How music and politics are intertwined
The relationship between music and politics goes back a long time. For more than a century, music has been the soundtrack to many of the movements, rebellions, and campaigns that have changed society.
In this article, we'll look back at the complicated history of music and politics. We'll bring it right up to date by exploring today's uneasy relationship between pop stars, prime ministers, and presidents.
The historical music protest
The 1950s saw the birth of the teenager and the 1960s a cultural revolution. Music sales soared with the switch from brittle 78 rpm records to fine-groove 45 rpm singles and LP albums. Exposure to music peaked with the rollout of television and radio.
Everything was in place for music to become a medium for people to rebel, express their identity, and demand change.
The U.S. Civil Rights movement
Music was a key tool for America’s Civil Rights Movement that campaigned for an end to racism. The movement reached its height in the 60s with events like the 1963 "March on Washington" at which Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream” speech.
On the same stage as Mr. King was a young folk, blues, and jazz singer called Odetta. She sang "Oh, Freedom", a song from 1906 that was a response to race riots which resulted in the deaths of more than 25 African Americans.
In the same year, jazz maestro John Coltrane recorded "Alabama". The song was his response to an attack by the Ku Klux Klan on a baptist church which killed four children. Other memorable protest songs from the movement were "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke and "Mississippi Goddam" by Nina Simone.
Many movements in the 60s and 70s gave birth to songs that captured the era’s anger and hopes for change...
Stand-out examples include the Beach Boys’ “Student Demonstration Time” which protested the Kent State Shootings. “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore championed female empowerment. Johnny Cash’s “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” drew attention to Native American rights.
The 1970s UK punk movement
The Civil Rights movement had shaped American musical activism. Across the Atlantic, the UK's youth were finding their own political voice. The 1970s punk movement was a rebellion by the country’s youth at a system that seemed to have abandoned them.
The most famous song of the era was the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen” which attacked the monarchy and the establishment. “Anarchy in the UK”, the band’s debut single, painted a bleak picture of hopelessness and sectarian strife.
The Clash’s album “London Calling” (1979) described Britain’s challenging urban struggles. The lead song expressed the band’s anxiety about nuclear war, debt, and the collapse of society...
From protest to charity to collaboration
While protest and rebellion in music continued through the 1980s and 1990s, it was a lot less common. Artists still created powerful music with a message like Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "Two Tribes" which warned of nuclear war.
Elsewhere, Michael Jackson sang about the environment in “Earth Song”. Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy” became an anthem for gay rights and acceptance. Artists United Against Apartheid recorded “Sun City” and urged artists not to perform in South Africa.
Pop stars like Bob Geldof, Sting and Bono saw themselves as campaigners working with politicians as their partners. Their goal was no longer revolution, but cooperation - to work within the system, not to tear it down.
Band Aid’s "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was the turning point that brought artists together for charitable causes, followed by USA for Africa’s "We Are The World". The Live Aid concert in 1985 cemented that relationship which lasted all the way to Live 8 in 2005 and beyond. Musicians are now fixtures at events like G7 summits.
The politics of Pop today
Music and identity politics has been the basis of much of today’s modern activism. Over time it has become more personal and related to who we are and the tribes we belong to.
Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar have explored racial identity and social injustice through their music. Taylor Swift has supported gender equality campaigns and Stormzy has supported racial equality.
Some activism nowadays seems more transactional than heartfelt, however.
In the 2024 U.S. election, we discovered that politicians are willing to pay significant sums of money that can run into the millions to endorse them. Some musicians are very happy with this arrangement.
Pop and politics in the UK
Perhaps sensing this shift, many politicians now no longer ask for artist endorsements. Instead, they choose popular songs to soundtrack their campaigns without permission.
This has led to controversies. For example, anyone in the UK over the age of 40 associates D:Ream's "Things Can Only Get Better" with the 1997 Labour election victory. Now the band don’t want any politicians to use the song.
The UK opposition Conservative Party got into trouble when ex-PM Liz Truss came on stage to M People's "Moving On Up". Another ex-Tory PM Theresa May became a meme with her robotic dance to Abba's "Dancing Queen".
Pop and politics in the U.S.
The U.S. has seen even more controversy. President Donald Trump has repeatedly angered artists by using their music without permission.
Neil Young objected to the use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign rallies. Similarly, Adele demanded Trump stop using her song "Rolling in the Deep". The Rolling Stones threatened legal action for his use of "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
Not everyone objects though. The Village People were a little uncomfortable at first with Trump’s use of “Y.M.C.A.” but later gave their permission. Beyoncé officially permitted Kamala Harris’s campaign to use her song "Freedom" in 2024.
The close relationship between country music and politics, particularly conservative politics, continues.
Songs like Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” have become campaign staples. There are outliers however, like when the estate of country legend Tom Petty strongly objected when Trump used his song “I Won't Back Down."
Artists protest but it seems they can do very little about it.
Politics, music and productions
Politicians don’t seem to need clearance to include copyrighted songs in their campaigns. However, production teams working in film, television, advertising and video games do.
While you may want to use a Beatles, Queen or Stones track, your budget may not stretch to it. You can however add period-realistic music to your films, TV shows, ads, and games with Universal Production Music.
Directing a film about British politicians’ roles in the 1956 Suez Crisis? Search Universal Production Music for 1950s soundtrack music. There are over 5,200 tracks to choose from with over 4,000 selected as suitable for use in movies, films, and TV.
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Whatever your production is, check out our decades soundtrack collection. Our expert global team is on hand to assist you in choosing the right music for your production. You can also create your own composition using stems from our selection of over 630,000 tracks.
