Pick a Day

Music History Events: Music and Politics

July 21, 2023 At the Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The 1975 frontman Matt Healy speaks out against the country's ban on homosexuality and kisses bass player Ross MacDonald in protest. The Malaysian government responds by canceling the last two days of the festival.

April 26, 2023 Pras Michel of Fugees is found guilty of acting as a go-between for a Malaysian businessman trying to gain access to the United States government on behalf of China. Details are Byzantine, but it's clear a lot of money flowed through Pras. In 2025 he's sentenced to 14 years in prison.

August 28, 2016 At the MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé wins Video of the Year for "Formation." In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, she brings four mothers of shooting victims with her onto the red carpet. By the end of the evening, Bey (along with her production designer, choreographer, director, cinematographer and editor) has eight trophies.More

July 26, 2016 A video of celebrities performing an a cappella version of Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" is shown at the Democratic National Convention before Hillary Clinton takes the stage to accept the nomination.More

May 4, 2016 After Donald Trump's campaign plays "Start Me Up" following his victory speech celebrating his path to the Republican nomination, The Rolling Stones ask him to stop, joining several other artists in decrying his use of their songs.More

March 16, 2016 First Lady Michelle Obama delivers the keynote address at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, promoting her "Let Girls Learn" initiative and launching the star-studded Diane Warren-penned anthem "This Is For My Girls."More

July 16, 2015 Maroon 5 cancel shows in Beijing and Shanghai after their keyboard player, Jesse Carmichael, participates in celebrations for the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday and tweets birthday wishes to His Holiness. This puts the band in the company of Bjork and Oasis as acts that have been banned from China for supporting Tibet, where the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader.

October 29, 2012 While campaigning for the 2012 election, president Barack Obama takes time out to interview with radio station WIZF Cincinnati, to talk about his favorite music artists. Asked "what's on the presidential iPod?," Obama names Stevie Wonder, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan as his "old school" choices, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Fugees for newer artists, and John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Gil Scott-Heron amongst his favorite jazz artists.

January 20, 2009 Beyoncé serenades Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, at the Neighborhood Ball as the couple shares their first dance together as president and first lady of the United States. The choice of song, Etta James' signature hit "At Last," throws the blues singer into a fit of rage aimed at Beyoncé.More

October 8, 2008 Foo Fighters make a villain out of John McCain after the GOP candidate uses "My Hero" without permission. "'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song," Dave Grohl writes in a statement.

August 27, 2008 Election '08 fever begins as the Democratic National Convention hits Denver and brings Kanye West, Rage Against The Machine, John Legend and many more to town.

June 11, 2008 Nancy Sinatra appears before the US Congress pleading for legislation that would require all performers, not just songwriters, to get paid for songs played on commercial analog radio.

April 9, 2008 Elton John plays a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, bringing in about $2.5 million. In 2013, Clinton is honored by the Elton John AIDS Foundation for her support of gay rights.

March 3, 2008 Arcade Fire rock for young Obama supporters at the Barack Obama benefit rally at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland.

February 4, 2008 John Mellencamp becomes the first of many artists to accuse soon-to-be-Republican presidential nominee John McCain of using their music without authorization. McCain had been using the song "Our Country," and while he had the legal rights to do so, Mellencamp makes it clear he does not support McCain and asks that he refrain from using his music.

February 4, 2008 Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Mickey Hart resurrect Grateful Dead for a benefit concert in support of presidential hopeful Barack Obama in San Francisco.

September 17, 2007 Barry Manilow pulls out of an appearance on The View when he refuses to be interviewed by conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

September 27, 2006 Bowing to the inevitable, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, pulls his legislation reforming the nation's music licensing laws from the congressional agenda, saying he doesn't see how it could get through Congress.

October 14, 2004 Ludacris and Public Enemy play the "Race to the Polls" concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom to raise voter awareness for the upcoming US presidential election.

September 28, 2004 An editorial titled "Something Bad Has Begun" by the former Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam, is published in the Los Angeles Times.More

July 17, 2004 At the end of her show at the Aladdin Hotel in Vegas, Linda Ronstadt dedicates her encore, a cover of the Eagles' "Desperado," to filmmaker Michael Moore, urging fans to go see his current movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. A shocked audience reacts mostly with boos; approximately half walk out on the spot.

June 24, 2004 Doris Day receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

May 24, 2003 Paul McCartney sits down for tea with Russian premier Vladimir Putin, then heads to Red Square for his very first performance behind the Iron Curtain, for an audience of 20,000.

January 1, 2003 Aretha Franklin sings the National Anthem when Michigan's first female governor, Jennifer Granholm, is sworn into office.

June 4, 2002 George Michael is jeered and heckled by the audience of a CNN news show as he defends the video for his new single "Shoot The Dog," in which US President George Bush is shown in bed with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Michael says it is an attack on Blair and not President Bush.

February 4, 2002 On the occasion of civil-rights activist Rosa Parks' 89th birthday, Stevie Wonder sings his song "Happy Birthday" to her at the premiere of her TV-movie biography The Rosa Parks Story. The song had originally been written by Wonder to help bring about a national Martin Luther King holiday.

September 14, 2000 Paul Simon, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the Eagles' Don Henley and Glenn Frey perform at the joint VH1/Rolling Stone fundraiser for Al Gore.

May 26, 1999 British punk band Manic Street Preachers refuse to play a concert to mark the opening of Wales' parliament because Queen Elizabeth II is present.

April 6, 1999 Bob Weir and Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead appear at an Al Gore presidential fundraiser, with Gore's wife, notorious anti-rock crusader Tipper, playing congas.

September 16, 1998 Lou Reed plays at a White House reception for Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel.