This was my first thought, too. OP, if this is new to you, you’re in for a wild ride.
You could make the argument that a lot of hip-hop from that era is clearly dystopian. Del just makes it fictional and futuristic.
Red Sector A is inspired by Geddy's parents, who were survivors of concentration camps during the holocaust. Could still be considered dystopian, but also a product of historical facts.
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by Arcade Fire. Really the whole album The Suburbs, but I find this song's chorus especially dystopian:
*Sometimes, I wonder if the world's so small*
*That we can never get away from the sprawl*
*Living in the sprawl*
*Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains*
*And there's no end in sight*
*I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights*
Of course, this entire album is suggesting that modern suburban life is dystopian.
I upvoted your other comment for visibility! I think it's a little weird that OP asked for song lyrics, and most people are just sharing the names of songs or albums. I recognize a lot of these, but for some the dystopian connection isn't obvious.
99 Luftbaloons is about the fear of what could occur during the Cold War.
All She Wants To Do Is Dance is basically about the youths indifference to war because they can party.
Honestly lots of songs from the Cold War era probably fit. I appreciate the ones that sound more pop though, because I think that adds to the dystopian idea of not noticing the bad because it’s being masked with what seems good.
Anarchy Road - Carpenter Brut https://youtu.be/YgK0uRR5jGY
All of NIN - Year Zero
"In contrast to the introspective style of songwriting featured on the band's previous work, the record is a concept album that criticizes contemporary policies of the United States government by presenting a dystopian vision of the year 2022."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Zero_(album)
Bucker up lil' trooper
You can't get past me, I'm stuck in the future
The shit ain't all it's cracked up to be
The hover craft's cool but the air's so putrid
Call Ticketron - RTJ
a lot of king gizzard and the lizard wizards songs would fit this. I would recommend infest the rats nest as an (Thash metal) album. And songs such as if not now, then when?, supreme ascendency, melting. I don't know what genre I'd describe any of the individual songs as, but they aren't thrash metal.
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Depeche Mode - Stripped
My Chemical Romance - Sing
Combichrist - Sent To Destroy
Otep - Smash the Control Machine
(Well, the industrial scene is generally dystopia-themed by its nature, so I'd suggest you asking r/industrialmusic)
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard has a lot of songs that explore the theme of humanity destroying the environment. Examples:
-Plastic Boogie
-Self-Immolate
-Hell
-People Vultures
-The entire Infest the Rats Nest album
The entire album Used Future by The Sword is dystopian themed. It’s an easy listen, and although wiki states The Sword is a “heavy metal” band, the recent albums are melodic, groove, blues, progressive type rock that calls back to the 70s more than anything else.
"Nightfall" by Xandria maybe
"Blood Hunger Doctrine" by Dimmu Borgir
"Tot" by Candlemass
"King for a Day" by Battle Beast maybe?
"Metal Heart" by Accept
There are no lyrics, but "Tears in a Prophet's Dream" by Celtic Frost sounds pretty dystopian
Thrash metal does it the best tbh
Maybe:
Sodom - M16
Megadeth - Dystopia
Orbit Culture - Saw
Meshuggah - Dancers to a discordant system
Sepultura - Slave new world
Nuclear Assault - Critical Mass?
A lot of Steven Wilson’s work concerns this. Not about hypothetical future dystopias but about the one we live in now.
The Porcupine Tree album Fear of a Blank Planet is about what he saw of kids’ lives being taken over by technology exposure, social decay, and overuse of prescription drugs back in 2007, arguably themes that have become even more relevant.
His solo albums To The Bone (a lot of it is about the post-truth society of the late 2010’s and on, and various social ramifications thereof) and The Future Bites (about the alienation and artificiality of modern consumerist and social-media-driven culture) also heavily involve this.
IMO his lyric-writing tends to be at its weakest when he’s engaged in general social commentary vs writing about more personal topics (even when the personal topics are about fictional characters as is often the case in his work), and this is especially true on Fear of a Blank Planet where many of the lyrics are frankly really bad (as poetry). Just from “The Future Bites, compare the subtlety of “Man of the People” (about the mindset of a spouse or family member of a narcissistic, venal public figure) with the blunt instrument of “Personal Shopper” (about the emptiness of consumerism). But the music is brilliant all the time.
