Musicians Who Opposed Trump Using Their Songs for His Campaign (So Far)

Donald Trump continues to face challenges with unauthorized use of music during his presidential campaign. This ongoing issue has been prevalent since his 2015 campaign, leading to numerous complaints from top music artists.

Several bands, including the Village People, Journey, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and Linkin Park, have taken issue with Trump using their hits without permission. Each of these artists has either filed formal complaints or threatened legal action. Even pop sensation Rihanna issued a cease and desist in 2018 after her song “Don’t Stop the Music” was used without her consent.

Despite these longstanding legal entanglements, Trump persists in using music from renowned artists for his 2024 campaign.

Here are some of the artists who have recently taken action against Trump’s unauthorized use of their music:

01

Johnny Marr of The Smiths

Johnny Marr performs on stage at the Eventim Apollo on April 12, 2024 in London, England. (C Brandon/Redferns/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Johnny Marr of The Smiths reacted to a video from a Trump rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, where “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” was played. This wasn’t the first time a Smiths song had been used at a Trump event. Marr expressed his disbelief and demanded that the use of their music cease immediately.

02

Sinéad O’Connor’s estate

Irish singer and songwriter Sinéad O’Connor posed at her home in County Wicklow, Republic Of Ireland on 3rd February 2012. (David Corio/Redferns/Getty Images)

In another case, Trump’s campaign played “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the song made famous by Sinéad O’Connor, during rallies in Maryland and North Carolina. The estate of Sinéad O’Connor, clearly upset, stated that O’Connor would have been deeply offended by this misuse of her work and demanded the immediate cessation of the song’s use.

03

Isaac Hayes’ estate

Isaac Hayes performs at Chronicle Pavilion on August 1, 2004 in Concord, California. (Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Issac Hayes’ family has stepped up legal actions against Trump for using “Hold On, I’m Coming” at his rallies—allegedly over 100 times in the last two years. On August 11, the Hayes estate sued Trump for $3 million and demanded that he stop using the song immediately. They announced an emergency court hearing scheduled for September 3, 2024.

04

Celine Dion

Singer Celine Dion performs on the stage in concert at Cotai Strip Cotai Arena on June 29, 2018 in Macau, China. (Visual China Group via Getty Images)

After a rally in Montana featured Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” her team quickly took to social media to deny any authorization for the song’s use and expressed clear disapproval of the association with Trump.

05

Beyoncé

Beyoncé accepts the Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on April 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images)

When Trump’s spokesperson posted a clip of him walking off a plane to Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” the artist and her team quickly moved to issue a cease and desist. Rolling Stone reported that Beyoncé did not grant permission for her song to be used in the video, which has since been deleted.

06

Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl performs with the Foo Fighters at Fenway Park. (Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The Foo Fighters recently became entangled in the controversy after Trump used “My Hero” to introduce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a rally. The band made it clear that they had not given permission for their song to be used. Despite a statement from Trump’s spokesperson claiming they had a license, the band reiterated their stance and stated that any royalties received would be donated to the Harris/Walz campaign.

Overall, Trump’s persistent use of music without authorization continues to stir significant legal challenges and objections from the music industry.

Source: Polygon, Variety, Rolling Stone, Independent, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly