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'Nothing Compares 2 U' - Sinéad O'Connor -

'Nothing Compares 2 U' was used at Donald Trump's political rallies in North Carolina and Maryland in 2023. It's not the first time Trump's campaign team has used pop songs without approval. But neither is he the only politician to do so.

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'My Hero' - Foo Fighters -

'My Hero' by Foo Fighters was used by John McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign against the wishes of the band, who endorsed Barack Obama. Dave Grohl asked that the McCain campaign stop using the song, but was politely reminded that while it respected copyright, they had the legal rights to use the song.

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'Brand New Day' - Sting -

Sting's 'Brand New Day' was chosen by both Al Gore and George W. Bush as their respective campaign theme songs in 2000. But the former Police front man turned them down.

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'I Won't Back Down' - Tom Petty -

Tom Petty's solo effort 'I Wont Back Down' and his song 'American Girl, which he recorded as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, were both used variously by George W. Bush, John McCain, and Michele Bachmann. Bush and McCain eventually stopped broadcasting the tracks, but Bachmann continued playing 'American Girl' despite being handed a cease-and-desist notice.

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'Take a Chance on Me' - ABBA -

Republican nominee John McCain was asked by Swedish supergroup ABBA to stop using 'Take a Chance on Me' during his 2008 presidential campaign.

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'Let's Stay Together' - Al Green -

Soul singer Al Green was upset by the use of 'Let's Stay Together' for a 2008 Mitt Romney advertisement that featured President Barack Obama singing Green's 1972 hit. The video was briefly removed from YouTube, but was restored following the Republican politician's defense of "fair use."

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'Road to Nowhere' - Talking Heads -

Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist tripped up big time after using Talking Heads' 'Road to Nowhere' in a 2010 attack video against rival Marco Rubio without permission. The band's David Byrne sued Crist over use of the song and won.

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'Something New' - Axwell & Ingrosso -

For his part, after receiving a cease-and-desist letter, Republican Marco Rubio had to abandon the use of Axwell & Ingrosso's 'Something New' during his 2016 bid for the presidency. The Swedish DJ duo didn't want to be affiliated with a particular party.

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'Don't Worry, Be Happy' - Bobby McFerrin -

Vice President George H.W. Bush was asked in 1988 to refrain from using Bobby McFerrin's delightful ditty 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' as his campaign song. By all accounts, McFerrin was anything but happy!

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'Who Says You Can't Go Home' - Bon Jovi -

John McCain also had his knuckles rapped for using Bon Jovi's 'Who Says You Can't Go Home' without permission. However, no legal action was taken and usage of the band's song continued.

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'More Than a Feeling' - Boston -

Mike Huckabee's bid for the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2008 saw the politician pick up a bass guitar and play 'More Than a Feeling.' Boston front man Tom Scholz was dismayed and penned a scathing letter distancing himself and the band from "endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for."

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'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' - Dropkick Murphys -

American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys made their feelings known after Wisconsin governor Scott Walker used the band's cover of 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' without their say-so during a 2015 political rally. The group fired off a venomous tweet asking Walker not to use their music, adding, "We literally hate you!!!"

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'Your Hand in Mine' - Explosions in the Sky -

Texas senator Ted Cruz was forced to drop a 2016 presidential campaign advertisement featuring 'Your Hand in Mine' by rock band Explosions in the Sky, who are also from Texas, because of copyright issues.

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'Pink Houses' - John Mellencamp -

No less than three Republican presidential candidates have requested, and been denied use of songs written by John Mellencamp. The 1984 Reagan campaign was refused 'Pink Houses.' George W. Bush wasn't allowed to use 'R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.' in 2000. And in 2008, Mellencamp had to force John McCain to stop playing 'Pink Houses' and 'Our Country' while on the campaign trail.

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Jackson Browne - 'Running on Empty' -

The 2008 McCain campaign was also asked by Jackson Browne to refrain from using 'Running on Empty' after the song was chosen to ridicule Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his statements on gasoline conservation. Browne eventually took legal action and later won an undisclosed settlement and a public apology from the Republican senator.

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'Barracuda' - Heart -

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin—whose nickname was "Sarah Barracuda" in high school—insisted on using 'Barracuda' by Heart at campaign rallies in 2008 by claiming that she had the right to use it because of a blanket license from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

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'Soul Man' - Sam & Dave -

Co-written and composed by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, 'Soul Man' was a hit for Sam & Dave in 1967. In 1996, the presidential campaign of Republican Bob Dole reworked the lyrics to "I'm a Dole Man." The copyright holders to the song were not pleased, and threatened to sue every time the track was aired. The campaign stopped using it. Later, in 2008, Sam Moore asked Barack Obama to stop playing another Sam & Dave hit, 'Hold on I'm Coming,' for fear it would look like the singer had endorsed the candidate.

