Mamma Mia, here we go again: ABBA complains that Trump is using their songs at rallies
ABBA is the latest act to complain that Donald Trump is using their songs at his campaign rallies.
According to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagladet, ABBA hits like “The Winner Takes It All,” “Money, Money, Money” and “Dancing Queen” were played at a Minnesota rally in July, and video footage of the band was shown on video screens, along with messages asking people to donate.
The Guardian reports that the group’s record label, Universal Music, said the campaign did not receive permission for the use of the songs and is asking that footage from the rally be “immediately taken down and removed.”
According to the paper, a spokesperson for the label said, “We have discovered that videos have been released where Abba’s music/videos has been used at Trump events, and we have therefore requested that such use be immediately taken down and removed.”
The statement added that neither the label nor the group’s publishing companies “received any request, so no permission or license has been given to Trump.”
ABBA is just the latest music act to complain about the Trump campaign playing its music. Recently, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Isaac Hayes, Beyonce and the estate of the late Sinead O’Connor have all objected to the use of their songs.
In order to play music at events, political campaigns are generally required to get a special license from music publishing companies, which gives them access to a database that includes millions of songs. While artists can ask for their songs to be taken off that list, the BBC notes that it seems nobody really checks to make sure they have clearance for a particular song.
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