If you lived through the 1992 election, you probably remember Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow.” It was the mood music of Bill Clinton’s campaign, and after the Arkansas governor’s win, Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood even suspended a personal feud to get the band back together and perform at the inaugural ball.
Of course, Bill Clinton wasn’t the first musical candidate — since the early days of our nation, presidential contenders have used songs to build their brands and energize their events. And this election season is no exception.
Donald Trump often walks to the stage with Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” blaring, while Bernie Sanders prefers Tracy Chapman’s “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.” At her launch, Hillary Clinton’s supporters were treated to Sara Bareilles’ “Brave,” and Ted Cruz’s patriots enjoyed Aaron Tippin’s “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly” after the senator won Iowa. And then there is John Kasich, who recently created a Twitter Momentwhen he said he wanted to add Justin Bieber’s music to his rallies.
These songs may fit each candidate, but none quite captures the zeitgeist of the 2016 race like Alanis Morissette’s 1995 hit that famously asked “Isn’t It Ironic?”
