Labour and Social History at the University of Wolverhampton.
Our discussion at the UK House on 6th Street in Austin centered around his book, Images of England Through Popular Music: Class, Youth and Rock ‘n’ Roll, 1955-1976, which is one of his many works on the intersection of coal miners and music subcultures. This book draws on archival materials and oral histories, and explores how popular music has influenced and reflected social identities and working-class cultures. Focusing on genres such as rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm & blues, punk, mod subculture, and glam rock, he demonstrates how these musical movements contributed to a sense of societal crisis in England.
As Gildart reflects on his roots, it’s clear that the path he’s walked has been deeply intertwined with both his working-class upbringing and his academic pursuit of history. Raised in the heart of coal-mining communities in the UK, Gildart’s early years were steeped in a world of labor struggle and industrial decline—experiences that would later shape his academic career. However, it was not just his family’s legacy in the coal mines that defined his trajectory; it was the music, the rhythm, and the beats of his community that would eventually lead him to become an academic whose work explores the connection between industrialization, class identity, and popular music.
From Coal Mines to Academia: A Family Legacy
The story of Gildart’s life begins long before his academic accolades. His family’s connection to the coal industry spans five generations, stretching back to the 19th century. On both his father’s and mother’s sides, the coal mines were the backbone of their livelihood. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all worked in the mines, and growing up in a coal mining town, it was almost inevitable that Dr. Gildart would follow in their footsteps.
“I left school when I was 16, no qualifications, and went straight into the coal industry when I was 17,” he recalls. “Coal mining had always been in the family. I just thought it was my destiny to join the industry. I grew up in a mining town, where the men went to work in the mines, and the women worked in textiles.”
It was a world steeped in tradition—one that mirrored the socio-economic conditions of working-class life in both the UK and the US’s Rust Belt, particularly in regions like Pennsylvania and Ohio. Despite the industrial decline, these communities remained deeply connected to their pasts, and for Gildart, this connection was rooted in more than just his labor heritage—it was also in the music of his time.
The Role of Music in Working-Class Identity
Gildart’s introduction to popular music came at a young age, during the 1960s and 1970s, a time when music was a significant cultural force. “I just became obsessed with popular music from a young age,” he says, reflecting on the influence of his three older sisters, who introduced him to soul and Motown. “Music was both an escape for me, but also a reaffirmation of working-class identity.” But Motown wasn’t his jam. He related more to rock and later on, punk music.
Gildart links the evolution of popular music, especially genres like rock and roll and soul, to the broader socio-political changes of the time. Music, he argues, became the soundtrack to industrial change and political struggle. For instance, in the UK, coalfield communities were not only the birthplace of unions and labor movements but also of influential popular music acts.
“Coal mining communities in the UK became a hotbed for popular music in the 1950s and 1960s. You wouldn’t typically associate coal miners with rock bands or choirs, but actually, some of the major artists in the UK during that time came from mining backgrounds,” Gildart explains. He points to figures like John Kay of Steppenwolf and Brian Johnson of AC/DC, whose families had deep roots in the coal industry.
This connection between working-class identity and music became even more evident during the rise of Northern Soul in Britain in the 1970s, a music movement rooted in industrial decline. “The Northern Soul scene took root in these industrial communities that were going through closure and deindustrialization. It’s still very much a part of these communities today.” He has written on the Northern soul scene in another book.
The impact of music, particularly soul and rock, was not only confined to the UK. Gildart highlights the similar role music played in the United States, where genres like soul and rock underscored the political and social upheaval of the time. This shared musical heritage, he believes, provided a powerful way for working-class communities to express their struggles and aspirations.
Cultural Fusion: The Intersection of Punk, Hip-Hop, and Class Struggle
Professor Gildart’s research also delves into the fusion of music genres that occurred during moments of political and social upheaval. One of the most striking intersections he points out is the brief but powerful connection between British punk and American hip-hop in the early to mid-1970s. He describes a moment when UK punk rockers and American hip-hop artists, despite coming from vastly different cultural backgrounds, shared the stage and expressed a united sense of rebellion in America. That scene did not flourish stateside due to racism and the wide divide between the musical groups.
Punk and hip-hop both emerged from communities facing economic decline and marginalization. “In 1976, the UK saw the formation of Rock Against Racism, which was a response to some musicians flirting with far-right imagery. Punk bands like The Clash and the Buscocks played alongside bands like Steel Pulse, a multiracial band known for their reggae sound.”