In spite of the very "lovey-dovey glam" way people usually look at it, David Bowie touched on dystopian themes a lot in his work in the 70's, especially with Diamond Dogs and Ziggy Stardust. Diamond Dogs in particular was actually intended as a rock opera version of 1984, before the Orwell estate denied him rights for that. The title track and its lead in, "Future Legend", describe a grimy, dystopian world and in some ways kind of predicted punk fashion and Cyberpunk themes through the album as a whole. Literally has songs called "1984" and "Big Brother" on it. If it interests you on further inspection, I'd advise looking up some of his writing on its themes, background, and cut content from the album, including "Dodo". Also, "Scream Like A Baby" off of "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" is from the point of view of a dissident in a totalitarian state being re-educated by the authorities, though it does have curse words, depending on how you're using this. "Cygnet Commitee" off of his semi-debut album "Space Oddity" is a very underrated song about the rise and corruption of a revolution with dense lyrics.
You'll find a lot of dystopian themes in synthwave/retrowave/dark synth music heavily associated with Cyberpunk these days, though most of it is instrumental. I'd look into that, depending again on curse words and what you're looking for, as it often goes to more adult themes if there are lyrics. Even the soundtrack for Cyberpunk 2077, made by known artists set in the world of the game, has a LOT of this, though doesn't shy away from adult subject matter and profane lyrics. The music by Refused as SAMURAI would be my go-to for something like this and has tons of relevant themes in there. I saw "Anarchy Road" by Carpenter Brut mentioned, and that's a strong example with great lyrics and no real cursing. Anything adjacent to that would be a good start.
One of the earliest, from 1967.
The opening guitar riff turned me from a little boy into a teenaged boy the first time I heard it.
Personally, I think it’s the very first Heavy Metal song.
Citadel by the Rolling Stones,
from Their Satanic Majesties Request
https://youtu.be/n1UHOC16VCk
Men are armed shout who goes there
We have journeyed far from here
Armed with bibles make us swear
Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
Flags are flying dollar bills
Round the heights of concrete hills
You can see the pinnacles
Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
In the streets are many walls
Hear the peasants come and crawl
You can hear their lovers call
Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
Screaming people fly so fast
In their shiny metal cars
Through the woods of steel and glass
Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
The entire album "Victim of the Modern Age" by Star One is based on various dystopian sci-fi movies, including A Clockwork Orange, The Matrix, Planet of the Apes, etc.
Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine
Also Have a Cigar might not be dystopian so much as and indictment of a specific industry, but same vibes; and a number of their other songs would qualify too, but WttM comes to mind first
["Morning Dew" - Bonnie Dobson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aawu-kPl5p8) (the [Grateful Dead's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlfcN93NS2Q) cover is very well known, I also enjoy [The National's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVLCXgTx3o)).
Black Veiled Brides: Wretched and Divine? The whole album's kind of about a dystopia world, it's got some fun mini songs between the bigger ones that tell a story. Not sure where it lies on the cursing though
The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins
Party at Ground Zero - Fishbone
It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) -R.E.M.
Might be a bit of a stretch but Digital Sea by Thrice?
The song laments how much we’re losing ourselves to technology.
🎶I am drowning in a digital sea/
I am slipping beneath the sound/
Here my voice goes to ones and zeroes/
I’m slipping beneath the sound🎶
Pretty much anything by Arjen Lucassen, especially his Ayreon mega-project, it‘s pretty much a single storyline across multiple albums about the end of mankind and an extraterrestrial entity trying to understand what humans used to call enotions.
The project has a plethora of incredible singers, well-known like unknown from different eras and genres. It’s pretty incredible. His Guilt Machine project has a clear dystopian sound and theme too.
Pretty much any of Arjen Lucassen's various projects have some level of sci-fi dystopian themes if that's what you're interested in. For example look at 01011001 and The Source by Ayreon and Victims of the Modern Age by Star One. Mostly *very* good progressive metal with the occasional strange/cheesy track thrown in.
A lot of early Bob Dylan.
- Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall
- Talkin’ World War III Blues
- Masters of War
- Gates of Eden
- It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
Deltron 3030
Title track is a 10/10
"Virus" is too close to home with Covid and AI
This was my first thought, too. OP, if this is new to you, you’re in for a wild ride. You could make the argument that a lot of hip-hop from that era is clearly dystopian. Del just makes it fictional and futuristic.
Talking Heads - Life During Wartime
In the Year 2525.
2112-Rush
Red Barchetta takes place in a dystopian world as well.
