Not my song: Musicians who said 'no' to Donald Trump
The late Irish singer Sinead O'Connor's estate recently demanded that her music be removed from Donald Trump's political campaign rallies. Per reports, her iconic single Nothing Compares 2 U was played at events in Maryland and North Carolina. O'Connor—who passed away in 2023 from natural causes at 56—became the latest musician to have blocked Trump from using their music during his political campaigns.
'Disgusted, hurt, insulted': O'Connor's estate on use of music
O'Connor's estate believes she would've been "disgusted, hurt, and insulted" by this use of her work, referring to Trump as a "biblical devil." Notably, in a 2020 interview, O'Connor criticized then-President Trump for his actions at the Mexican border. She stated that he should've been "dragged out of the White House" for separating children from their parents. O'Connor also encouraged Americans to be more assertive in opposing Trump and suggested non-violent means to remove him from office.
Other musicians who've blocked Trump
O'Connor joins other notable names including The Beatles, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Linkin Park, Guns n' Roses, Prince, Queen, Tom Petty, Panic! at the Disco, Aerosmith, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and Pharrell Williams. These artists have taken various measures to prevent their work from being associated with Trump's events. Here are other artists to do so.
Adele
Back in 2015, Adele barred the music streaming service Spotify from featuring her albums. It's not surprising that she extended this stance to Trump's 2016 rallies, where he used her famous tracks Rolling in the Deep and Skyfall. Through her representative, Adele clarified that she did not directly permit Trump to play her songs, but the campaign argued they possessed the legal right to feature her songs.
The Rolling Stones
Against Trump's use of their songs, the English rock band The Rolling Stones took a firm stance. The disagreement arose when the politician played their 1981 hit Start Me Up to celebrate his 2016 Indiana primary win. In response, the band issued a statement, insisting he remove their tracks from his event playlist. Trump maintained that while he had "no issue" with the Stones, he possessed the right to use their music.
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne issued a cease and desist letter to Trump for using Crazy Train in a 2019 X/Twitter video. Their statement read: "Ozzy's music cannot be used for any means without approvals." "In the meantime, I have a suggestion for Mr. Trump—perhaps he should reach out to some of his musician friends. Maybe Ye (Gold Digger), Kid Rock (I am the Bullgod), or Ted Nugent (Stranglehold) will allow the use of their music."
Elton John
Trump, a fan of Elton John, once famously dubbed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as "Little Rocket Man" in reference to one of John's songs. Despite Trump and John's long-standing acquaintances, the musician declined Trump's invitation to perform at his official presidential inauguration. Moreover, he had explicitly requested that his songs not be used during the 2016 presidential campaign, but Trump continued to use tracks like Tiny Dancer at political rallies.
