"Do Not Use Our Music Or My Voice For Your Moronic Charade Of A Campaign” – 8 Musicians Who Were Horrified To See Their Music Being Used By Politicians And Republican Candidates

"You sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men."

Recently, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was seen rapping one of Eminem's songs at the Iowa State Fair.

Eminem demands Vivek Ramaswamy stop playing and rapping his music on campaign trail🎤. pic.twitter.com/LYVfaB0gpB

— N3RO (@N3RONEWS) August 29, 2023

Twitter: @N3RONEWS

Well, it turns out Eminem was NOT happy about this, and a cease and desist letter was apparently sent to Ramaswamy’s campaign lawyer last week, notifying them that Eminem is objecting to the use of his songs.

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With Eminem giving the use of his music by a GOP candidate a hard "NO" – let's take a look at other musicians who've dissallowed politicians to use their music.

1. Rihanna

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Rihanna only found out that her music was being used at Trump rallies via a tweet by Washington Post White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, who tweeted out:

"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."

Naturally, fans of the singer began tagging her in this, and she responded exactly how you'd imagine: 

"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. Pharrell Williams

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Of course, Rihanna wasn't the first musician to object to Trump using their songs (the list is actually very, very long). Pharrell, like Eminem, sent a cease and desist letter to object to the use of his music by the politician. 

Pharrell also pointed out the insulting and disrespectful timing of the use of his song, "Happy," as it was the same day as a mass shooting in Pittsburgh. The letter, sent by Pharrell's attorney, read:

“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. 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.”

3. Foo Fighters

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For John McCain's 2008 campaign trail, he used "My Hero," but (not for the first time) *forgot* to ask the band's permission. The band, in a statement, pointed out that McCain's campaign had a track record of using an artist's song without "any attempt" to get the approval or permission. In their statement, they went on to outline their disapproval: 

"The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song. We hope that the McCain campaign will do the right thing."

4. Tom Petty

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Tom's music was used by at least two GOP candidates on their campaign trails, both of which he didn't approve of. The first was George W. Bush, who was using his song “I Won’t Back Down” at rallies in 2000. In response, Petty's team wrote: 

“Please be advised that this use has not been approved . . . Any use made by you or your campaign creates, either intentionally or unintentionally, the impression that you and your campaign have been endorsed by Tom Petty, which is not true.”

Tom made his political leanings clear after Bush had won the campaign, by playing at the home of Democrat opponent Al Gore.

Eleven years later, another Republican candidate, Michelle Bachmann, used  Tom's "American Girl" at a rally, and quickly received a cease and desist from his team. 

5. Bruce Springsteen

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Over the decades, Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A." has become a bit of a campaign trail go-to for candidates who don't quite get the actual message of the song. Despite the song being a critique of the treatment of soldiers and the military-industrial complex, it's long been used by political hopefuls.

First Ronald Reagan used it, which some commentators believe was the catalyst for Bruce's politicisation, who disagreed co-opting of his songs. Following Reagan's use, Bob Dole and Pat Buchanan also used the famous track, with both uses being condemned by the singer. 

6. Heart

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In 2008, the rock band's song "Barracuda" was used twice to introduce Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin. The band themselves quickly made their discontent known, with singer Nancy Wilson saying, "I think it's completely unfair to be so misrepresented. I feel completely fucked over."

The band claimed that they hadn't been asked for permission to use their music, and if they had been they'd never have granted it. When the song was used later that same evening to introduce Palin, the singers were outraged: 

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song Barracuda no longer be used to promote her image. [Barracuda] was written in the late '70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women... There's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

7. Adele, and loads of other artists

Gareth Cattermole / Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for Adele

When Donald Trump used Adele's songs for his rallies, her representative quickly made sure to stress that this wasn't with the singer's permission: “Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.” This came as no surprise, as she'd previously called Conservative ex-Prime Minister David Cameron a "wally."

Trump was on the receiving end of dozens of artists not wanting him to use their music for his rallies, including artists such as: Neil Young, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, Elton John, George Harrison's estate, and many, many more. 

Perhaps the most scathing response came from R.E.M’s Michael Stipe: "Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you – you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.”

What other artists have not allowed their music to be played by politicians?

Thumbnail credits: Win Mcnamee / Getty Images