The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is Gil Scott-Heron’s iconic 1970 spoken-word piece that critiques consumerism, media complacency, and racial injustice with razor-sharp wit and rhythmic urgency. Delivered over sparse percussion and later reimagined with jazz-funk instrumentation, it declares that true social change won’t unfold on TV screens or through corporate slogans—it demands active, street-level engagement. With lines like “You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out,” Scott-Heron dismantles the illusion of passive revolution, making the track a cornerstone of Black consciousness, proto-hip-hop, and countercultural resistance.