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'Don't Stop Believin' ' - Journey -

In 2011, Newt Gingrich was asked by Journey not to use the band's 'Don't Stop Believin' during political events. Gingrich eventually conceded, but only after his own journey to the White House ended after he dropped out the following year.

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'Wavin' Flag' - K'naan -

Representatives of the Somali-Canadian rapper and singer K'naan threatened legal action against Mitt Romney after his campaign team used 'Wavin' Flag' during the 2012 presidential race. Despite claiming they were licensed to use the song by ASCAP and Broadcast Music, Inc., (BMI), the campaign eventually agreed to stop using the song.

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'Walking on Sunshine' - Katrina and the Waves -

Despite a request from Katrina Leskanich, lead singer of the British-American band Katrina and the Waves, to refrain from using the band's jaunty 'Walking on Sunshine, Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann continued to use the song, even when she was threatened with legal action.

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'Kids' - MGMT -

In 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party was ordered to compensate American rock band MGMT for copyright infringement after it repeatedly used an MGMT song at rallies without asking the group's permission.

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'Still the One' - Orleans -

Soft rockers Orleans had a hit with 'Still the One' in 1976. In 2004 during his reelection campaign, George W. Bush used the song without permission. The Bush campaign later stopped playing the track. Not so for John McCain, who in 2008 ignored cease-and desist letters and used 'Still the One' throughout his campaign.

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'Tom Sawyer' - Rush -

Republican politician and Senate nominee Paul Rand was asked by the Canadian rock band Rush to stop broadcasting 'Tom Sawyer' and an additional song, 'The Spirit of Radio,' during campaign rallies on grounds of copyright issues.

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'Panic Switch' - Silversun Pickups -

The Silversun Pickups' 2009 song 'Panic Switch' was played just once by Mitt Romney's campaign team as a rally stage was being set up. A cease-and-desist letter was subsequently mailed, after which the track was stricken from the campaign soundtrack.

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'Eye of the Tiger' - Survivor -

In 2016, former presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee settled a US$25,000 lawsuit after unauthorized use of Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger.' Earlier in 2012, Newt Gingrich, another former Republican presidential candidate, also paid an undisclosed settlement for using the track, best known as the theme song from 'Rocky III.'

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'How You Like Me Now?' - The Heavy -

British indie-rock band The Heavy were compelled to send out a cease-and desist letter to Newt Gingrich after he used the band's 'How You Like Me Now?' at a number of rallies.

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'Born in the USA' - Bruce Springsteen -

In 1984, Bruce Springsteen famously turned down a request by Ronald Reagan's reelection campaign team to use 'Born in the USA' as a rallying call. In later years, Bob Dole and Pat Buchanan were similarly rebuffed by The Boss.

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'We're Not Gonna Take It' - Twisted Sister -

Republican Paul Ryan, a presidential hopeful in 2016, was taken to task by Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider over Ryan's one-time use of their 1984 hit 'We're Not Gonna Take It.'

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'Right Now' - Van Halen -

John McCain once again faced the ire of musicians after his campaign chose to play Van Halen's 'Right Now.' While vocalist Sammy Hager appeared nonplussed over its use, bandmates Eddie and Alex Van Halen issued a statement clarifying that they had not given permission for McCain to use the song.

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'Rockin' in the Free World' - Neil Young -

Donald Trump used Neil Young's 'Rockin' in the Free World' when he announced he was running for president in 2015. Young vehemently objected to its use but eventually relented, with Trump reps insisting they had permission to use the song. In 2020, according to Variety, Young filed a lawsuit against the Donald Trump campaign over its continued—and he contends legally unauthorized—use of his music for political purposes.

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'Rolling in the Deep' - Adele -

Adele is another singer-songwriter who's objected to Donald Trump using her music, specifically 'Rolling in the Deep' and 'Skyfall.' Again, though, Trump's team insisted they had the legal rights to play them.

Sources: (USA Today) (24/7 Wall St.) (The Hollywood Reporter) (Reuters) (Billboard) (The Guardian) (Rolling Stone)    (Variety) 

See also: Musicians who stopped Trump form using their tunes

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