Céline Dion wants Donald Trump to stop using her music — and she’s not the only one.
The renowned superstar is hardly the first musician to request such a thing, as many have also slammed the former U.S. president for using their songs during his campaign rallies this year. Some have directly addressed Trump, while others’ teams and estates have issued formal statements demanding the 2024 Republican presidential nominee stop using their catalogs during his third bid for president — some even threatened legal action.
Below is a loosely chronological list of musicians who have told Trump, and other politicians, to stop rocking (in the free world) to their hit songs. (Note: we’re not discriminating between artists who have issued the terse-if-diplomatic “This candidate didn’t ask our permission” statement and artists who flat-out told a candidate to stop using their music.)
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Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.”
The Boss has frequently gone to the mat for his music, having told Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and Pat Buchanan (in 1984, 1996 and 2000, respectively) to drop “Born in the U.S.A.” from their campaigns. What’s weird is that none of them have picked up on the fact that the song is a barely veiled critique of the U.S.’ lack of support for veterans.
John Mellencamp, “Pink Houses” and “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”
Mellencamp also turned down Reagan in 1984; the Gipper wanted to use “Pink Houses.” And he told George W. Bush and John McCain they weren’t entitled to “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” in 2000 and 2008, respectively.
Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
George H.W. Bush’s attempts to get the country to stop worrying and be happy in 1988 were stymied by the song’s writer, Bobby McFerrin, who objected to Bush’s use of the song.
Sam & Dave, “Soul Man”
Quick, what’s the first thing that you think of when you envision Bob Dole: Is it “Soul Man?” Regardless, Dole was using the song during his 1996 campaign when Sam & Dave told him to cut it out.
Sam & Dave, “Hold On, I’m Coming”
The duo also told former president Barack Obama he wasn’t allowed to use their song “Hold On, I’m Coming” in 2008.
In August 2024, the family of Isaac Hayes — who co-wrote Sam & Dave’s 1966 song — posted a letter on social media demanding that Trump stop using the late soul singer’s song at his rallies — where, according to them, “Hold On, I’m Coming” has been played 134 times by the Trump campaign from 2022 to 2024. The family also threatened legal action.
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Tom Petty, “I Won’t Back Down”
Bush the younger didn’t fare much better than his dad in his attempts to find a campaign soundtrack. Not only did Tom Petty tell him to stop using his music in 2000, but so did Mellencamp and Sting, although the former was the only one to threaten legal action.
Sting, “Brand New Day”
Though to be fair, Sting also discouraged Al Gore from using his song “Brand New Day.”
Orleans, “Still the One”
Bush was also dinged by John Hall, the author of soft-rockers Orleans’ hit “Still the One,” for using the tune while campaigning for reelection in 2004.
Boston, “More Than a Feeling”
Boston had more than a feeling that Mike Huckabee shouldn’t be using their song during his 2008 campaign. (They had a cease-and-desist letter.)
Many artists, to John McCain
McCain had a hard time putting together a campaign mixtape in 2008. Not only did Mellencamp shoot him down for “Pink Houses” (and “Our Country”), but so did Heart (“Barracuda”), Jackson Browne (“Running on Empty”), Bon Jovi (“Who Says You Can’t Go Home”), Van Halen (“Right Now”), Petty (“Won’t Back Down,” again) and ABBA (“Take a Chance on Me”).
Rush, “Tom Sawyer”
Avowed Libertarian Rand Paul is also a big Rush fan, which comes as no surprise – the group used Libertarian icon Ayn Rand as early inspiration. But they’re not really fans of his, and have warned him about using both “Tom Sawyer” and “The Spirit of Radio” during his campaigns.
Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger”
Survivor objected to Newt Gingrich using their iconic song in 2012, though Gingrich’s campaign manager looked to The Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now,” but the British band also turned him down.
