Campaigning with a good song has been a tradition in America – since 1800, when John Adams tried to win over the electorate with “Adams and Liberty.” The melody was written by the composer of what later became the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and over the next 224 years, catchy tunes were increasingly used in presidential elections to lure the people to the Democrats or Republicans.
In the 1960s the tone began to change: the first pop stars and their hits were acquired for the election campaign. Since the 80s, a competition has broken out between Republicans and Democrats over who will use the songs of which stars for themselves – often without the artists’ permission. Because ultimately they cannot defend themselves: the politicians are allowed to continue playing the pieces even if they are asked to cease and desist, provided they have correctly acquired the licenses beforehand.
This led to many stars becoming radicalized. In order not to be abused for the political goals of others, some explicitly took sides with one of the political camps – and contributed campaign anthems. Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin and Katy Perry rallied around the Democrats, while Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood campaigned for the Republicans.