Which 1989 Public Enemy song was commissioned for Spike Lee’s film Do the Right Thing?

Public Enemy’s 1989 song commissioned for Spike Lee’s film Do the Right Thing was “Fight the Power.”

Lee asked Public Enemy to create music for his film, which portrays racial tension and conflict in a Brooklyn neighborhood during a hot summer day. Chuck D, Hank Shocklee, and Keith Shocklee developed the song with a forceful, politically charged sound suited to the movie’s themes.

The song incorporates references to earlier Black musicians, including James Brown and the Isley Brothers. Its lyrics also challenge cultural and political power structures, helping it become one of Public Enemy’s best-known recordings. The group released it as a single in 1989, and it appeared on the film’s soundtrack.

A common mix-up is confusing the song with “Welcome to the Terrordome,” another major Public Enemy track from the same era. “Fight the Power” is specifically associated with Do the Right Thing and appears repeatedly within the film.