10 Best Songs About Unity

Feature Photo: Mighty Images / Shutterstock.com

Unity has always been a powerful force in rock and roll, woven into anthems of resistance, celebration, and hope. Whether through calls for peace, defiance against division, or simple invitations to come together, musicians have used their craft to break barriers and bring people closer. The ten songs in this article capture different facets of unity—some with bold declarations, others with quiet optimism—but all with the belief that music can transcend borders, beliefs, and backgrounds.

The Doobie Brothers infused Listen to the Music with an infectious groove, suggesting that shared joy in sound can erase differences. The Who’s Join Together leaned into their signature bombast, turning unity into an unstoppable march forward. War delivered Why Can’t We Be Friends? with humor and an easygoing charm, proving that even the deepest divides can be softened with a smile. Robert Palmer’s Every Kinda People took a soulful approach, making a heartfelt plea for acceptance through diversity. John Lennon’s Imagine challenged the world to picture a society free of the barriers that divide us. Jackson Browne’s For Everyman provided a philosophical reflection on perseverance, countering isolation with the idea that no one moves forward alone. Brotherhood of Man’s United We Stand captured the communal power of standing together through hardship. The Youngbloods’ Get Together tapped into the 1960s counterculture, offering a folk-based rallying cry for unity. Doro’s Raise Your Fist turned solidarity into an act of rebellion, rallying listeners to fight for change. Rush’s Different Strings took a more introspective approach, acknowledging that unity is as much about understanding differences as it is about finding common ground.

Each of these songs approaches unity from a different angle—some through defiance, others through harmony—but all reinforce the idea that people are stronger together. In a world that often feels divided, these tracks remind us that music remains one of the most unifying forces of all.

# 10 – Different Strings – Rush

“Different Strings” was recorded by Rush for their seventh studio album, Permanent Waves, which was released on January 14, 1980. The song was recorded between September and October 1979 at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. It was produced by Rush and Terry Brown. Geddy Lee handled the lead vocals, bass, and keyboards, while Alex Lifeson played acoustic and electric guitars. Neil Peart, typically responsible for the band’s lyrics, did not write the words for this track; instead, Lee collaborated with lyricist Ben Mink to craft the song’s introspective message.

# 9 -Raise Your Fist – Doro

“Raise Your Fist” was recorded by Doro for her twelfth studio album, Raise Your Fist, which was released on October 19, 2012, in Europe and November 6, 2012, in the United States. The song was recorded at multiple locations, including Eardrum Studios in Hamburg, Studio 102 in Bochum, Mastersound Studios in Steinheim, and Intermedia Post in New Jersey. The album was produced by Doro Pesch, Andreas Bruhn, and Torsten Sickert. Musicians featured on the album included Doro Pesch on vocals, Bas Maas and Luca Princiotta on guitars, Nick Douglas on bass, and Johnny Dee on drums.

Read More: Top 10 Doro Songs

# 8 -United We Stand – Brotherhood of Man

“United We Stand” was recorded by Brotherhood of Man for their debut album, United We Stand, and was released as a single on January 23, 1970. The song was written by Tony Hiller and Peter Simons (a pseudonym for Johnny Goodison) and produced by Hiller. The group’s lineup at the time included Tony Burrows, Johnny Goodison, Roger Greenaway, Sue Glover, and Sunny Leslie. Burrows, known for his involvement in multiple studio projects, provided lead vocals on several hit songs of the era, further cementing his role as a prominent session singer.

The song became Brotherhood of Man’s first major success, reaching No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart, and No. 9 in Canada. It also charted in Australia, Ireland, and several European countries. Despite the group later finding greater fame with their Eurovision-winning lineup, “United We Stand” remained one of their most enduring songs. Billboard predicted the song’s chart success, describing it as a “strong production” with broad appeal..

# 7 – Listen To The Music – The Doobie Brothers

Optimism coursed through the veins of Toulouse Street, and “Listen to the Music” embodied that spirit with a message of unity through sound. Recorded at Warner Bros. Studios in North Hollywood, California, and produced by Ted Templeman, the song was released as the lead single from the album on July 19, 1972. Tom Johnston, who wrote the track, delivered the lead vocals and played guitar, with Patrick Simmons providing additional guitar and backing vocals. Tiran Porter handled bass duties, while John Hartman and Michael Hossack supplied the signature dual-drum attack. The song marked The Doobie Brothers’ first major chart success, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on Canada’s RPM chart.

