



































© Getty Images
0 / 36 Fotos
Village People
- Members of the band have varying opinions about when Trump can use their music. In February 2020, the Village People allowed him to play their songs at rallies as long as the music wasn’t “being used for a specific endorsement," Huffpost reports. But in June that year, following the demonstrations related to the murder of George Floyd, Victor Willis changed his mind and asked Trump to stop playing their songs if he planned to sic the military on peaceful protesters.
© Getty Images
1 / 36 Fotos
Phil Collins
- Phil Collins also sent a cease and desist letter to Trump's camp after the President's campaign blared his hit song 'In the Air Tonight' at a few of his rallies. The letter claims the song choice makes it seem like Collins is a Trump supporter, which he clarified he is not.
© Getty Images
2 / 36 Fotos
Phil Collins
- In the legal document obtained by TMZ, Collins also criticizes the way Trump used his song to make light of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that he doesn't condone trivializing Covid-19.
© Getty Images
3 / 36 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
4 / 36 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
5 / 36 Fotos
Neil Young, again - Neil Young could be Trump's musical nemesis. In another statement, Young accused Trump of consistently playing 'Rockin' in the Free World,' despite saying he'd stop.
© Getty Images
6 / 36 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."
© Getty Images
7 / 36 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
8 / 36 Fotos
Prince's estate - However, the Trump campaign broke that promise, as they used 'Purple Rain' yet again at his rally in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis on October 10, 2019. The Prince Estate took to Twitter to showcase the previous cease and desist letter.
© Getty Images
9 / 36 Fotos
Hans Zimmer - Trump soft-launched his first campaign for presidency 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
10 / 36 Fotos
Hans Zimmer
- The video has since been removed from circulation after Warner Bros said they would take legal action due to the song's unauthorized use.
© Getty Images
11 / 36 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
12 / 36 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 on to say "do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign."
© Getty Images
13 / 36 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
14 / 36 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
15 / 36 Fotos
Adele - During his 2016 campaign, Trump worked in a medley of Adele's hits, like 'Skyfall' and 'Rolling in the Deep.'
© Getty Images
16 / 36 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
17 / 36 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
18 / 36 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
19 / 36 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
20 / 36 Fotos
The Rolling Stones - The band has released statements asking Trump to "cease all use" of their tunes, and that they "do not endorse" Trump.
© Getty Images
21 / 36 Fotos
Queen - Queen's song 'We Are the Champions' was played when Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention.
© Getty Images
22 / 36 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
23 / 36 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
24 / 36 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
25 / 36 Fotos
Luciano Pavarotti's estate - Like with Harrison, this opera singer's estate was unhappy when Trump used his song 'Nessun Dorma' during his rallies.
© Getty Images
26 / 36 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 former president had previously claimed that he and Pavarotti were friends.
© Getty Images
27 / 36 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
28 / 36 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
29 / 36 Fotos
Pharrell Williams - Trump's use of 'Happy' made Pharrell Williams pretty upset, leading him to send a cease-and-desist letter.
© Getty Images
30 / 36 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
31 / 36 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
32 / 36 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
33 / 36 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
34 / 36 Fotos
Guns N' Roses
- "Unfortunately the Trump campaign is using loopholes in the various venues' blanket performance licenses," Rose revealed. See also: Donald Trump's funniest social and political gaffes
© BrunoPress
35 / 36 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 36 Fotos
Village People
- Members of the band have varying opinions about when Trump can use their music. In February 2020, the Village People allowed him to play their songs at rallies as long as the music wasn’t “being used for a specific endorsement," Huffpost reports. But in June that year, following the demonstrations related to the murder of George Floyd, Victor Willis changed his mind and asked Trump to stop playing their songs if he planned to sic the military on peaceful protesters.
© Getty Images
1 / 36 Fotos
Phil Collins
- Phil Collins also sent a cease and desist letter to Trump's camp after the President's campaign blared his hit song 'In the Air Tonight' at a few of his rallies. The letter claims the song choice makes it seem like Collins is a Trump supporter, which he clarified he is not.