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Several artists, to Mitt Romney
Romney had about as hard a time as McCain trying to find suitable campaign music. He was shot down by Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider (for “We’re Not Gonna Take It”), Silversun Pickups (“Panic Switch”), K’Naan (“Wavin’ Flag”) and also Survivor (“Eye of the Tiger,” natch).
Tom Petty, “American Girl”
Michele Bachmann (remember her?) got some mileage out of Petty’s “American Girl” in 2012 before he told her to stop.
Katrina and the Waves, “Walking on Sunshine”
Katrina and the Waves also emerged from obscurity to tell Bachmann to quit using “Walking on Sunshine.”
Dropkick Murphys, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”
The Irish (and pro-union) punk group told Wisconsin Governor and (anti-union) presidential hopeful Scott Walker to stop using their song in the bluntest way possible: a since-deleted X (formerly Twitter) post saying, “We literally hate you.”
Axwell & Ingrosso, ‘Something New’
EDM superstars Axwell & Ingrosso came out against Marco Rubio using their song “Something New” in January 2015, though he’s also mentioned being a fan of David Guetta and Swedish House Mafia, so maybe there’s hope for a Rubio/EDM mashup yet.
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Several artists, to Donald Trump
Finding Trump a campaign soundtrack has been a task through the years. Adele’s team distanced themselves from his use of both “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall” at past rallies; Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler’s lawyers sent Trump cease-and-desist letters when he used “Dream On”; REM lead singer Michael Stipe responded with “Go f— yourself” when informed that Trump used “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”; and Neil Young refused to allow him to use “Rockin’ in the Free World,” as well.
Oh, not to mention the Rolling Stones (for “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “Brown Sugar”) and Elton John. John was diplomatic, saying, “I don’t want my music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign,” while it’s safe to say we know where the Stones would fall if Trump had sought their permission: “Can you imagine President Trump? The worst nightmare,” Keith Richards told Billboard in 2015.
Explosions in the Sky, “Your Hand in Mine”
Possibly because of the group’s musical placement in the Texas-centric Friday Night Lights soundtrack, someone in Ted Cruz’s campaign thought it might be OK to use the group’s “Your Hand in Mine” in a campaign video. The band disagreed.
Steven Tyler, “Livin’ on the Edge”
After Trump used Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge” at a campaign event in Charleston, West Virginia, in August 2018, frontman Tyler sent the president a cease and desist letter ordering him to stop using the band’s music at his rallies.
According to CBS News, Tyler is a registered Republican. But the 76-year-old rocker says the issue “is not about Democrats vs. Republicans.” “I do not let anyone use my songs without my permission,” he said in a statement previously. “My music is for causes not political campaigns or rallies. Protecting copyright and songwriters is what I’ve been fighting for even before this current administration took office. This is one of the reasons why [Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry] and I have been pushing the Senate to pass the Music Modernization Act. NO is a complete sentence.”
This wasn’t the first time Trump has played Aerosmith’s music without its permission. Tyler also referenced two previous cease and desist letters sent to Trump in 2015 amid his presidential campaign.
“As we have made clear numerous times, Mr. Trump is creating the false impression that our client has given his consent for the use of his music, and even that he endorses the presidency of Mr. Trump,” a letter from their attorney read. “By using ‘Livin’ on the Edge’ without our client’s permission, Mr. Trump is falsely implying that our client, once again, endorses his campaign and/or his presidency, as evidenced by actual confusion seen from the reactions of our client’s fans all over social media.”
Pharrell Williams, “Happy”
Pharrell Williams sent a cease-and-desist to Trump after the former president played his upbeat hit “Happy” at a rally that took place in the wake of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that killed 11 people and injured six others.
“On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist,’ you played his song ‘Happy’ to a crowd at a political event in Indiana,” wrote Howard King, Williams’ lawyer, per USA Today. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose,” the letter continued. “Demand is hereby made that you cease and desist from any further unauthorized use of Pharrell Williams’ music.”
