Dozens of artists and bands, from ABBA and Elton John to Rihanna and Aerosmith, have publicly condemned Donald Trump since 2015 for playing their songs at his events and rallies. Some, like Eddy Grant, have sued him over copyright infringement.
Over the past few months, artists and acts like Beyoncé, Céline Dion and The White Stripes have joined the list, as the Trump campaign’s unauthorized use of their tunes as he attempts to return to the White House has sparked new complaints and lawsuits.
Some artists want zero association with Trump, even if he hasn’t played their music. To wit: Legendary singer and Arizona native Linda Ronstadt complained on social media earlier this week about the former president staging an event at Tucson’s Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Thursday.
“I would prefer to ignore that sad fact. But since the building has my name on it, I need to say something,” Ronstadt stated on her Instagram on Wednesday. “It saddens me to see the former President bring his hate show to Tucson, a town with deep Mexican-American roots and a joyful, tolerant spirit.”
Ronstadt is one of the many artists we’ve included in the following rundown of musicians and bands that have taken issue with Trump since 2015.
R.E.M (2015)
Songs: MultipleAction: Public condemnationIn 2015, R.E.M’s Michael Stipe blasted Trump over “It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” being used at his rallies. The frontman posted the following on social media: “Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you—you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.” Four years later, his bandmate Mike Mills got uppity after a pro-Trump video featuring “Everybody Hurts.” And in 2020, “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts” were used at a Trump event in Milwaukee. The band considered “exploring legal avenues,” but took no further action.
Aerosmith (2015)
Songs: “Dream On,” “Livin’ On the Edge”Action: Cease-and-desist lettersIn 2015, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler reportedly got Trump to stop playing “Dream On” at campaign events after a strongly worded cease-and-desist from the singer’s lawyers. (In true Trump fashion, the POTUS claimed on Twitter the vocalist “got more publicity on his song request than he’s gotten in ten years.”) Three years later, Tyler’s legal team fired off another letter after Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge” was played at rallies, citing the “willful infringement” by Trump’s campaign.
Mick Jagger during a 2023 concert by The Rolling Stones at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Neil Schwartz Photography
The Rolling Stones (2015)
Songs: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Start Me Up”Action: Cease-and-desist lettersFellow British rock legends The Rolling Stones also have had a legitimate beef with the current president. After Trump began using both “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Start Me Up” on the regular in 2015 and 2016, Mick Jagger and company demanded he “cease all use” of the songs. The beef was revived in 2020 when Trump’s campaign began using the songs again, prompting the Stones and music rights company BMI to send out another round of letters and threatening a possible lawsuit if the usage continues. No legal action was taken, though.
Adele (2016)
Songs: “Rolling in the Deep,” “Skyfall”Action: Public condemnation Fans of the British-born pop songstress were aghast in 2016 when her tracks “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall” popped up at Trump events. A spokesperson for the artist admonished their use, stating that “Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.”
Elton John (2016)
Songs: “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man”Action: Public condemnationDonald Trump reportedly has had a bit of an obsession with the legendary Elton John. The president has been described by Vanity Fair as a “huge fan” of the rock/pop legend and was known to blast Sir Elton’s tunes on his campaign planes back in 2016. Trump also invited John to perform at his inauguration in 2017, but got shot down. That’s not the only time the artist has rebuked the POTUS, as he’s criticized Trump for using “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man.”
Queen (2016)
Song: “We Are the Champions”Action: Public CondemnationBrian May of Queen was livid when Trump utilized “We Are the Champions” as his own WWE-style entrance music while strolling onstage at the Republican National Convention in 2016. The Queen guitarist stated that the RNC and Trump had neither permission nor authorization to play the hit. Other surviving members of the band have also said that further use of the song would result in potential legal action.
Twisted Sister (2017)
Song: “We’re Not Going to Take It”Action: Polite request to stopAccording to Forbes, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister’s “quietly asked” his pal Donald Trump in 2017 to cease playing the band’s signature hit at a campaign event after its fanbase had a negative reaction to the situation. Trump reportedly agreed to stop. Snider was nowhere near as polite when he publically condemned Kari Lake and other Arizona GOP candidates from using the hit in 2022, though.