Really? I thought that was just reminiscing about driving with lost relatives and memories of youth. I need to listen again!
Yeah, the old Ferrari gets chased by two futuristic alloy air cars because the driver is breaking the motor laws.
Hah! I thought that was just some weird Canadian stuff. Thanks!
This is the short story that was the inspiration for the song. http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19731100roadandtrack.htm
This is the short story that was the inspiration for the song. http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19731100roadandtrack.htm
Red Sector A
I think I'm gonna go with this one. The music is so good and haunting and the lyrics are impactful and easy to understand.
Red Sector A is inspired by Geddy's parents, who were survivors of concentration camps during the holocaust. Could still be considered dystopian, but also a product of historical facts.
Ooh thats a pretty good and overt example. Thanks!
Muse does it a LOT. There are some songs with the occasional curse word. I would probably start with the Black Holes and Revelations album.
I mean The Resistance (album) is pretty much 1984 the rock opera
Knights of Cydonia is probably the best example from Muse - or at least most iconic. But they’ve got many.
Muse is great, highly recommend
Land of Confusion by Genesis was the first thing that came to mind. But it’s more of a “things are shit but we can make them better” theme.
The music video could be interesting in an educational setting as well.
And little did they know that 30+ years later it's even more shit
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by Arcade Fire. Really the whole album The Suburbs, but I find this song's chorus especially dystopian: *Sometimes, I wonder if the world's so small* *That we can never get away from the sprawl* *Living in the sprawl* *Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains* *And there's no end in sight* *I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights* Of course, this entire album is suggesting that modern suburban life is dystopian.
YESSS!!! I suggested that album before seeing your comment so I definitely second this
I upvoted your other comment for visibility! I think it's a little weird that OP asked for song lyrics, and most people are just sharing the names of songs or albums. I recognize a lot of these, but for some the dystopian connection isn't obvious.
Oops!! I didn't even realize they said lyrics in the title, gonna reply to mine with what I mean
My absolute favourite arcade fire song. Thought they weren’t going to play it when I saw them live but they saved it for the encore.
Anything off NIN “Year Zero”, a concept album about the end and restart of society.
Specifically “Survivalism.”
Some Reddit technical difficulties made my suggestion seem more emphatic than I meant it to be!
Specifically "Survivalism".
Some Reddit technical difficulties made my suggestion seem more emphatic than I meant it to be!
Some Reddit technical difficulties made my suggestion seem more emphatic than I meant it to be!
Specifically “Survivalism.”
Specifically “Survivalism.”
[удалено]
This is an excellent example, thank you.
Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from mars
Dead Flag Blues - GY!BE
[I love it when Godspeed references Friends](https://youtu.be/ekA2X3_tn68)
Pretty much all of Thee Silver Mt Zion as well
99 Luftbaloons is about the fear of what could occur during the Cold War. All She Wants To Do Is Dance is basically about the youths indifference to war because they can party. Honestly lots of songs from the Cold War era probably fit. I appreciate the ones that sound more pop though, because I think that adds to the dystopian idea of not noticing the bad because it’s being masked with what seems good.
I was looking for 99 Luftballoons. I'll add Forever Young by Alphaville to this as well.
Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution - Father John Misty
Invisible Sun by The Police. Dystopian but hopeful. Like Rehumanize Yourself.
Talking Heads-Nothing But Flowers
Read the lyrics and it seems really good. I like how it's ambiguous and conflicted, which could be an exercise in and of itself. Thanks!
Toxicity by SOAD
most songs by Tropical Fuck Storm
Fear of a Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree
A Smart Kid, also by PT
Radioactive toy, also by PT
Anarchy Road - Carpenter Brut https://youtu.be/YgK0uRR5jGY All of NIN - Year Zero "In contrast to the introspective style of songwriting featured on the band's previous work, the record is a concept album that criticizes contemporary policies of the United States government by presenting a dystopian vision of the year 2022." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Zero_(album)
Year zero was the first thing that came to mind for me.
Bucker up lil' trooper You can't get past me, I'm stuck in the future The shit ain't all it's cracked up to be The hover craft's cool but the air's so putrid Call Ticketron - RTJ
Alot of el-p solo work too
Dystopian lyrics are El Producto's specialty. Read lyrics to "Habeas Corpses" from "I'll Sleep When You're Dead". Absolutely dystopian scenario.
