Donald Trump is STILL using Sinead O’Connor’s mega hit ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at his political rallies despite being asked not to by her estate

Sinead O’Connor is one of several acclaimed artists on the list whose work Trump campaign officials have banned from using at his events.

Adele

Adele was angry when she found out that Trump’s campaign was using her hits Rolling in the Deep and Skyfall at rallies in 2016, when she was supporting Hillary Clinton in that year’s election.

Aerosmith

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is again demanding that President Donald Trump stop using the band’s songs at rallies.

Tyler’s attorney sent Trump a letter in 2018 asking him to cease and desist, a day after the song Livin’ on the Edge was played at a Trump rally in West Virginia.

This isn’t the first time Tyler has asked Trump to stop using Aerosmith songs. Tyler sent the Trump campaign two cease-and-desist letters in 2015 over its use of the band’s music.

Tyler tweeted that it’s not a political issue, he just doesn’t let anyone use his songs without permission.

The Beatles

When the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was played at the 2016 RNC, the estate of George Harrison, who wrote the song, called it “offensive and against the wishes of the estate of George Harrison.”

Bruce Springsteen

Just as he did with Ronald Reagan in 1984, Bruce Springsteen in 2016 protested Trump’s criticism of Born in the USA as a patriotic anthem, when in reality it was a scathing indictment of the treatment of Vietnam veterans.

Creedence Clearwater revival

John Fogerty, who sent a letter to the campaign last week asking it to stop his band Creedence Clearwater Revival from using “Fortunate Son,” said he was dismayed by the use of a song that could have been written to attack Trump.

Eddy Grant

Eddy Grant sued Trump in September 2020 over the use of his 1980s hit Electric Avenue in a Trump campaign animated video mocking his opponent Joe Biden.

Elton John

Elton John opposed the use of his song Rocket Man at rallies after Trump used the name to refer to North Korean dictator Kim Jon Un.

John, like Aerosmith, said the decision wasn’t personal, but more because he felt uncomfortable being British and involved in American politics.

Everlasting

After an abusive tirade against Trump, rapper Everlast sent a letter asking him to stop using the song Jump Around.

Guns N’ Roses

Axl Rose has taken to Twitter to voice his displeasure over Guns N’ Roses songs, including Sweet Child O’ Mine, being used to entertain Trump rallies.

Johnny Marr (The Smiths)

Unlike his former bandmate, who admired Trump, guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths thinks otherwise, assuring his fans that their music would not be played at gatherings.

In 2024, the song Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want was scheduled to be performed at a rally.

Leonard Cohen

Lawyers for Leonard Cohen’s estate have condemned the use of “Hallelujah” during the Republican National Convention finale, saying they did not give permission to organizers.

Linkin Park

Chester Bennington, the future frontman of Linkin Park, once called Trump a “greater threat to the United States than terrorism.” It was no surprise then that the campaign was hit with a copyright notice for the song “In the End,” which was featured in the video ad.

Luciano Pavarotti

The widow of legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti banned Trump’s campaign over its use of the Italian version of Nessun Dorma.

Neil Jong

Neil Young filed a lawsuit in August 2020 over the Trump campaign’s use of his music, including “Rockin’ in the Free World,” saying he couldn’t stand to hear the song used as Trump’s theme song.

Ozzy Osbourne

‘[W]We are sending a message to the Trump campaign (or any other campaign) that they are prohibited from using Ozzy Osbourne’s music in political advertising or in any political campaign,” a joint statement from Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon after the song Crazy Train was used in a video on social media.

Panic! in the disco

Panic! At The Disco singer and songwriter Brendon Urie sent out a profane tweet in June that ended with “you’re not invited, stop playing my song” after the Trump campaign played the hit High Hopes at a rally in Phoenix

Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams sent a letter asking him to stop performing after his song “Happy” was played at a Trump rally in 2018. He was particularly angry that the event came just hours after a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Phil Collins

Phil Collins has asked the campaign to stop airing In the Air Tonight after the program aired during a rally in Iowa this month.

Many observers find it an odd song to choose, given that the air among people who were largely not wearing masks could spread the coronavirus.

Prince

After Purple Rain was played at a Trump rally in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis in 2019, the late singer’s estate publicly condemned the song’s use, saying the campaign had previously agreed not to play it.

Queen

Brian May of Queens was furious when he learned that Trump had used We Are the Champions to support the 2016 Republican Party Convention and that he had taken steps to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.

BRAKE

The Trump campaign has played Losing My Religion, Everybody Hurts and It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) at rallies, angering left-leaning members of REM

“Please know that we will not tolerate the use of our music by this fraudster & con artist,” bassist Mike Mills tweeted in January 2020.

Rihanna

Rihanna demanded that Trump stop playing Don’t Stop the Music after the song was played at a rally in 2018.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones objected to You Can’t Always Get What You Want being played regularly at Trump rallies. In August, they threatened to sue, saying they had revoked the music campaign licensing agreement that allows the campaign to legally play the song.

Sinéad O’Connor

Trump has performed O’Connor’s biggest hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” at events during his Republican presidential campaign. The song was originally written by fellow music icon Prince, who died in 2016.

In March 2024, O’Connor’s estate reported that the late singer considered Trump a “biblical devil.”

Tom Klein

Tom Petty’s wife and daughters, who have been embroiled in legal battles over the administration of his estate, came together in June 2020 to issue a statement condemning Trump’s use of the rocker’s “I Won’t Back Down” at rallies.

Village people

When The Rolling Stones banned the use of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” the hit was replaced with the gay anthem YMCA by The Village People.

In June 2020, frontman Victor Willis sent a cease and desist letter, while the band’s record label indicated it was considering legal action.

The white stripes

Trump was not allowed to use the song Seven Nation Army by Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes. Both made it clear that no permission had been asked and none had been given for the use of the song.