Music is a powerful tool that can energize, empower, and influence large crowds of people, so it’s unsurprising that politicians select their music carefully when curating playlists to blast over loudspeakers at their campaign events. But while music itself is bipartisan, that doesn’t necessarily mean the artists who created it feel the same way. Countless artists have refused, banned, or otherwise told various politicians to stop using their music at campaign events.
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These refusals cross the entire political spectrum, both in terms of the candidates and musicians. We narrowed the scope to six artists whose refusals varied from respectful and curt to scathing.
1. Sam Moore Didn’t Want Barack Obama To Use “Hold On, I’m Coming”
Sam Moore, one-half of the soul duo Sam & Dave, publicly denounced Barack Obama’s use of the group’s iconic 1966 track “Hold On, I’m Comin’” during Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008. “No one called me, no one sent a telegraph, no one did anything. They just did it, and I think that’s rather rude,” Moore opined (via The Columbus Dispatch).
“My vote is a very private matter between myself and the ballot box,” Moore continued. “I reserve my right to determine who I will support when and if I choose to do so.” Moore performed the same track for former President Donald Trump’s inaugural celebration in January 2017.
2. Heart Denounced Sarah Palin For Her Use Of “Barracuda”
After vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin used Heart’s “Barracuda” as her walkout music at the 2008 Republican National Convention, the band made their opinions on the matter crystal clear. Like Moore, guitarist and vocalist Nancy and Ann Wilson were upset that no one had asked permission to use their song. Namely, because they wouldn’t have given it.
Nancy put it bluntly, saying, “I feel completely f***ed over.” In a follow-up statement, the band said, “The song was written…as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there” (via Rolling Stone).
3. Bruce Springsteen Became Politically Outspoken After Denying Reagan
Bruce Springsteen was reaching his pinnacle of fame while former President Ronald Reagan was running for his second term. To combine the two brands, Reagan’s team requested to use Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” at campaign events. Springsteen refused. But that didn’t stop Reagan from name-dropping Springsteen at a New Jersey event anyway.
Days later, Springsteen addressed Reagan’s remarks at a Pittsburgh concert, questioning whether the president really understood the meaning of his music, which centered mainly around disenfranchised, alienated Americans. From that moment on, Springsteen became far more outspoken in his liberal ideology than he had ever been in years past, inspiring other artists to speak up and tell politicians to stop using their music, too.
4. Neil Young Opposed Trump’s Use Of “Rockin’ in the Free World”
Neil Young has repeatedly gone head to head with former President Donald Trump about the ex-POTUS’ use of Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Despite Young’s efforts, Trump’s team continued to use the song, citing a licensing deal with ASCAP as their “permission.” This back-and-forth culminated with Young filing a lawsuit against Trump in 2020.
Young didn’t mince his words about his feelings toward the presidential hopeful, writing in an open letter, “You are a disgrace to my country. Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment, and our relationships with friends around the world is unforgivable. Remember [my voice] is the voice of a tax-paying U.S. citizen who does not support you—me” (via Variety).
5. Eminem Sent A Cease and Desist to Vivek Ramaswamy
Sometimes, artists don’t just have to tell politicians to stop using their music. They have to tell them to stop performing it, too. Before he was navigating the campaign trail in the summer of 2023, Vivek Ramaswamy was a Harvard student who regularly rapped under the name Da Vek. So, when the time came to host campaign events, Ramaswamy opted to use (and perform) one of his favorite rap tracks, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” The Detroit rapper, however, was not having it.
Eminem’s music licenser BMI quickly sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ramaswamy’s political team, saying, “BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto,” per CBS News.
6. Boston Respectfully Refused Mike Huckabee’s Use Of Their Music
After short-term Boston member Barry Goudreau appeared with former Arkansas Governor and 2008 presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee at a political event, Huckabee’s team proceeded to use the American rock band’s hit track “More Than A Feeling” at campaign events. The band’s founder, Tom Scholz, publicly refuted Goudreau’s ability to represent the band with whom he only played for three years—and Huckabee himself.
“Boston has never endorsed a political candidate, and with all due respect, would not start by endorsing a candidate who is the polar opposite of most everything Boston stands for,” Scholz said (via Today). “By using my song and my band’s name, Boston, you have taken something of mine and used it to promote ideas to which I am opposed. In other words, I think I’ve been ripped off, dude!”
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