He likes to make an entrance whenever he enters the room, but not everyone wants their voice as former President Donald Trump’s background. The presidential candidate is making his third bid for the Oval Office after losing to President Joe Biden in 2020, and his MAGA followers are hoping for a win. One thing Trump is known for is his ongoing rallies and staying on the campaign trail, giving speeches to a crowd of supporters sporting red hats and touting American flags. Often, he spices things up with popular songs that exemplify his mission, but not every artist is keen on their art being used to support the MAGA leader.
With Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign obtaining permission to use Beyonce’s “Freedom” as their lead track, it’s clear that artists are picking sides in the upcoming U.S. election. However, throughout his political career, Trump has been publicly criticized by dozens of artists and musicians. It is true that he has his fair share of supporters in the entertainment industry, but he can’t seem to help himself by using the music of artists who aren’t his biggest fans. Check out several icons and hitmakers who have banned Trump from using their tracks.
1. Rihanna
In 2018, Trump’s team reportedly used Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music” at several rallies. When Rih & Co. learned of this, the singer’s legal team acted swiftly and denied giving Trump permission to use the song. They added that Rihanna doesn’t support Trump, nor do they know one another. When the pop icon was made aware of it on Xitter, she tweeted, “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!
2. Beyoncé
At the recent Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris came to the stage with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” blasting overhead. The powerful 2016 track has captured attention ever since it was featured on Bey’s No. 1 album, Lemonade—so much so that Trump, too, decided to use the song last week. A video of the former president visiting Detroit, Michigan, to host another rally circulated online, with “Freedom” setting the stage. It reportedly didn’t take long for Beyoncé’s team to jump into action by sending a cease-and-desist letter to stop Trump in his tracks.
3. Pharrell Williams
There was a time when you couldn’t run from Pharrell Williams’s megahit “Happy.” The infectious single took over radio stations worldwide before being tapped for TV shows, commercials, and any platform that hosts music. In 2018, Trump rubbed Pharrell the wrong way when he played “Happy” at a rally that occurred mere hours after the synagogue shooting in Pennsylvania that claimed the lives of 11 victims. Pharrell, too, sent Trump’s team a cease-and-desist letter and issued a statement via his attorney, per CNN.
“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,” said the attorney. “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.”
4. Adele
During his 2016 run, Trump found himself leaning on two Adele favorites for his rallies. “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall” have earned the British songbird acclaim, and Trump wanted to capitalize on the tracks’ familiarity. However, Adele wasn’t having it, and not only did she ban the Apprentice star from using her tunes, but she also publicly backed his opponent at the time, Hillary Clinton. “Don’t vote for him,” Adele reportedly said of Trump, via Vulture. “I am English, but what happens in America affects me, too. I am 100% for Hillary Clinton. I love her, she’s amazing.”
5. The Rolling Stones
Rock ‘n’ roll artists have also stepped forward to put Trump in his place, and The Rolling Stones added their name to the list. Trump became fond of including “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” in his campaign, but the classic rock band didn’t appreciate the sentiment. In 2020, a representative stated, “This could be the last time Trump uses any Jagger-Richards songs on his campaigns.” The group, along with BMI, also threatened to sue the former president if he continued without consent.
“The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,” a statement read. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.”
6. Prince
The world lost an icon when The Artist Formerly Known As Prince passed away unexpectedly in 2016. His estate has been monitoring the use of his music, and it took issue with Trump in 2019. During his ongoing campaign trail, Trump’s team added “Purple Rain” to their playlist, to the dismay of Prince’s estate. Then, the estate reportedly shared a letter showing that Trump did not have permission to use the track at his rallies. He had been forbidden explicitly but seemed to carry on anyway.
7. The Beatles
One of the biggest bands of all time gave Trump the axe after he used their famed classic, “Here Comes the Sun.” Members of The Beatles weren’t happy to see that Trump played the track at the Republican National Convention in 2016. Lead guitarist George Harrison’s estate made their opinions clear in a tweet, saying, “The unauthorized use of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ at the RNC is offensive & against the wishes of the George Harrison estate.” They then quipped, “If it had been ‘Beware of Darkness,’ then we MAY have approved it! #TrumpYourself.”
