Mama Mia! Here we go again: ABBA ask Trump to stop using their songs

Swedish supergroup ABBA are the latest in a long line of musicians requesting Donald Trump stop using their music in his presidential campaign.

For once, ABBA are not saying thank you for the music.
The Swedish pop group has asked Donald Trump to stop using their songs at campaign rallies – but the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign team says it has permission.
“ABBA has recently discovered the unauthorised use of their music and videos at a Trump event through videos that appeared online,” said a statement to The Associated Press from the band, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with ‘Waterloo’ and went on to become one of the most successful bands ever.
“As a result, ABBA and its representative has promptly requested the removal and deletion of such content. No request has been received; therefore, no permission or license has been granted.”
In response, a spokesman for the Trump campaign said it had obtained a license.
“The campaign had a license to play ABBA music through our agreement with BMI and ASCAP,” the spokesperson told the Associated Press.
ABBA are just the latest in a long list of performers who’ve objected to Trump using their songs. Ahead of the 2020 election, that included Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M. and Guns N’ Roses.
This cycle, Celine Dion has asked the candidate to stop using ‘My Heart Will Go On’, while Beyoncé blocked Trump from using her song ‘Freedom’ in a campaign video.
Sinéad O’Connor’s estate has also demanded Trump stop using the late artist’s song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at political rallies, along with the family of soul legend Isaac Hayes, who filed a lawsuit demanding $3 million in damages.
Campaigns don’t need an artist’s express permission to play their songs at rallies as long as the political organisation or the venue has obtained what’s known as a blanket license from the performing rights organisations ASCAP and BMI.
Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet said its reporter in July attended a Trump rally in Minnesota where ‘The Winner Takes it All’ was played. Universal Music in Sweden said videos had surfaced of ABBA’s music being played at at least one Trump event.
ABBA, who have scored 20 songs in the Billboard Hot 100, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, released a comeback album, ‘Voyage,’ in 2021.