George Harrison’s Estate (2017)
Song: “Here Comes the Sun”Action: Public condemnationThe Trump family’s use of the Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun” to introduce Ivanka at the 2016 Republican Convention also pissed of the estate of the late George Harrison, who wrote the 1969 song. The folks behind the late singer/songwriter’s official Twitter account stated its usage was “offensive and against the wishes of the George Harrison estate.” They also humorously suggested that the Trumps instead use Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness.”
Pharrell Williams (2018)
Song: “Happy”Action: Cease-and-desist letterThe R&B star wasn’t pleased when Trump began having his breakthrough hit, “Happy,” played at rallies in 2018. Lawyers for Williams sent cease-and-desist letters, claiming Team Trump was infringing on his copyright by using the track without permission and reportedly threatened further legal action.
Rihanna (2018)
Song: “Don't Stop the Music”Action: Cease-and-desist letter Rihanna wanted Trump to stop using “Don’t Stop the Music” after learning the president was pumping out the R&B/pop single at rallies for Republican candidates in 2018. Her legal team fired off a cease-and-desist, claiming RiRi hadn’t given permission for her song to be used in such a fashion.
Prince's Estate (2018)
Song: “Purple Rain”Action: Public condemnationThe estate of Prince has iron-clad proof the Trump campaign broke its word about playing “Purple Rain.” As the story goes, they warned the president in October 2018 about never using the hit again after it was part of the soundtrack of a rally. Trump’s people reportedly swore they wouldn’t, only to go back on that promise a year later at a campaign event in Minnesota. Prince’s estate called them out on Twitter but never pursued any action beyond that.
Ozzy Osbourne (2019)
Song: “Crazy Train”Action: Public condemnation Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were reportedly pissed off in June 2019 when Trump retweeted a video mocking Democrats that used the Black Sabbath hit “Crazy Train.” No action was taken beyond making a public statement, which said, “We are sending notice to the Trump campaign (or anyone else) that they are forbidden from using any of Ozzy Osbourne’s music in political ads or in any political campaigns.”
Nickelback (2019)
Song: “Photograph”Action: DMCA claimIn October 2019, Trump retweeted an edited version of Nickelback’s music video for “Photograph,” which included a doctored pic of Joe Biden meeting with a Ukranian businessman. The band weren't amused and neither was their label, Warner Music Group, which filed a claim under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to have the video removed from Twitter. It wasn’t all bad for Nickelback, though, as they got a bump in sales of the song following the incident.
Phil Collins (2020)
Song: "In the Air Tonight"Action: Cease-and-desist letterBritish-born rock/pop legend Phil Collins took umbrage when Trump used the 1981 banger "In the Air Tonight" during his 2020 reelection campaign as a tongue-in-cheek reference to COVID-19. In a cease-and-desist letter sent to Trump, a representative for the musician stated, “Mr. Collins does not condone the apparent trivialization of Covid-19."
Neil Young (2020)
The Songs: “Rockin' in the Free World,” “Devil’s Sidewalk”Action: Lawsuit (later dismissed)Neil Young has never been shy about sharing his opinion that Trump shouldn’t use his songs at campaign events. In fact, the legendary Canadian-born singer-songwriter has been doing it ever since Trump’s people played “Rockin' in the Free World” when he announced his candidacy in 2015. Fast-forward to 2020, and Trump’s campaign is still cuing up Young’s hits at rallies and events without permission, including “Devil's Sidewalk.” Young eventually took legal action and sued the campaign over copyright infringement, but had the matter dismissed.
Tom Petty's Estate (2020)
Song: “I Won’t Back Down”Taken: Cease-and-desist letterTrump’s campaign cued up the Tom Petty favorite “I Won’t Back Down” at a rally in Tulsa in June, much to the chagrin of the late rock 'n’ roller’s family. “Tom wrote this song for the underdog, for the common man and for everyone,” they reportedly stated. “We want to make it clear that we believe everyone is free to vote as they like, think as they like, but the Petty family doesn’t stand for this. We believe in America and we believe in democracy. But Donald Trump is not representing the noble ideals of either.” They also threw a cease-and-desist at Trump, in addition to their strong words of condemnation.
Leonard Cohen’s Estate (2020)
Song: “Hallelujah”Action: Public condemnationThe folks behind Leonard Cohen’s estate were “surprised and dismayed” when a cover version of “Hallelujah” followed Trump’s acceptance speech at this year’s Republican National Convention in August 2020. Cohen’s estate had reportedly rejected an attempt by Trump’s campaign to get permission to use the well-beloved song at the event. In a statement, they condemned the RNC’s “rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit [one] of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue.” Legal action was considered but never pursued.