© Getty Images
2 / 36 Fotos
Phil Collins
- In the legal document obtained by TMZ, Collins also criticizes the way Trump used his song to make light of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that he doesn't condone trivializing Covid-19.
© Getty Images
3 / 36 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
4 / 36 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
5 / 36 Fotos
Neil Young, again - Neil Young could be Trump's musical nemesis. In another statement, Young accused Trump of consistently playing 'Rockin' in the Free World,' despite saying he'd stop.
© Getty Images
6 / 36 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."
© Getty Images
7 / 36 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
8 / 36 Fotos
Prince's estate - However, the Trump campaign broke that promise, as they used 'Purple Rain' yet again at his rally in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis on October 10, 2019. The Prince Estate took to Twitter to showcase the previous cease and desist letter.
© Getty Images
9 / 36 Fotos
Hans Zimmer - Trump soft-launched his first campaign for presidency 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
10 / 36 Fotos
Hans Zimmer
- The video has since been removed from circulation after Warner Bros said they would take legal action due to the song's unauthorized use.
© Getty Images
11 / 36 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
12 / 36 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 on to say "do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign."
© Getty Images
13 / 36 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
14 / 36 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
15 / 36 Fotos
Adele - During his 2016 campaign, Trump worked in a medley of Adele's hits, like 'Skyfall' and 'Rolling in the Deep.'
© Getty Images
16 / 36 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
17 / 36 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
18 / 36 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
19 / 36 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
20 / 36 Fotos
The Rolling Stones - The band has released statements asking Trump to "cease all use" of their tunes, and that they "do not endorse" Trump.
© Getty Images
21 / 36 Fotos
Queen - Queen's song 'We Are the Champions' was played when Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention.
© Getty Images
22 / 36 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
23 / 36 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
24 / 36 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
25 / 36 Fotos
Luciano Pavarotti's estate - Like with Harrison, this opera singer's estate was unhappy when Trump used his song 'Nessun Dorma' during his rallies.
© Getty Images
26 / 36 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 former president had previously claimed that he and Pavarotti were friends.
© Getty Images
27 / 36 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
28 / 36 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
29 / 36 Fotos
Pharrell Williams - Trump's use of 'Happy' made Pharrell Williams pretty upset, leading him to send a cease-and-desist letter.
© Getty Images
30 / 36 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
31 / 36 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
32 / 36 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
33 / 36 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
34 / 36 Fotos
Guns N' Roses
- "Unfortunately the Trump campaign is using loopholes in the various venues' blanket performance licenses," Rose revealed. See also: Donald Trump's funniest social and political gaffes
© BrunoPress
35 / 36 Fotos
Musicians who stopped Trump from using their tunes
Village People singer demands Trump stop unauthorized use of hit 'Macho Man' at Mar-A-Lago
© Getty Images
Few presidents have polarized the world like former president Donald Trump. Once the world's most powerful man, Trump 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 iconic musicians who don't support his policies or rhetoric one bit. With his 2016, 2020, and now 2024 campaign, he continues to run into the same problem.
The latest of which is with the Village People, as lead singer Victor Willis has formally sent a cease-and-desist demanding that the former president stop what are alleged to be unauthorized performances of the band’s 1978 hit 'Macho Man' at his Mar-a-Lago resort. According to HuffPost, the letter was sent in response to a viral video clip which showed Trump dancing to a performance of the song by a group of men costumed as if they were the classic disco band. The letter argued that “many fans and the general public ... mistakenly believe” the group in the video is the actual Village People, and subsequently put Trump on notice for potential violation of US trademark law.
Trump's lawyer Joseph Tacopina told TMZ, "They should be thankful that President Trump allowed them to get their name back in the press." He added, “I haven’t heard their name in decades. Glad to hear they are still around.” That claim seems to be false, however, as Trump has often used the Village People's music at rallies and even during his presidency.
Click through to meet the musicians who have tried to stop Trump from using their songs.
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