What makes this fusion of punk and hip-hop particularly intriguing to Gildart is the underlying connection to working-class identity and the broader class struggle. In both the UK and the US, punk rock and hip-hop became vehicles for marginalized communities to express dissatisfaction with the status quo. Whether through aggressive, anti-establishment punk lyrics or the street-wise storytelling tradition of hip-hop, these genres transcended racial and geographical boundaries.
America vs. the UK: Capitalism and Class Struggle in Music
One of the most thought-provoking aspects discussed with Gildart is the critique of the capitalist systems in both the UK and the US. Despite both countries’ claims to being egalitarian and “freedom for all”, capitalism, by its very nature, is not egalitarian, it is a meritocracy.
“You can’t have a truly egalitarian society under capitalism. Capitalism is about inequality,” Gildart argues. “And I think one of the key ways we can communicate that inequality through music is by highlighting the struggles of working-class communities and the exploitation they face.”
Exploitation that has been at the root of human history since time immemorial. From the advent of the industrial revolution to our post-industrial society, the class divide, and economic inequality that goes hand-in-hand with the division of labor has only grown wider.
In the UK, this message was often conveyed through politically charged lyrics, especially during the punk rock movement. In the US, however, the connection between music and political activism seems to have faded over the years. Gildart points to the rise of hip-hop and rap in the US as one of the few remaining forms of popular music where working-class struggles are still at the forefront.
“It’s interesting,” Gildart observes, “because in the UK, music has often been a tool for political expression, especially within working-class communities. In the US, however, music has become more commercialized, and the political edge has dulled, especially within mainstream genres.”
This shift is something that I view with concern. Unlike the 1960s when Dylan or Joan Baez and many other musicians protested war, inequality, racism, and the “system” where such music had a major impact on the culture, so much so that one could hypothesize because of the role music played the Vietnam war ended. While music remains an essential outlet for marginalized communities today, the disconnection between music and politics in America may lead to further divisions within society.
Bruce Springsteen, Labor Struggles, and the American Dream
In discussing the role of music in the political sphere, Gildart brings up the example of Bruce Springsteen, an American musician who has long been associated with working-class struggles. Springsteen’s music, with its themes of industrial decline, blue-collar work, and economic hardship, resonates with Gildart’s own interests in the relationship between music and labor.
“I’ve actually been working on a documentary for the BBC about the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and industrial communities in the UK,” Gildart shares. “Springsteen famously donated money to the miners’ strike in 1984, and many of his songs speak to the plight of the working class. There’s a kind of idealized America in his music, a vision of a more democratic and egalitarian society, but it’s also a society where those ideals are being eroded by capitalism.”
This critique of capitalism is something that Gildart sees as relevant not just in Springsteen’s work, but in the broader context of American music. While many of the political themes in American music have become less explicit, there remains a deep connection between working-class struggles and the music that emerges from those communities. Whether it’s through the protest music of the 1960s or the socially conscious lyrics of hip-hop, music continues to be an essential form of resistance.
The Future of Labor, Politics, and Music
As Gildart looks toward the future, he sees the connection between labor movements, politics, and music as more important than ever. While the landscape of both the UK and the US has shifted significantly since the days of the coal miner’s strikes and the rise of punk rock, the struggle for a fairer, more egalitarian society remains ongoing.
“Right now, in both the UK and the US, we’re at a crossroads,” Gildart reflects. “In the UK, the labor movement has been marginalized, and in the US, there’s a resurgence of populism that’s not necessarily aligned with traditional working-class struggles. The role of organized labor and working-class solidarity is going to be crucial in the coming years.”
And while the music may have changed, the underlying themes of resistance, solidarity, and class struggle remain just as relevant as they were decades ago. For Gildart, the music of the past is not just a relic of history—it’s a lens through which we can better understand the complexities of class, labor, and politics today.
As we reach the end of our conversation, Gildart’s voice resonates with conviction. “Music has always been a tool for the oppressed,” he says. “It’s a way to express the struggles, the joys, and the frustrations of everyday people. And as long as there’s inequality and injustice, music will continue to be that voice.”
In many ways, Gildart’s own life is a testament to the power of music and labor to shape personal and collective histories. From the coal mines of his youth to the halls of academia, he has spent his life exploring the ways in which working-class communities have resisted, survived, and thrived through their cultural expressions—especially music. And in that music, the spirit of resistance lives on.
Photo by Dr. C. Cunningham