Author
By Shelly Tan
(c) 2024 , The Washington Post
The music that candidates play as they walk onto a stage might not last long, but it can reflect a wider image they want to portray. And there are few greater opportunities to send a concise campaign message than at presidential nominating conventions.
The Democratic National Convention started on Aug. 19, with current Vice President Kamala Harris already having secured the Democratic presidential nomination. Her acceptance speech on Aug. 22 will be her biggest public stage since becoming the nominee. Her walkout song of choice? TBD, but we’ve got a few guesses.
In the weeks since Biden dropped out of the race, Harris’s team has quickly rolled out an internet-savvy campaign, including cheeky nods to Charli XCX’s album “Brat” and Chappell Roan’s “Midwest princess” catchphrase. She also used Beyoncé’s “Freedom” during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate and in her first presidential campaign video.
Here are some of the songs Harris’s team has used so far at rallies and on social media:
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Kamala Harris’s 2024 playlist
-“Freedom” by Beyoncé
-“Mamushi” by Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba
-“The Battle Cry of Freedom” (cover) by Bon Iver (Original written by George Frederick Root)
-“Femininomenon” by Chappell Roan
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Thus far, Harris’s musical choices tap into a youthful, feminist energy. Their fan bases also tend to include voters that Harris will be relying on come November: Young, diverse, queer, etc. Compare Harris’s music to that of Trump’s, who has gone in a different direction.
At the recent RNC on July 19, former president Donald Trump walked out to James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” a song that many perceive as sexist. Previous song choices also include the highly patriotic “God Bless the U.S.A” by Lee Greenwood and Queen’s “We Are the Champions.”
His song choices skew older – no recent top 40s pop music here – and project strength. Aggressive self-confidence is the name of the game. (There is room for the strange as well, however. A recent rally used the “Titanic” theme song, much to everyone’s confusion.)
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Donald Trump’s 2024 playlist
-“It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown
-“God Bless the U.S.A (Proud to be an American)” by Lee Greenwood
-“Hold On, I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave
-“American Bad A–” by Kid Rock
-“My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion
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How do they compare to past presidents? We’ve compiled every candidate’s convention walkout music since 1976, and here’s what we found.
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The modern era of lyric-driven music
Nowadays, the lyrics of a walkout song are just as important as the rhythm. These songs are meant to serve as thematic summaries of the candidates they present.
Sometimes, however, candidates will forgo a song for an introductory video instead, with footage projected onto a large screen for convention goers to watch.
2020
Donald Trump (R)
“God Bless The U.S.A. (a.k.a Proud to be an American)” by Lee Greenwood
Singer Lee Greenwood expressed his support for Trump in a recent interview with the New York Times, saying “I think he’s a great American and a patriot.” Trump has continued using the song in his 2024 campaign.
Joe Biden (D) – Elected
None; intro video played
With the pandemic still a major concern, the virtual 2020 DNC took on a rather somber tone. Biden, initially hidden by dramatic shadows, appeared without cheers, music or other fanfare to make his speech.
2016
Donald Trump (R) – Elected
“We Are The Champions” by Queen
After the song’s usage at the RNC, Queen quickly took to X (then known as Twitter) to protest, saying “An unauthorized use at the Republican Convention against our wishes.” However, despite Queen’s attempts to stop them, Trump’s team had already paid the proper licenses for its use, a reminder that artists often don’t have control over licensing permissions.
Hillary Clinton (D)
“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
The defiant pop song became Clinton’s anthem in 2016, to the point where the song to this day is still synonymous with Clinton’s political loss. Platten had originally written the song about her struggle to break through in the music industry.
2012
Mitt Romney (R)
“Born Free” by Kid Rock
Romney went back to his Michigan roots with this pick from Detroit-native Kid Rock. Kid Rock performed the song live at multiple Romney rallies. In the years since, Kid Rock has become an ardent Trump supporter and even runs a music festival focused on MAGA audiences.
Barack Obama (D) – Elected, 2nd term
“City of Blinding Lights” by U2
Obama used the U2 song throughout both his journey to the White House, his presidency and beyond. On 2017, the song once again played at his hour-long farewell address in Chicago, closing out his tenure as president.
2008
John McCain (R)
None; intro video played
McCain didn’t play a walkout song, but his campaign did use an original song sometimes: John Rich’s “Raising McCain,” written about the years McCain spent in a Vietnam POW camp. On the other side of the spectrum, McCain was apparently also a huge ABBA fan and used “Take A Chance On Me” as his primary season theme song.
Barack Obama (D) – Elected
“City of Blinding Lights” by U2
Having listed it as one of his favorite songs, Obama also used “City of Blinding Lights” when he first announced his campaign for the U.S. presidency. U2 would later perform it live at the his 2009 inauguration.
2004
George W. Bush (R) – Elected, 2nd term
None; intro video played
Bush didn’t use a walkout song in 2004, but he did frequently feature “Only in America” by Brooks & Dunn throughout his campaign. The 9/11 terrorist bombings shaped Bush’s presidency, and the country-rock song was a popular one in the wake of the attacks for its patriotic themes.
