Good Playlist: Presidential campaign songs ▶️

Vice President Kamala Harris is officially on the presidential campaign trail. Central to her 2024 presidential bid is Beyoncé’s anthemic “Freedom.” The work evokes images of female and Black liberation, reclaimed self-confidence, and unstoppable personal momentum. With lyrics such as “I break chains all by myself / Won’t let my freedom rot in hell / Hey! I’ma keep running / ’Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves,” the Beyoncé hit seems to echo the energy the Harris campaign hopes to project in the run up to November.

Music can be a powerful political symbol, a fact politicians have recognized for centuries. As early as the 1800 presidential election, candidates linked specific musical works to their campaigns. Campaign songs can help reinforce key characteristics about a candidate’s background, such as John Kerry pointing out his Vietnam War military service with his use of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” or Andrew Jackson’s repeated use of “The Hunters of Kentucky.” Songs and their messages can also emphasize personality traits, such as George W. Bush’s use of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” And they can highlight a candidate’s platform, like Elizabeth Warren using Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” to reinforce her feminist platform. 

This year, the Democratic Party sought to rebrand itself as the party of joy and optimism by turning the typically staid roll call at its national convention into a dance party. The state delegations announced symbolic nominations, as they had already voted virtually due to ballot deadlines. However, with DJ Cassidy playing the delegations’ song selections, each state delegation had the opportunity to frame the spirit of their delegation and speak to their constituents. While some chose songs representing their state (“Sweet Home Alabama” for Alabama), others sought to capture the spirit of the campaign (“I Won’t Back Down” for Florida). Hear the full list here: 2024 DNC music playlist.

Artists and songwriters aren’t always on board 

America also has a sordid history of candidates using campaign songs without permission, like Howard Dean’s use of Leann Rimes’ “We Can.” And a candidate’s musical tastes can also undermine their campaign, such as Ross Perot’s strange decision to use Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.” 

Other candidates have bastardized popular songs. In one famous case, Bob Dole’s campaign changed the lyrics of Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man” to “Dole Man.” The campaign later shelved the use of the song after Rondor Music threatened to sue Dole for copyright infringement. More recently, a litany of artists have objected to former President Donald Trump playing their music during his campaign rallies or political ads. 

In the accompanying playlists, I highlight key campaign songs across presidential elections from 1800 to 2024. When sampled chronologically, the playlist shows the incredible power of music when a song is linked to politics. There are also interesting variations – including the prevalence of female candidates using female artists – that would be of interest to those teaching American politics, political communication, media and politics, or gender and politics.

Best to watch:

Best to listen to:

Stay up to date on all things politics and political science. Sign up for Good Authority’s weekly newsletter by entering your email address in the box below.