Uprising by Muse Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
a lot of king gizzard and the lizard wizards songs would fit this. I would recommend infest the rats nest as an (Thash metal) album. And songs such as if not now, then when?, supreme ascendency, melting. I don't know what genre I'd describe any of the individual songs as, but they aren't thrash metal.
Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
The Eurhythmics "(Sexcrime)1984" would be an obvious entry, Hawkwind did quite a few songs based on dystopian novels (Damnation Alley springs to mind)
Maybe I'm just dumb but I'm not seeing the overt dystopian meaning behind it. Also can't use a song that says sex like 10000 times in a classroom lmao
Broken lungs by thrice
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who Really about political revolution and how the new boss is as bad as the old boss, but it sort of fits
Zager and Evans - In the Year 2525
Eve of Destruction comes to mind
Tool - Ænema though it’s more of an indictment of modern society and a wish for dystopia.
I wanna watch it all go down
Not so much a dystopia as an apocalypse
"Habeas Corpses" by El-P ft. Cage (indie rap).Not single a "f bomb" or "shit" but straddles gun violence and rape themes.
pretty much any el-p, scrolled down too long to find this defo
This was my immediate thought. That whole album, really. “That’s the implant talking for me” - *Up All Night*
London Calling by The Clash is basically about nuclear war and the aftermath
Sweet Child in Time - Deep Purple
Under fucking rated epicness... And it's on the movie Twister, so yeah, Dusty Man had great taste in music!
Lots of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard songs
Grimes - We Appreciate Power
Seconded
Radiohead - Idioteque, Fitter Happier, Burn The Witch
Pink Floyd - The Wall Depeche Mode - Stripped My Chemical Romance - Sing Combichrist - Sent To Destroy Otep - Smash the Control Machine (Well, the industrial scene is generally dystopia-themed by its nature, so I'd suggest you asking r/industrialmusic)
[Mr. Roboto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Roboto) by Styx
Kero Kero Bonito - "When the fires come!" It's perfect because it sounds so chirpy and friendly!
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard has a lot of songs that explore the theme of humanity destroying the environment. Examples: -Plastic Boogie -Self-Immolate -Hell -People Vultures -The entire Infest the Rats Nest album
Coheed and Cambria's entire discography (aside from The Color Before The Sun) is a sci-fi dystopian universe.
Stayin alive - Bee Gees.
Pumped Up Kicks, not necessarily dystopian, but certainly could be.
Safe and Sound (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift feat The Civil Wars
The entire album Used Future by The Sword is dystopian themed. It’s an easy listen, and although wiki states The Sword is a “heavy metal” band, the recent albums are melodic, groove, blues, progressive type rock that calls back to the 70s more than anything else.
I'm so glad someone else mentioned The Sword
Karn Evil #9 by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
This should be WAYYYY higher! ELP rocks!!!
Here behind the glass We've a real blade of grass Be careful as you pass Move along, move along
Operation Mindcrime by Queensrÿche
The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews Band
Red Barchetta, Rush. Lots of Rush songs are dystopian. 2112, Xanadu, subdivisions…
That funny feeling by Bo Burnham (incidentally there's a great cover of it by Phoebe Bridgers)
Cygnet Committee by Bowie.
Steely Dan—King of the World
Re-education Through Labor by Rise Against
Its evolution by Pearl Jam the music video is amazing.
technoir - gunship
Modern Meta Medicine - Anti-Flag
Reptile by Periphery
"Nightfall" by Xandria maybe "Blood Hunger Doctrine" by Dimmu Borgir "Tot" by Candlemass "King for a Day" by Battle Beast maybe? "Metal Heart" by Accept There are no lyrics, but "Tears in a Prophet's Dream" by Celtic Frost sounds pretty dystopian
Zerospan, by Charred Walls of the Damned New Millennium Cyanide Christ by Meshuggah
Breathing by Kate Bush is told from the perspective of a fetus who will be born into a post nuclear apocalyptic world.
Teeth like God's shoeshine and convenient parking by modest mouse The entirety of suburbs by arcade fire
Help Wanted by Company Flow "A man doesn't need a home. All he needs is a shelter. If we can sell him on the idea of a shelter, we can make millions."
We’re only gonna die - Bad Religion
Aenema - Tool
Thrash metal does it the best tbh Maybe: Sodom - M16 Megadeth - Dystopia Orbit Culture - Saw Meshuggah - Dancers to a discordant system Sepultura - Slave new world Nuclear Assault - Critical Mass?