# 6 – Join Together – The Who

The Who captured the essence of unity with “Join Together,” a song that was released as a non-album single on June 16, 1972. Written by Pete Townshend, the track was recorded on May 22, 1972, at Olympic Studios in London. It was produced by The Who with associate producer Glyn Johns. The lineup featured Roger Daltrey on lead vocals and harmonica, Townshend on guitar and synthesizer, John Entwistle on bass, and Keith Moon on drums. The song became a commercial success, reaching No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

Despite being a standalone single, the song has remained a staple in The Who’s catalog, appearing on numerous compilations and frequently performed in concert. The band featured it prominently during their The Who Hits 50! tour and played it at charity events, including The Concert for Killing Cancer in 2011.

# 5 – Every Kinda People – Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer introduced “Every Kinda People” as the lead single from his fourth studio album, Double Fun, released in March 1978. Written by Andy Fraser, the song blended elements of reggae rock, calypso, and pop, marking a stylistic shift for Palmer. The track was recorded with producer Tom Moulton, and the personnel included Palmer on vocals and guitar, Paul Barrere and Freddie Harris on guitar, Bob Babbitt on bass, and Allan Schwartzberg on drums. The single reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 12 in Canada, and No. 53 in the UK, becoming Palmer’s first major U.S. hit.

If you watch the video closely, you will se a young long-haired Ralph Fiennes as one of those Every Kinda People for a split second. It is the 22-second mark.

Read More: Top 10 Robert Palmer Songs

# 4 – Why Can’t We Be Friends – War

War approached the theme of unity with humor and groove on “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” a song that blurred the lines between social commentary and lighthearted camaraderie. Released in May 1975 as the title track of their album Why Can’t We Be Friends?, the song was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. It was produced by Jerry Goldstein, Howard Scott, and Lonnie Jordan. The lineup included Scott on guitar and vocals, Jordan on keyboards and vocals, B.B. Dickerson on bass, Harold Brown on drums, Charles Miller on saxophone, Papa Dee Allen on percussion, and Lee Oskar on harmonica. The single climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the Canadian RPM chart, further solidifying War’s reputation for blending funk, Latin, jazz, and R&B influences into socially conscious music.

Read More: Top 10 Songs From The Band War

# 3 – For Everyman – Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne captured the tension between escapism and perseverance in “For Everyman,” the title track of his second studio album, For Everyman, released in 1973. The song was recorded at Elektra Sound Recorders in Los Angeles and produced by Browne himself. The lineup featured Browne on vocals and acoustic guitar, David Lindley on electric and acoustic guitars, Leland Sklar on bass, Russ Kunkel on drums, Craig Doerge on piano, and David Crosby contributing harmony vocals. Though not released as a single, the track became a defining statement of Browne’s early songwriting.

# 2 – Get Together – The Youngbloods

“Get Together” was recorded by The Youngbloods for their self-titled debut album, The Youngbloods, which was released in 1967. The song was written by Chet Powers (also known as Dino Valenti) and was originally titled “Let’s Get Together.” Felix Pappalardi produced the track, which was recorded under RCA Victor. Jesse Colin Young provided lead vocals and bass, Jerry Corbitt played lead guitar, Lowell “Banana” Levinger handled rhythm guitar and keyboards, and Joe Bauer was on drums. The song initially charted modestly, peaking at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. However, after being used in a National Conference of Christians and Jews radio campaign, it was reissued in 1969 and climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming The Youngbloods’ signature hit.

Read More: Top 10 Songs By The Youngbloods

# 1 – Imagine – John Lennon

John Lennon recorded “Imagine” between May 27 and July 4, 1971, at Ascot Sound Studios in England and the Record Plant in New York City. Released on October 11, 1971, as the title track of his second solo album, the song was produced by Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Phil Spector. The instrumentation featured Lennon on piano and vocals, Klaus Voormann on bass, Alan White on drums, and the Flux Fiddlers providing string arrangements. The single became Lennon’s best-selling solo hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.

Check out similar articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……

Prev Article Next Article

One Response

Baybluesman February 17, 2025

Another song for unity, which we certainly could use in the current environment, is “Let’s Work Together”, popularized by Canned Heat (originally written and performed by Wilbert Harrison), from their 1970 album “Future Blues”
My personal preferred version is Climax Blues Band’s
cover, which supplied much more oomph/energy, and the outstanding slide guitar courtesy of Peter Haycock, and frenetic harp action from the multi-talented Colin Cooper, on their version of “Let’s Work Together” from 1973’s live master-class double album “F.M. Live”, recorded at the Academy of Music in NYC (later known as The Palladium, until demolished in 1997).