The Sound of the Campaign Trail: Music and Elections

Music is a powerful tool that someone can use to entertain others or deliver a message. Many musicians actively put their thoughts into the songs they release, which listeners might find relatable. Music doesn’t differ too much from speeches. This is why campaign music can be influential in political campaigns. 

Campaigns utilize music to inspire their audience, as they can deliver the politician’s visions through easy-to-digest media. It’s not rare for politicians to use music to influence their audience, as Americans have seen in previous campaigns as well. 

Early Uses

Music has been used in political campaigns since the 1800s. One example that many still remember is how John Adams used ‘Adams and Liberty’ when he faced Thomas Jefferson in 1800. 

Since that era, politicians have been reworking existing music and changing the lyrics to suit their messages. They used familiar melodies and rewrote the lyrics to suit each campaign. Almost every campaign song from the 1800s to the 20th century was known to use this method. 

However, as long-used campaigns started to become mainstream for politicians, they tried a new approach in the early 1900s. Some used popular songs at the time of their campaigns and chose to change only a part of the lyrics. One of the candidates who may have been the first one to try this method is Al Smith, who used ‘Sidewalks of New York’ in 1928, as the song fits well with his urban New York Roots. 

Harry Truman was also known not to change the lyrics of his campaign music, as they fit well with his image. In 1948, he used ‘I’m Just Wild About Harry’, a song used in Broadway shows a few decades earlier.

Rock and Roll Era

Rock and roll first appeared as campaign music in 1972. George McGovern used Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ and went down in history as one of the biggest losses in presidential campaign history. 

It wasn’t the music’s fault, but McGovern had little to no chance of winning that time. However, it wasn’t the perfect choice either, as the music’s elegiac tone was too serene to use in those difficult times. 

This was why rock and roll was the perfect choice for campaign music then. Its high-octane vitality became the perfect attraction to uplift the masses. Besides rock and roll, hip-hop has also become vital in campaigns until today. Every successful campaign song has had higher tempos that can bring energy and vitality to the listeners. 

Pop Music 

For the current era, pop music might be one of the key elements that influence people, especially for those betting on 2024 US elections. Beyonce gave Kamala Harris permission to use her song Freedom for the 2024 campaign. Due to the song’s use, America saw a tenfold rise in online streams. As a song that had received many recognitions, this song could affect the campaign. 

Besides its popularity, Freedom delivered the right message for Harris’ campaign. The lyrics were powerful yet defiant regarding freedom, making it the perfect fit for a song aimed at Americans. The upbeat, march-like rhythm sounds like an uplifting anthem that could positively inspire the listener. 

Hillary Clinton also carefully curated a playlist to ensure her music choices were the perfect fit for her target: the younger generation. America was first greeted by Katy Perry before they saw Hillary Clinton. Clinton’s team then showed their determination by picking many more female-led pop ballad singers like Kelly Clarkson. 

Marco Rubio was also one of the candidates who curated a modern music playlist, including Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida, and Calvin Harris. However, he was also seen on stage with AC/DC playing in the background. Rubio expressed his love for EDM and also told a story about how he grew up listening to 90s West Coast hip-hop.