Prog rock says what
Metal Church - Badlands Metallica - Blackened Cathedral - Entire catalog
Endgame- Rise Against Post Apocalyptic Party- Axewound
Survivalism, Capital G, The Good Soldier, Zero Sum, pretty much anything off of Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails.
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
A lot of Steven Wilson’s work concerns this. Not about hypothetical future dystopias but about the one we live in now. The Porcupine Tree album Fear of a Blank Planet is about what he saw of kids’ lives being taken over by technology exposure, social decay, and overuse of prescription drugs back in 2007, arguably themes that have become even more relevant. His solo albums To The Bone (a lot of it is about the post-truth society of the late 2010’s and on, and various social ramifications thereof) and The Future Bites (about the alienation and artificiality of modern consumerist and social-media-driven culture) also heavily involve this. IMO his lyric-writing tends to be at its weakest when he’s engaged in general social commentary vs writing about more personal topics (even when the personal topics are about fictional characters as is often the case in his work), and this is especially true on Fear of a Blank Planet where many of the lyrics are frankly really bad (as poetry). Just from “The Future Bites, compare the subtlety of “Man of the People” (about the mindset of a spouse or family member of a narcissistic, venal public figure) with the blunt instrument of “Personal Shopper” (about the emptiness of consumerism). But the music is brilliant all the time.
Deltron 3030
In spite of the very "lovey-dovey glam" way people usually look at it, David Bowie touched on dystopian themes a lot in his work in the 70's, especially with Diamond Dogs and Ziggy Stardust. Diamond Dogs in particular was actually intended as a rock opera version of 1984, before the Orwell estate denied him rights for that. The title track and its lead in, "Future Legend", describe a grimy, dystopian world and in some ways kind of predicted punk fashion and Cyberpunk themes through the album as a whole. Literally has songs called "1984" and "Big Brother" on it. If it interests you on further inspection, I'd advise looking up some of his writing on its themes, background, and cut content from the album, including "Dodo". Also, "Scream Like A Baby" off of "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" is from the point of view of a dissident in a totalitarian state being re-educated by the authorities, though it does have curse words, depending on how you're using this. "Cygnet Commitee" off of his semi-debut album "Space Oddity" is a very underrated song about the rise and corruption of a revolution with dense lyrics. You'll find a lot of dystopian themes in synthwave/retrowave/dark synth music heavily associated with Cyberpunk these days, though most of it is instrumental. I'd look into that, depending again on curse words and what you're looking for, as it often goes to more adult themes if there are lyrics. Even the soundtrack for Cyberpunk 2077, made by known artists set in the world of the game, has a LOT of this, though doesn't shy away from adult subject matter and profane lyrics. The music by Refused as SAMURAI would be my go-to for something like this and has tons of relevant themes in there. I saw "Anarchy Road" by Carpenter Brut mentioned, and that's a strong example with great lyrics and no real cursing. Anything adjacent to that would be a good start.
Morning Dew - Grateful Dead
Soup is Good Food- Dead Kennedys
On top of that Moon Over Marin by Dead Kennedys
Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from mars
One of the earliest, from 1967. The opening guitar riff turned me from a little boy into a teenaged boy the first time I heard it. Personally, I think it’s the very first Heavy Metal song. Citadel by the Rolling Stones, from Their Satanic Majesties Request https://youtu.be/n1UHOC16VCk Men are armed shout who goes there We have journeyed far from here Armed with bibles make us swear Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well Please come see me in the citadel Flags are flying dollar bills Round the heights of concrete hills You can see the pinnacles Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well Please come see me in the citadel In the streets are many walls Hear the peasants come and crawl You can hear their lovers call Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well Please come see me in the citadel Screaming people fly so fast In their shiny metal cars Through the woods of steel and glass Candy and Taffy, hope you both are well Please come see me in the citadel
Any radiohead song
This world over XTC
Entombment of a machine by Job for a Cowboy
KIZ - Hurra die Welt geht unter
IAMX - White Suburb Impressonism "Never argue with these Idiots They drag you down to their level And beat you with ignorance"
Subhumans From the Cradle to the Grave
Endgame by Megadeth is the first that comes to mind for me.
