These Are Campaign Songs That Politicians Were Asked to Stop Using

There's a long history of musicians having to defend their work from politicians that have tried to use their tunes as theme songs. Here's an extensive list of musicians that asked politicians to cease and desist.

• Bruce Springsteen asks Ronald Reagan to stop playing “Born in the U.S.A.”
• John Cougar Mellencamp asks Ronald Reagan to stop playing “Pink Houses.”
• Bobby McFerrin asks George H.W. Bush to stop playing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”
• Sam & Dave ask Bob Dole to stop playing “Soul Man.”
• Bruce Springsteen asks Bob Dole to stop playing “Born in the U.S.A.”
• Sting asks Al Gore to stop playing “Brand New Day.”
• John Cougar Mellencamp asks George W. Bush to stop playing “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”
• Tom Petty asks George W. Bush to stop playing “I Won’t Back Down.”
• Sting asks Bush to stop playing “Brand New Day.”
• Sting then also asks Al Gore to stop playing “Brand New Day.”
• John Hall of Orleans asks Bush to stop playing “Still the One.”
• Sam of Sam & Dave asks Barack Obama to stop playing “Hold On, I’m Coming.”
• Boston asks Mike Huckabee to stop playing “More Than a Feeling.”
• Van Halen asks John McCain to stop playing “Right Now.”
• John Cougar Mellencamp asks McCain to stop playing “Our Country.”
• John Cougar Mellencamp (once again) asks McCain to stop playing “Pink Houses.”
• Heart asks Sarah Palin to stop playing “Barracuda.”
• Jackson Browne asks McCain to stop playing “Running on Empty.”
• Bon Jovi asks McCain to stop playing “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”
• The Foo Fighters ask McCain to stop playing “My Hero.”
• Tom Petty asks McCain to stop playing “I Won’t Back Down.”
• Abba asks McCain to stop playing “Take a Chance on Me.”
• Survivor asks Newt Gingrich to stop playing “Eye of the Tiger.”
• The Heavy asks Gingrich to stop playing “How You Like Me Now.”
• Dee Snider of Twisted Sister asks Mitt Romney to stop playing “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
• Al Green asks Romney to stop playing “Let’s Stay Together.”
• Silversun Pickups ask Romney to stop playing “Panic Switch.”
• K’Naan asks Romney to stop playing “Wavin’ Flag.”
• Survivor asks Romney to stop playing “Eye of the Tiger.”
• Tom Petty asks Michele Bachmann to stop playing “American Girl.”
• Katrina and the Waves ask Bachmann to stop playing “Walking on Sunshine.”
• Dropkick Murphys ask Scott Walker to stop playing “Shipping Up to Boston.”
• Neil Young asks Donald Trump to stop playing “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
• Allee Willis asks Trump to stop playing Karate Kid’s “You’re the Best.”
• Steven Tyler of Aerosmith asks Trump to stop playing “Dream On.”
• R.E.M. asks Trump to stop playing “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.”

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