At Donald Trump’s rallies, the Village People’s “YMCA” usually pumps through the speakers, prompting attendees to dance along. While the group hasn’t publicly expressed any issue with their song’s use, many other artists have criticized the former president for featuring their music during his 2024 campaign.

The estate of Isaac Hayes has threatened legal action against Trump for playing Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin'”—a track Hayes co-wrote. His son, Isaac Hayes III, shared a copyright infringement notice on social media that demands Trump’s campaign pay $3 million in licensing fees.

In a statement shared on Instagram, Hayes III expressed his outrage: “Donald Trump represents a complete lack of integrity and class. He continuously uses my father’s music without permission, reflecting a history of sexual misconduct and racist remarks. We will not tolerate this anymore and will take decisive actions to stop it.”

Hayes isn’t the only one taking a stand; Celine Dion and the estate of Sinéad O’Connor have also voiced their disapproval against Trump’s use of their songs. However, some artists who support Trump, like Lee Greenwood (famous for “God Bless the USA”) and Kid Rock (“All Summer Long”), seem to permit his campaign to use their music.

This article explores the songs causing controversy for Trump on the campaign trail and the implications of music copyright laws in these situations.

Is Trump Breaking Copyright Laws?

To legally use a musical artist’s song, there are generally three options, as outlined by the U.S. Copyright Office.

• Utilize music that is already in the public domain. If a song is in the public domain, it either was never protected by copyright or its protection period has expired. Copyrights typically expire after a set period defined by law, although new contributions to public domain works may still be protected.
• Seek permission from the copyright holder directly or obtain a license that outlines the use terms. The federal copyright protection for sound recordings kicked in on February 15, 1972, and the Music Modernization Act provides specific protections regarding pre-1972 sound recordings.
• Depend on a statutory limitation or exception, such as fair use or a Section 115 license for musical works, which allows copyright owners to grant exclusive rights to those wanting to make or distribute phonorecords of their creations.

If Trump or anyone else fails to secure rights for a song, the copyright holder is entitled to pursue legal action, according to the U.S. Copyright Office. Lawsuits regarding copyright generally occur in federal court.

Celine Dion

Song Title: “My Heart Will Go On”

Incident Summary: Trump faced backlash earlier this month for using Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” a song from the film ‘Titanic.’ Dion’s team issued a statement on Instagram, revealing that they had become aware of the unauthorized use of the song and related materials at the rally.

The statement clarified: “This use is not authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any such use And honestly, THAT song?”

Sinéad O’Connor

Song Title: “Nothing Compares 2 U”

Incident Summary: In March, Sinéad O’Connor’s estate called on Trump to stop using her song at rallies in Maryland and North Carolina, asserting that “it is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted.”

The statement from her estate insisted: “We demand that Donald Trump and his associates cease using her music immediately. Sinéad was known for her strong moral code that emphasized honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards all people.”

Prince

Track name: “Purple Rain”

Incident Summary: During his 2020 presidential campaign, Trump’s rally in Minneapolis in October 2019 faced criticism from Prince’s estate for incorporating “Purple Rain” into his event. This action came a year after Trump had vowed to refrain from using the late artist’s

Fogerty mentioned that he is “issuing a ‘cease and desist’ order.”

Neil Young

Song titles: “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk”

What happened: In August 2020, Neil Young filed a lawsuit against Trump on his archives website, accusing the former president of infringing copyright laws by playing “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” at his rallies and events.

“Imagine listening to ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ right after this president speaks, as if it were his anthem,” Young expressed on his site. “I did not create it for that purpose.”

Pharrell Williams

Song title: “Happy”

What happened: Pharrell Williams issued a cease-and-desist letter to Trump in October 2018 after the former president played his 2014 hit “Happy” at a political gathering in the Midwest.

Aerosmith

Song title: “Livin’ on the Edge”

What happened: In August 2018, Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump after the musician’s track “Livin’ on the Edge” was played at a rally in Charleston, West Virginia.

“Mr. Trump is misleading the public into thinking that our client has consented to the use of his music and that he supports Mr. Trump’s presidency,” stated Tyler’s legal team in their letter. “This violation is particularly serious as Mr. Trump’s use of our client’s music was previously prohibited not just once, but twice, during his 2015 presidential campaign.”

Rolling Stones

Song title: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

What happened: The Rolling Stones warned Trump of potential legal action in June 2020 after he used their song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” multiple times as his exit music, according to Reuters.

“This might be the last time President Donald Trump uses Stones songs,” a representative for the band announced via a press release, as reported by Reuters. “Despite prior cease and desist requests made to Donald Trump, the Rolling Stones are escalating their actions to prevent him from using their music in any of his upcoming political campaigns If Donald Trump ignores this request and continues, he could face a lawsuit for violating the embargo and using unlicensed music.”

Phil Collins

Song title: “In the Air Tonight”

What happened: Phil Collins’ team sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump for playing “In the Air Tonight” during a rally in Iowa on October 14, 2020, according to Billboard.

Panic! At The Disco

Track Title: “High Hopes”

Incident Overview: Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic! At The Disco, requested that Trump refrain from playing their music after “High Hopes” was featured at a 2020 rally in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Dear Trump Campaign, (expletive) you,” Urie expressed in a post on X in June 2020. “You are not welcome. Please stop using my song.”

Rihanna

Track Title: “Don’t Stop the Music”

Incident Overview: Rihanna issued a cease-and-desist order to Trump after discovering he played her track “Don’t Stop the Music” at a rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee in November 2018, as reported by Rolling Stone.

“Neither I nor my team will ever be associated with those tragic rallies,” Rihanna stated in a post on X in November 2018.

Guns N’ Roses

Track Title: “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

Incident Overview: Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses asked in 2018 that Trump refrain from playing the band’s music after “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was used at a political event.

“Unfortunately, the Trump campaign is exploiting loopholes in various venues’ blanket performance licenses which were never intended for such unscrupulous political purposes, without the consent of the songwriters,” Rose commented in a post on X in November 2018.

R.E.M.

Track Titles: “Everybody Hurts” and “Losing My Religion.”

Incident Overview: Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M., announced that the band issued a cease-and-desist notice to Trump in January 2020 after he played their songs “Everybody Hurts” and “Losing My Religion” at his campaign rallies, according to CNN.

“We are looking into all legal options to stop this, but if that fails, just know that we do not support the use of our music by this fraud and con man,” Mike Mills said in a post on X.

Elton John

Track Titles: “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer”

Incident Overview: In 2016, Elton John expressed his desire to keep his songs out of political rallies, including those held by Trump, as reported by the Guardian. Trump played “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer” as background music for his rallies in 2016.

“I really don’t want my music linked to any American election campaign. I’m British. I met Donald Trump, and he was very pleasant to me; it’s nothing personal. His political views differ greatly from mine; I could never identify as a Republican,” John remarked to the Guardian.