Pretty much every track by All Shall Perish.
spit out the bone - metallica
"Empire of Steel" by Essenger and Scandroid "Revolution Calling" by Queensryche
Slobberbone - Meltdown
"Sunny Disposition" and "Paradigm" by Avenged Sevenfold
The entire album "Victim of the Modern Age" by Star One is based on various dystopian sci-fi movies, including A Clockwork Orange, The Matrix, Planet of the Apes, etc.
The ultimate example, in my mind, is Dead Flag Blues by Godspeed You Black Emperor
Funeralopolis- Electric Wizard
Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire An oldie for sure, but written during a time when WWIII probably felt like an inevitably for many.
Every Cattle Decapitation song ever made.
Baba O'Riley
Eve of Destruction.
The Decline - NoFX
Collapse Ecstatic by Gonzo LeBronzo is basically a bunch of alt rock songs about the world going to shit. I'd start with Sidewinder or Come So Good
Godspeed You! Black Emperor- The Dead Flag Blues
As the World Caves In - Matt Maltese
Eve of Destruction In the Year 2525
Kid A i guess
Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine Also Have a Cigar might not be dystopian so much as and indictment of a specific industry, but same vibes; and a number of their other songs would qualify too, but WttM comes to mind first
Pick most any song from Gary Numan's latest albums
US3R: - Crazy - On and On - Start a war - Alexa play ok computer - millennial blues - how you really feel
Mike & The Mechanics - Silent Running (1985)
Goldfrapp - Utopia
Talking Heads - (Nothing but) Flowers (1988).
Fred Meyers by Glen Phillips. A future where people have moved into abandoned shopping malls. https://glenphillips.bandcamp.com/track/fred-meyers
Time, the album- ELO
["Morning Dew" - Bonnie Dobson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aawu-kPl5p8) (the [Grateful Dead's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlfcN93NS2Q) cover is very well known, I also enjoy [The National's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVLCXgTx3o)).
“Farewell Transmission” by Songs: Ohia has a very evocative “fallen world” feel.
Anthrocene by nick cave and the bad seeds Plastic cup by Low Running the World by Jarvis cocker
Vamos a la playa
Imperial Triumphant - Rotted Futures
Black Veiled Brides: Wretched and Divine? The whole album's kind of about a dystopia world, it's got some fun mini songs between the bigger ones that tell a story. Not sure where it lies on the cursing though
Summer of rage - shooter Jennings
Pretty much any Muse song
David comes to life by fucked up
Life During Wartime - Talking Heads. "Got some groceries; weak dying lobster - He'll last a couple of days..."
Everything by Current 93.
City Song - Daughters
The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins Party at Ground Zero - Fishbone It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) -R.E.M.
Eve of Destruction Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall It's the End of the World as We Know It
Collective Consciousness - Metal gear rising OST
More for feel and some for content Trans by Neil Young (1983)
In the flesh Pink Floyd
Might be a bit of a stretch but Digital Sea by Thrice? The song laments how much we’re losing ourselves to technology. 🎶I am drowning in a digital sea/ I am slipping beneath the sound/ Here my voice goes to ones and zeroes/ I’m slipping beneath the sound🎶
Meat by Poppy
Blutengel - Save our souls
Digital Witness by St. Vincent
Pretty much anything by Arjen Lucassen, especially his Ayreon mega-project, it‘s pretty much a single storyline across multiple albums about the end of mankind and an extraterrestrial entity trying to understand what humans used to call enotions. The project has a plethora of incredible singers, well-known like unknown from different eras and genres. It’s pretty incredible. His Guilt Machine project has a clear dystopian sound and theme too.
The album "Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth" by Rishloo.
There's some good ones in Blue Man Group's rock album from 2003 called The Complex.
Suprised I haven’t seen Black Sabbath come up yet
99 Red Balloons
Transverse City by Warren Zevon.
Set the world afire - Megadeth
Infest the Rats Nest by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Citizens of Tomorrow by Tokyo Police Club
Silent running - mike and the mechanics. Home by now - meatloaf
Pretty much any of Arjen Lucassen's various projects have some level of sci-fi dystopian themes if that's what you're interested in. For example look at 01011001 and The Source by Ayreon and Victims of the Modern Age by Star One. Mostly *very* good progressive metal with the occasional strange/cheesy track thrown in.
Slave New World - Sepultura
Adventures in Zoochosis by Propagandhi
A lot of early Bob Dylan. - Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall - Talkin’ World War III Blues - Masters of War - Gates of Eden - It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) - It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
_Miami 2017_, Billy Joel _Another Day in Paradise_, Phil Collins