For the past nine years or so, the same strange and uncomfortable moment has been experienced by some of our finest recording artists. Presumably, it is felt and marks an experience reserved only for them because of their talent, and it seems to hit like a combination of feelings: sheer terror and deep indignation or the sadness that comes from profound loss mixed with the malice that accompanies betrayal or theft. This is the moment when a handful of the most talented musicians of the past 50-odd years found out that Donald Trump, or his campaign team, had taken one of their songs (in most cases, one of the musician's finest moments) and used it, without permission, to promote his presidential campaign.
REM, Guns N’ Roses, Neil Young: These are some of the artists who have likely felt the shock of learning that their deeply personal work, those introspective lyrics, the perfectly crafted music, and their bursts of expression, have been co-opted to promote an agenda to which they deeply oppose. All three artists, along with many others, have made headlines for speaking out against Trump’s unauthorized use of their work in the 2016 and 2020 elections; REM threatened legal action against “45,” while Guns N’ Roses improvised on their hacked cover of the hit “Wings” by creating Trump-related T-shirts that read “Live N’ Let Die with COVID 45.”
With the nation entrenched in the former president’s third run for the White House, and given the numerous tweets and statements denouncing the use of many of the songs, the ignored cease-and-desist notices, and the air of unbridled anger surrounding the issue, you might think that Trump and his team would begin to exercise caution in selecting songs played to excite or otherwise influence the emotions of his current and potential supporters. So why should Trump and his team care? Until recently, no artist has filed a lawsuit against Trump and appeared in court for using these songs without permission. That’s because, as attorney James L. Walker has previously said The Hollywood Reportr, the hassle and price tag of suing Trump is a major deterrent; most people don’t have the time or the ability to drag Trump to court, which, under the former president, has become the common rationale for walking away and allowing his questionable business practices to continue.
However, all that could change next week, when Trump, his campaign, and many of his supporters face off against Isaac Hayes III in an Atlanta courtroom. Hayes is the first to settle a lawsuit alleging Team Trump's frequent and unapologetic penchant for copyright infringement. To mark the occasion, DAY has collected all the songs used by Trump in the 2024 campaign, sparking the ire of the artist or the rights holder in the public sphere.
The White Stripes – “Seven Nations Army”
“Oh…don’t even think about using my music, fascists,” White wrote on Instagram Thursday after a Trump communications staffer posted a video showing the candidate boarding a plane headed to White’s home state of Michigan. “A lawsuit coming from my lawyers on this (to add to your other five thousand).” They’ll never find out, right? The whole situation echoes a similar use of “Seven Nation Army” in a 2016 Trump campaign ad. At the time, White and his record label released a series of merch with “Icky Trump” traded for the band’s most recent album, Disgusting thud.
Sinéad O'Connor – “Nothing Compares to You”
A joint statement denouncing Trump’s use of O’Connor’s smash hit came from the late singer’s estate and record label after his campaign played the song, written by Prince for his band, The Family, and later covered by the Irish singer-songwriter, at rallies in North Carolina and Maryland in March. “It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would be disgusted, hurt and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone she has called a ‘biblical devil,’” the statement read. “As custodians of her legacy, we call on Donald Trump and his associates to immediately stop using her music.” Ouch.
The Smiths – “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want”
The Smiths’ tender, waltz-time ballad, which was played at the big venues where Trump held a rally in New Hampshire in January and quickly emerged in South Dakota in 2023, was jarring for fans of the beloved 1980s Manchester band. But it was just too much for Johnny Marr, who wrote the music over which frontman Morrissey sings lyrics that manage to be both bitingly ironic and deeply sincere. “Ahh… right… OK. Never thought this would happen. Consider this shit shut down now,” Marr wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the use of the song, originally a B-side to an early hit single. Morrissey, whose political drift to the far right has seen him praise the right-wing populist UK Independence Party and British Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, has never publicly commented on Trump’s use of the classic track.
Celine Dion – “My Heart Will Go On”
During a rally in Montana in early August, a video showed Trump playing Dion's iconic song Titanic theme song as the crowd swayed and tears were shed. Dion apparently couldn’t believe it and, fresh off her sensational performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, took time out of her busy schedule to make sure he heard of Queen Celine’s disapproval. The singer’s management and Sony Music Canada released a joint statement saying that “in no way is this use authorized and Celine Dion does not condone this or any similar use,” they wrote, concluding with the barb, “And really… that song?” As they say, if you’re here for the Queen, don’t miss it.
Sam & Dave – “Hold On, I’m Coming”
Here's the 1966 classic that could end Team Trump's reckless attitude toward copyright. “Hold On, I'm Comin'” was co-written by legendary singer Isaac Hayes in the 1960s. Now, the Hayes estate, led by his son, Isaac Hayes III, is suing the Trump camp for using the Sam & Dave hit at its rallies. The singer-songwriter's son said that by his count, it has been used at least 135 times in recent years without the Trump team ever asking permission or paying the estate to license the soul classic. Hayes said DAY who was outraged when, during a 2022 National Rifle Association rally following the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 children and two adults, Trump ended his speech on that particular track while dancing. “I expect a complete removal of the song and the amount requested,” Hayes said DAY this month. “And never use that song again.”
Foo Fighters – “My Hero”
When he brought out former independent candidate and bear cub corpse prankster Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a rally in Arizona, Trump blasted the Foo Fighters’ favorite song, “My Hero,” throughout the stadium. Dave Grohl and company snapped when news of that hit the crossbar: “No.” A minor spat ensued after a Trump campaign representative claimed the song’s royalties had been cleared for the GOP nominee; he even tweeted at the band, using Foo Fighters’ songs: “It’s Times Like These the facts matter, don’t be a Pretender,” Steven Cheung wrote. The band got the last laugh, however, when they announced that any increase in royalties from the song following its use at the Arizona event would be donated to Kamala Harris’s campaign.
ABBA – “Money, Money, Money”
Just this week, Swedish superstars ABBA may have felt that unique pain when you see the Trump campaign co-opting brilliant work. But for beloved ABBA, it was multiple hits that were used without permission: the Trump-appropriated “Money, Money, Money”; “The Winner Takes it All”; and their biggest song, “Dancing Queen.” The group has released an official statement and a cease-and-desist request; the band has also asked Team Trump to remove all footage of their hits from any platform they appear on.
Beyoncé – “Freedom”
This powerful track, now synonymous with the 2020 protests that shook the nation and helped raise awareness of the racism that followed the police killing of George Floyd, as well as the campaign of Trump’s Democratic rival, Harris, was picked up and used without permission by a higher-up in the Trump camp, then immediately torn down and called out by anyone who saw what the GOP spokesperson was trying to do, and failing spectacularly. Then came the words, “cease and desist,” and the wonder, both of what this staffer was thinking and when anyone else in the GOP frontrunner’s campaign will pull something as ridiculous as that again.