Panic! At the Disco (2020)
Song: “High Hopes”Action: Public CondemnationPanic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie didn’t pull any punches when tweeting about how the synth-pop act’s song “High Hopes” was used to introduce Donald Trump Jr. at an event here in the Valley in 2020. “Dear Trump Campaign, Fuck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song,” Urie tweeted. Okay then.
Eddy Grant (2020)
Song: “Electric Avenue”Actions: Cease-and-desist letter and lawsuitIn August 2020, Eddy Grant’s attorneys filed a copyright suit against Trump in federal court after he tweeted an anti-Joe Biden video set to the reggae singer’s 1982 hit “Electric Avenue.” Lawyers for Grant had previously issued a cease-and-desist to the president’s campaign over the video, claiming it was harming the artist’s reputation. The case is currently being wrangled over in court.
Village People (2023)
Song: "YMCA"Action: Cease-and-desist letterIn 2023, the Village People publically demanded that Trump cease his repeated use of their hit "YMCA" at his rallies. The band, particularly lead singer Victor Willis, criticized Trump for ignoring their previous requests to stop using the song, asserting that it created a misleading perception of their political stance, sparking another round of disputes over music rights.
Foo Fighters (2024)
Song: “My Hero”Action: Public condemnation Last month, Trump’s playing of “My Hero” during his rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale caused Foo Fighters to deny they’d given permission for the hit’s usage. A spokesperson for the band later told the media they’d donate any royalties from the song’s use to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.
Céline Dion (2024)
Song: “My Heart Will Go On”Action: Cease-and-desist letterCease-and-desist letterCeline Dion called out Trump after his campaign played her iconic hit song "My Heart Will Go On," best known for its use in the 1997 blockbuster “Titanic,” during an August rally without her permission. Dion, who has remained largely apolitical throughout her career, was miffed by the association of her music with Trump’s messaging. Her team quickly issued a cease-and-desist order, demanding the campaign stop using the song at future events. The family of Oscar-winning composer James Horner, who co-wrote the song, also condemned Trump.
Sinéad O’Connor's Estate (2024)
Song: "Nothing Compares 2 U"Action: Cease-and-desist letter The estate of the late Sinéad O'Connor criticized Donald Trump for playing her iconic song "Nothing Compares 2 U" over the summer at political rallies in Maryland and North Carolina. The estate quickly denounced the unauthorized use, stating that O’Connor’s beliefs and political views sharply contrasted with Trump's. They demanded an immediate halt to the usage with a cease-and-desist letter.
ABBA (2024)
Songs: Multiple Action: Cease-and-desist letterIn 2024, ABBA joined the growing list of musicians objecting to Trump unauthorized use of their music. The Swedish pop icons objected to Trump playing their classic hits “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money” and “The Winner Takes It All” and an event in July. ABBA's management quickly demanded that Trump cease using their songs, reaffirming the band's desire to stay politically neutral.
The White Stripes (2024)
Song: “Seven Nation Army”Action: LawsuitThe legendary garage rock band filed suit against Trump on Sept. 9 in the U.S. District Court in New York for copyright infringement over his campaign’s unauthorized use of “Seven Nation Army.” The iconic opening guitar riff from the Grammy-winning song, first released in 2003, was featured in a Trump promotional video posted to social media by his campaign in August. It resulted in a swift response from frontman Jack White, who posted the following to his Instagram: “Don’t even think about using my music you fascists,” he wrote. “Lawsuit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others).”
Isaac Hayes' Family (2024)
Song: "Hold On, I'm Coming"Action: Lawsuit threatenedThe family of the late Isaac Hayes is threatening to sue Trump for playing the dearly departed soul singer’s 1966 hit "Hold On, I'm Coming" without permission an estimated 135 times during his various campaign events and rallies, including at an NRA convention. They argue that the unauthorized use of the song, co-written by Hayes and record producer and songwriter David Porter, misrepresents the late artist's legacy and values. They’ve already publicly condemned the use of Hayes’ music in this context and are exploring legal action to protect his work from further misuse.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published September 16, 2020 and has been updated with new info and blurbs.
