Campaign Music

In true "be everything to everyone" fashion, in 2012 the President put out a Spotify playlist for his campaign that included 24 songs. I don't recall any lawsuits.


"Al Green, Booker T & the MGs, the Impressions and Aretha for the grayhairs – and new: Jennifer Hudson and Raphael Saadiq for the ... approaching-gray.

The rockers are few and far between. Arcade Fire, Wilco and Florence and the Machine are representing for the NPR set. And No Doubt is an odd choice, but with the song "Different People" at the top of the list, Obama is going for a populist embrace-all-comers vibe.

Unsurprisingly – and perhaps a bit panderingly – there's a smattering of Americana. Sugarland, Dierks Bentley and the Zac Brown Band are all inoffensive roots-rockers loudly singaling the point: "Obama is a patriot!" Amazingly there is not one, but two – two! – Darius Rucker tunes on the list. The former Hootie and Blowfish frontman has been enjoying a second life as a successful country star. And it looks to get a little more successful after today.

For the Boomers there's James Taylor, ELO and, errr, REO Speedwagon. Hip hop heads are out of luck. Which is a shame – the list couldn't have been hurt by a little Jay-Z ("Dirt Off Your Shoulder," perhaps? Or "99 Problems"?), only one of the biggest stars in the world.

A look at the songs themelves suggest an earnest appeal to be appealing. "Got To Get You Into My Life" as covered by Earth Wind and Fire is a great song in its own right and reveals a coy, almost flirtatious Obama. REO Speedwagon's "Roll With the Changes" and "Keep On Pushing" by the Impressions hint at a determined, driven candidate. But "Keep Me In Mind" by Zac Brown sounds dangerously close to passive aggressive. U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing" is a head-scratcher. Is Obama not the real thing? Who is? And how is the president better?"

 

Yeah yeah I get that but seriously how much money are we talking for 1 song, 1 time? Song isn't all that great any way but that is beside the point.

Still haven't connected James Taylor, thought we were talking about Neil Young?

 

What do wild eyed egomaniacs do?

The guy's a joke. He couldn't care less about using that song or actually being president.

 

Prolly just a mistake. Neil Young is a cannuck....I don't care what he thinks about US politics anyway and even less what he's ever had to say about life in America. He's reaped plenty rewards from American fans.

Hillary release a play list...."Her playlist includes songs like "Happy" by Pharrell (you may remember it as the 2013 "song of the summer") and "Vivir Mi Vida" a song sung entirely in Spanish by Marc Anthony." Hilarious. Does anyone really believe that she listens to songs in Spanish or even understands them? Lol. Major pander.

 

OK, commercial use would include every restaurant, bar, store or wherever even a radio is left on to provide music for that business's customers. Those business's pay ASCAP royalties and display an ASCAP sticker. Same with clubs who have live bands that play covers of other people's songs.

But while I'm not really clear on the law says is the difference when a company uses somebody's songs for their TV commercial they pay big bucks, a lot more than ASCAP fees. IF you will remember getting very tired of hearing Bob Segar's "Like a Rock" every time a Chevy commercial came on TV.

So are political campaigns considered in the same class as Chevrolet or in the same class as ASCAP Fair Use. It would seem that if Trump used "Keep On Rockin' in the Free World" as an introduction to his announcement it would fall under fair use but if he used it for political commercial he would have to negotiate a much larger fee with the artist or holder of the song's copywrite.

 

I bet if Stranglehold would have been on that playlist you would have heard something. Most artists are liberals, it makes sense.

 

Bars and restaurants have to pay licensing fees.