Music News

Rolling Stones to Trump: No “Sympathy for the Devil”

Add the Rolling Stones to the list of bands Donald Trump has angered during his bizarro campaign to be president of the United States.

The Stones are the latest band to slap the surprisingly popular candidate’s wrist for playing their songs without permission at campaign events.

After learning that The Donald was using a handful of Rolling Stones songs on a campaign stop mix, including “Sympathy for the Devil,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and (seriously?) “Brown Sugar,” the band has requested their music be removed from all future events. They join the likes of REM, Aerosmith and Neil Young as artists whose music was used without permission by Trump and have since tried to distance themselves from him and his politics.

Simply put, “The band was not asked for permission to use the songs,” Stones spokeswoman Fran Curtis told The Daily Beast.

This should come as no surprise to anyone at all. In 2012, Stones’ singer Mick Jagger lobbed some insults at then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Saturday Night Live and, just last year, guitarist Keith Richards asked Billboard if there was anything scarier than the idea of President Donald Trump.

Earlier in this campaign, REM lambasted Trump after the candidate used “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” during an event, with the band’s bassist, Mike Mills, calling the businessman-turned-politician an “orange clown” and telling him to go eff himself. That was after Neil Young became incensed after learning Trump had used “Rockin’ in the Free World” to announce his candidacy. Trump, being himself, retaliated and called Young a hypocrite for liking him and his money just fine before that incident. Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler—whom Trump invited to be his guest at a candidate’s debate last August—had his lawyer send a cease and desist letter when Trump used “Dream On” during an event without permission and, most recently, Adele expressed her displeasure at his using, or attempting to use, her songs “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall” at events.

Amber Healy

I write about music policy and lawsuits because they're endlessly fascinating.

Amber Healy has 525 posts and counting. See all posts by Amber Healy

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