By Ryan Nelson

Music is an important part of American culture, and has played a crucial role in politics as of late. Over the course of the 2020 campaign for president, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have used music during their rallies and ads. The song choices may seem insignificant, but they give Americans a vital look into many of the candidates’ values.

Donald Trump ran as a member of the Republican party, and the music he selected to be played during his rallies reflects more traditional and patriotic values. He relied heavily on feel-good, powerful classic rock, choosing songs for the emotional reaction they inspire instead of their lyrical content or deeper meaning (BBC). Considering his main audience (older white adults), this makes a lot of sense. Recently, Trump has taken to including some soul songs, seemingly to pander to black voters (BBC). 

Meanwhile, Biden’s music appeals to an entirely different audience. He seems to pander to the working class through the use of “We Take Care of Our Own” by Bruce Springsteen (BBC). Biden’s playlist also contains an equal amount of white and black artists, representing the diversity of his voter base (The Conversation). Generally, the songs he played were carefully selected and echoed his campaign message (The Conversation). Some pop songs were also used; given Biden’s popularity among younger voters, this makes perfect sense (BBC). 

Interestingly, many musical artists have strong opinions on this election. Many artists whose songs were played at Trump’s rallies- including Adele, the Rolling Stones, Queen, and Rihanna- have asked the current pres

ident to stop using their music, and some have even sent cease-and-desist letters (The Conversation and BBC). However, the Trump campaign has, for the large part, ignored these requests, despite how this violates copyright laws (The Conversation). Fortunately for Trump, he has been endorsed by country star Lee Greenwood, who has even sung at some of his rallies. A slew of pop artists have moved to support the other candidate, however- including artists such as Cardi B, Lizzo, and Frank Ocean (BBC). Taylor Swift even authorized the use of her song in a political ad (which was pro-Biden) for the first time (Insider). 

Music has been intricately tied to this year’s political battleground and the race for president. Biden’s appeal to younger and minority voters seems to have been successful, since he has won both the popular vote and the electoral college. After his success, political campaigns of the future might also incorporate similar choices to appeal to the same audience.