© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Prince's estate - Back in October 2018, Prince's estate sent a warning to Trump and the White House, urging them to stop using his song, 'Purple Rain.' The Trump administration answered back, stating that they would not be using any of his music going forward in connection with the campaign.
© Getty Images
2 / 33 Fotos
Prince's estate - However, the Trump campaign recently broke that promise, as they used 'Purple Rain' yet again at his rally in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis on October 10. The Prince Estate took to Twitter to showcase the previous cease and desist letter.
© Getty Images
3 / 33 Fotos
Hans Zimmer - Trump soft-launched his campaign with a video using Hans Zimmer’s song 'Why Do We Fall?' from 'The Dark Knight Rises' score to add a touch of that classic Zimmer gravitas.
© BrunoPress
4 / 33 Fotos
Hans Zimmer
- The video has since been removed from circulation after Warner Bros said they will be taking legal action due to the song's unauthorized use. It's a shame, since Trump loves Bruce Wayne!
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Neil Young - Neil Young was the first rock star to rebel against Trump. His single 'Rockin' in the Free World' was used during Trump's presidential campaign announcement at Trump Tower.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
Neil Young - Young's team said Trump's usage was "not authorized," and that Young actually supported Bernie Sanders. Trump's campaign returned fire by providing receipts that showed they paid for the rights to use the song.
© Getty Images
7 / 33 Fotos
R.E.M. - The alternative rockers weren't happy when Trump used their song, 'It's the End of the World,' at his campaign rallies.
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
R.E.M. - Front man Michael Stipe attacked Trump on Twitter, "go f*** yourselves, the lot of you — you sad, attention grabbing, power-hungry little men." He went to say "do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign."
© Getty Images
9 / 33 Fotos
Twisted Sister - Twisted Sister are fronted by Dee Snider, who allowed Trump to use their song, 'We're Not Gonna Take It.' Originally, Snider thought Trump would "raise holy h*ll" in America's political system.
© Getty Images
10 / 33 Fotos
Twisted Sister - However, after a while the band couldn't take it anymore. Snider called Trump "upsetting" and "extremist," while Jay Jay French said the band "couldn't in good faith allow Trump to keep using the song."
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
Adele - During his campaign, Trump worked in a medley of Adele's hits, like 'Skyfall' and 'Rolling in the Deep.'
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
Adele - Adele's spokesperson said she had "not given permission" for her songs to be used. The singer went on to endorse Hillary Clinton, telling concert goers "don't vote for him."
© Getty Images
13 / 33 Fotos
Elton John - 'Rocket Man' and 'Tiny Dancer' became popular songs at Trump's rallies, yet Elton John is not a fan of the Republican.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
Elton John - "I've met Donald Trump, he was very nice to me, it's nothing personal," John explained. "His political views are his own, mine are very different, I'm not a Republican in a million years."
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
The Rolling Stones - One of the more popular rally songs was 'You Can't Always Get What You Want,' by the Rolling Stones. After he got the Republican presidential candidate nominee, the campaign played 'Start It Up.'
© Getty Images
16 / 33 Fotos
The Rolling Stones - The band has released two statements, asking Trump to "cease all use" of their tunes, and that they "do not endorse" Trump.
© Getty Images
17 / 33 Fotos
Queen - Queen's song 'We Are the Champions' was played when Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention.
© Getty Images
18 / 33 Fotos
Queen - "I can confirm that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given," said Brian May. When the song was used again and again, the band released another disapproving statement.
© Getty Images
19 / 33 Fotos
George Harrison's estate - The Beatles song 'Here Comes the Sun' was used at Trump's campaigns. George Harrison wrote the song, and his estate disapproved of the usage.
© Getty Images
20 / 33 Fotos
George Harrison's estate - "It's offensive and against the wishes of the George Harrison estate," they tweeted, "If it had been 'Beware of Darkness,' then we may have approved it!"
© Getty Images
21 / 33 Fotos
Luciano Pavarotti's estate - Like with Harrison, this opera singer's estate were unhappy when Trump used his song, 'Nessun Dorma' during his rallies.
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
Luciano Pavarotti's estate - Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, said that the singer's values were "incompatible with the world view embodied by Trump." The President had previously claimed that he and Pavarotti were friends.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
Steven Tyler - As one quarter of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler made it his mission to stop Trump from using the band's songs.
© Getty Images
24 / 33 Fotos
Steven Tyler - Trump used the Aerosmith hit 'Dream On' at his campaign rallies, which led Tyler's reps to fire off cease and desist letters. Trump hit back on Twitter, "even though I have the legal right to use Steven Tyler's song, he asked me not to. Have better one to take its place."
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
Pharrell Williams - Trump's use of 'Happy' made Pharrell Williams pretty upset, leading him to send a cease-and-desist letter.
© Getty Images
26 / 33 Fotos
Pharrell Williams - The song was played just hours after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, where 11 people were murdered. "Pharrell has not, and will not, grant you permission to publicly perform or otherwise broadcast or disseminate any of his music," his lawyer explained.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
Rihanna - In 2018, Rihanna endorsed Andrew Gillum as Florida governor. She later learned that her music was used for a Trump rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
© Getty Images
28 / 33 Fotos
Rihanna - Trump played 'Please Don't Stop the Music,' leading Rihanna to ask Trump to stop the music. "Me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies," she wrote on Twitter.
© Getty Images
29 / 33 Fotos
Guns N' Roses - The song 'Sweet Child o' Mine' was played at a Trump rally in West Virginia in 2018. Axl Rose wasn't having it, so he accused Trump of cheating the system.
© BrunoPress
30 / 33 Fotos
Guns N' Roses - "Unfortunately the Trump campaign is using loopholes in the various venues' blanket performance licenses," Rose revealed.
© BrunoPress
31 / 33 Fotos
Neil Young, again - Neil Young could be Trump's musical nemesis. In a newer statement, Young accused Trump of consistently playing 'Rockin' in the Free World,' despite saying he'd stop.
© Getty Images
32 / 33 Fotos
Neil Young, again
- "DT does not have my permission to use the song 'Rockin' in the Free World' at his appearances," Young said, "it goes against my wishes." See also: Donald Trump's funniest social and political gaffes.
© Getty Images
33 / 33 Fotos
Musicians who stopped Trump from using their tunes
These artists are not fans of the current US president
© Getty Images
Few presidents have polarized the world like Donald Trump. Love him or loathe him, the world's most powerful man has always been a controversial figure. At his rallies, Trump has played some of the most iconic music ever, much to the dismay of many musicians. Now, with the launch of his 2020 election campaign, he's running into the same problem. Click through to meet the musicians who have tried to stop Trump from using their songs.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU














MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week
-
1
CELEBRITY Relationships
-
2
CELEBRITY Religious
-
3
LIFESTYLE Criminals
-
4
-
5
MOVIES Business
-
6
CELEBRITY Bruno mars
-
7
CELEBRITY Sports
-
8
CELEBRITY Relationships
-
9
CELEBRITY Tips
-
10
MOVIES James bond
License to thrill: here's all you need to know about James Bond
COMMENTS