Rihanna, “Don’t Stop the Music”
The “Wild Thoughts” singer discovered in November 2018 that former President Trump had been playing her songs during his political rallies, and she was less than pleased about making his playlist. She responded to Washington Post national editor Philip Rucker’s X post about the anomalous nature of Trump’s rallies, which read, “It’s been said a million times, but here’s a million and one — Trump’s rallies are unlike anything else in politics. Currently, Rihanna’s ‘Don’t Stop the Music’ is blaring in Chattanooga as aides toss free Trump T-shirts into the crowd, like a ball game. Everyone’s loving it.”
Rihanna, however, was not loving it, and made her displeasure known. “Not for much longer…me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up Philip!” the pop titan responded. She also sent Trump a cease-and-desist letter afterward.
Prince, “Purple Rain”
The late icon’s estate wasn’t happy with the former president when they found out that “Purple Rain” was played at Trump’s campaign event in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis in October 2019. They alleged that the Trump campaign promised in October 2018 that they would not use any of the singer’s music at events.
“President Trump played Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ tonight at a campaign event in Minneapolis despite confirming a year ago that the campaign would not use Prince’s music,” Prince’s estate said in an X post. “The Prince Estate will never give permission to President Trump to use Prince’s songs.”
The estate also brought receipts, as they attached a copy of a letter from the law firm that represented Trump’s campaign in 2018 to their social media post. The letter itself stated that the campaign would “refrain from using Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ or any other Prince music, in connection with campaign rallies or other campaign events.”
The Smiths, “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want”
In January 2024, The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr made it clear he didn’t want his band’s music associated with Trump after sharing his thoughts about their hit “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” being played at a rally in South Dakota.
“Ahh…right…OK,” he quoted an X post with a video from the rally. “I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass. Consider this s— shut right down right now.”
Sinéad O’Connor, “Nothing Compares 2 U”
The estate of Sinéad O’Connor wanted no part in Trump playing the late singer’s music during his campaign rallies. They voiced their anger toward the former president in a joint statement in March 2024 condemning the use of O’Connor’s 1990 classic “Nothing Compares 2 U,” saying, “Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings.”
“It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at his political rallies,” the statement continued. “It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil.'”
Céline Dion, “My Heart Will Go On”
Céline Dion had no idea Trump was using one of her most famous songs at a campaign rally in Montana in August 2024. Her team swiftly issued a statement on her behalf, noting that the use of her “in no way” meant she endorsed the former president’s third bid for president.
“Today, Celine Dion’s management team and her record label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., became aware of the unauthorized usage of the video, recording, musical performance, and likeness of Celine Dion singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at a Donald Trump / JD Vance campaign rally in Montana,” a statement posted on Dion’s X page read. “In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use.”
ABBA, “The Winner Takes It All,” “Dancing Queen” and “Money, Money, Money”
After ABBA learned Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, used a selection of their hits (including “The Winner Takes It All,” “Dancing Queen” and “Money, Money, Money”) at a July 27 rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the Swedish group quickly moved to prevent them from doing so at all future events, Reuters reported on Aug. 29.
In a statement issued to the outlet, the group’s record label, Universal Music, stated, “Together with the members of ABBA, we have discovered that videos have been released where ABBA’s music has been used at Trump events, and we have therefore requested that such use be immediately removed and taken down.”
The band — composed of members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — also told Reuters no license or other form of permission had been granted to the Trump-Vance campaign.
Jack White, “Seven Nation Army”
The White Stripes’ Jack White shut down the Trump campaign’s use of his former rock duo’s track “Seven Nation Army” in no time flat.
Just hours after his campaign’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, shared a video of the presidential candidate boarding his jet to the hit song on Aug. 29, White took to Instagram to express his disapproval.
Alongside a screen recording the video, which Martin removed shortly after White’s post, the musician issued a heated statement in which he threatened legal action against Trump and his campaign. “Oh….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.). Have a great day at work today Margo Martin.”
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Source: HIS Education