John F. Kerry (D)
“No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band
Kerry often used songs by Bruce Springsteen, who was also a supporter of his campaign. Springsteen performed live at multiple Kerry rallies, including one the night before the election.
2000
George W. Bush (R) – Elected
“We The People” by Billy Ray Cyrus
A Texas man through and through, it was no surprise that Bush chose a song sung by a country artist. The song praises in particular farmers, truckers and factory workers who “pay the taxes … pay the bills.”
Al Gore (D)
Unidentified orchestral music by Unknown
Gore walked onstage to an uplifting, inspirational orchestra score, and proceeded to land a slightly cringeworthy, sloppy kiss on his wife in a PDA moment heard around the world.
1996
Bob Dole (R)
“Gonna Fly Now” (instrumental version)=Bill Conti
Dole made his entrance at the convention to the highflying “Rocky” theme song. Elsewhere on the campaign road though, he made frequent use of “Dole Man,” a revised version of “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave. The choice became an embarrassing gaffe when the song’s license-holders threatened legal action over the unauthorized use of the song.
Bill Clinton (D) – Elected, 2nd term
None; intro video played
Clinton declined to play a walkout song and relied on an introductory video instead. Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” appeared throughout his career however, popping up well into the 2000s and 2010s whenever Clinton showed up to stump for another Democratic candidate.
1992
George H.W. Bush (R)
None; intro video played
Though he didn’t feature a song during the convention, Bush did often use “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie. Later in 2004, when his son George W. Bush ran for reelection, comedy site JibJab would release a viral satirical video with animated versions of Bush Jr. and John Kerry singing a parody of the song.
Bill Clinton (D) – Elected
None; intro video played
Like Bush, Clinton didn’t use a convention walkout song. But he did love using Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” at every rally. The song declared, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” which matched Clinton’s messaging that Bush’s time had come and gone.
1988
George H.W. Bush (R) – Elected
“Hail, Columbia” by Joseph Hopkinson
Just as “Hail to the Chief” is the president’s personal anthem, “Hail, Columbia” typically accompanied Bush’s entrance as vice president.
Michael Dukakis (D)
“America” by Neil Diamond
A single from the 1980 movie “The Jazz Singer,” “America” described the titular country as a place of refuge for those hoping to escape to a better, happier life.
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The band music era
Before 1988, walkout songs skewed away from popular music – loud, bombastic band music tended to fill the conventions instead. And when a non-band song played, it was usually an instrumental, cover version instead of the original with lyrics.
Overall campaign theme music, on the other hand, tended to be covers of already popular songs remade with new lyrics specifically referencing a candidate.
1984
Ronald Reagan (R) – Elected, 2nd term
“Hail to the Chief” by James Sanderson
Reagan chose to use the president’s personal anthem instead of an original song as his walkout music.
Walter Mondale (D)
“Gonna Fly Now” (instrumental version)=Bill Conti
Released in 1976, the “Rocky” theme song became a huge part of 1970s pop culture. It was the quintessential somewhat cheesy, inspirational, “we can do it” soundtrack.
1980
Ronald Reagan (R) – Elected
“California, Here I Come” (instrumental version)=Al Jolson
As the former Governor of California and a Hollywood actor, Reagan was closely associated with the Golden State, and “California, Here I Come” was sometimes considered its unofficial state song. Reagan consistently used it throughout his career.
Jimmy Carter (D)
“Hail to the Chief” by James Sanderson
Instead of using his 1976 original campaign song, Carter returned to a presidential standby: “Hail to the Chief.”
1976
Gerald Ford (R)
“Hail to the Chief” by James Sanderson
As then Vice President, Ford ascended to the presidency after Nixon resigned in 1974. With a tenuous hold on the presidency, Ford may have tried to reinforce his position by playing “Hail to the Chief,” the personal anthem of the U.S. president.
Jimmy Carter (D) – Elected
“Why Not the Best?” (instrumental version) by Jack Turner
Jack Turner wrote this original song for Carter’s campaign, with the title referencing Carter’s similarly titled autobiography and emphasizing Carter’s plans for government. (Unfortunately, we couldn’t find Jack Turner’s version on Spotify. Embedded below is a cover by Oscar Brand instead.)
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Music licensing for campaigns
It’s a tale as old as time: A candidate plays a catchy song, the artist hates it and publicly tells them to stop. But how does licensing actually work for political campaign music?
Politicians need to pay licenses to use copyrighted songs for live events and ads/videos. However, artists often don’t own the rights to their own music – that can belong to the song’s publisher or the artist’s record label, in which case the artist has no say.
There are also venue licenses for public performances (e.g. rallies), which campaigns can obtain through ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) or BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.). These are blanket licenses that can cover entire artist catalogues.
Of course, even if a politician is in the clear legally, they can still face backlash if an artist publicly rebukes them. Just look at all the artists who’ve told Trump off for using their music: Celine Dion, Neil Young, the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, the Rolling Stones … the list goes on and on.
