Music and politics have an intertwined relationship that goes back hundreds of years. The Vietnam War era gave birth to entire music scenes that were based around political protest – specifically, it could be called protest music. Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane were just a few of the prominent musicians to emerge in this turbulent era, and it certainly wasn’t the first time, either.
It’s also not a surprise that many, many musicians of today don’t want their names or music attached to POTUS Donald Trump’s divisive (to put it kindly) policies. That’s not mentioning the legal ramifications of the illegal, copyrighted use of said music, which can result in cease-and-desist orders or worse. It really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, then, that the legendary Ozzy Osbourne has barred the unauthorized use of “Crazy Train” after Trump’s campaign used a video with the song playing.
Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy’s wife, had this to say about the situation:
“Based on this morning’s unauthorized use of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” we are sending notice to the Trump campaign (or any other campaigns) that they are forbidden from using any of Ozzy Osbourne’s music in political ads or in any political campaigns. Ozzy’s music cannot be used for any means without approvals. In the meantime, I have a suggestion for Mr. Trump–perhaps he should reach out to some of his musician friends. Maybe Kayne (sic) West (“Gold Digger”), Kid Rock (“I Am the Bullgod”) or Ted Nugent (“Stranglehold”) will allow use of their music.”
Streaming Lawyer has this to say about politicians using copyrighted music for any sort of political event:
“In my opinion, the best legal and ethical way for political campaigns and candidates to acquire the rights to use a particular song or list of songs at a convention is to obtain written permission from the artist or management company via a limited license. This avoids all of the above problems including litigation and legal damages. Written permission also prevents misunderstands with the community’s perception as to which artist or band supports a particular candidate. When all said and done, getting written permission is just the right thing to do.”
Thank you @MSNBC, real professionals! @chucktodd @maddow pic.twitter.com/7ZCkcUQ4yA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2019
This certainly isn’t the first time the Trump campaign has been in hot water when it comes to music. Their inability to reign in top-tier talent rung true in 2017, when 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith were the most notable names playing his inaguration ceremony. As Forbes notes, the contrast to Barack Obama’s 2 terms in office is stark – Aretha Franklin, Soundgarden, and Beyonce were just a few of the notable names that celebrated. R.E.M., George Harrison, Rihanna, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler have all barred Trump’s use of their music in any political grandstanding.