8. Isaac Hayes
One of Trump’s more recent legal run-ins with an artist or their estate comes courtesy of Isaac Hayes. Just this month, Hayes’s estate received a slight legal victory in their quest to take Trump to court over the unauthorized use of Sam & Dave’s classic, “Hold On, I’m Coming.” The former president played the song in 2022 at the National Rifle Association, which didn’t sit well with the estate.
“The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of ‘Hold on I’m coming’ by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at this weekend’s @NRA convention,” the estate shared in a statement. “Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere.” Additionally, the track’s co-songwriter, David Porter, tweeted his disgust. “Someone shared with me Donald Trump used the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ for a speaking appearance of his. Hell to the No! I did Not and would NOT approve of them using the song for any of his purposes! I also know Isaac’s estate wouldn’t approve as well! #Memphis #Music #Grammy.”
9. Queen
Event coordinators have been using Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as a theme song for decades, but the group wasn’t thrilled to hear the track at the 2016 Republican National Convention. The band took to Xitter to denounce the use of the track, while Sony/ATV Publishing also released a statement. “Sony/ATV Music Publishing has never been asked by Mr. Trump, the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization for permission to use ‘We are the Champions’ by Queen,” Forbes reported. “On behalf of the band, we are frustrated by the repeated unauthorized use of the song after a previous request to desist, which has obviously been ignored by Mr. Trump and his campaign.”
“Queen does not want its music associated with any mainstream or political debate in any country,” the statement continued. “Nor does Queen want ‘We are the Champions’ to be used as an endorsement of Mr. Trump and the political views of the Republican Party. We trust, hope and expect that Mr. Trump and his campaign will respect these wishes moving forward.”
10. The O’Jays
They gave us some of our favorite classic Soul records to ever be created, but The O’Jays stopped Trump after he played “For the Love of Money” on his reality show, The Apprentice. In 2016, cofounder Eddie Levert revealed to Billboard that Trump also used “Love Train” on the campaign trail. When he was told to stop, Levert said Trump’s team was a tad upset. “They got on me about it, said I got enough money from him so now I can kick dirt in his face.”
Levert added at the time, “I wish him the best, but I don’t think he’s the man to run our country. So when he started using ‘Love Train,’ I called him up and told them, ‘Listen, man, I don’t believe in what you’re doing. I’m not with you. I don’t want you to use my voice. I’m not condoning what you’re doing.”
11. Celine Dion
Earlier this month, Celine Dion’s representative came forward with a pointed message about Trump using her No. 1 hit, “My Heart Will Go On.” The song, which was featured in the global sensation film Titanic, made an appearance at a Trump rally in Montana. Dion’s team called the use “unauthorized” and added, “Really, THAT song?” The statement continued that in “no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use.”
12. Panic! At The Disco
Rock band Panic! At the Disco don’t seem to be fans of Trump—at least lead vocalist Brendon Urie isn’t. He made his opinions clear in a tweet after Donald Trump Jr. was seen making an appearance at one of his father’s rallies in Arizona, walking out to “High Hopes.” Urie wasn’t having it. “Dear Trump Campaign, F*ck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song,” he tweeted. The singer added that Trump “represents nothing we stand for. The highest hope we have is voting this monster out in November.”
13. Phil Collins
“In the Air Tonight” is one of Phil Collins’s greatest hits. The familiar track was heard at one of Trump’s Iowa rallies in 2020, to the singer’s dismay, who sent the former president a cease-and-desist letter. TMZ shared a copy of the letter in which Collins’s attorney detailed his client’s grievances. “Mr. Collins has serious concerns that the manner in which the Trump campaign has used ‘In the Air Tonight’ has caused, and will cause, damage to Mr. Collins’ reputation and popularity with the public.”
14. Elton John
Rock icon Elton John was a fixture in Trump’s campaign trail after the former president continued to use his classic hit, “Rocket Man.” Trump didn’t get approval for the song, and John came forward with a complaint. He stated that he didn’t have any personal with the politician but wanted to keep his music out of the election process in the U.S.
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