- Music
- 20 Jul 16
Queen are not happy with Donald Trump using their "We Are The Champions" track on his election campaign.
After he took to the Republican National Convention stage on Monday night using the same tune, the band tweeted: "An unauthorised use at the Republican Convention against our wishes".
This is not the first time politicians have been criticised for using rock music on the campaign trail.
In 2008, John McCain was criticized by Heart, the Foo Fighters, and Jackson Browne for using their music during his election bid. Al Green complained about Mitt Romney’s use of his music in 2012.
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The chances that the Queen track was used illegally are slim, the venue might have had a license to play BMI songs already (Queen are licensed through BMI) - and clearly Queen doesn't sign off on every use of their music.
For the most part, when a band or artist angrily tweets about a politician using their music, they are sending a message to their fans rather than expecting the politician to stop using the song in question. So, don't be surprised to hear 'We Are The Champions' at the next Trump event.