ABBA Demands That Trump Stop Using Their Music

ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Benny Andersson receive the Royal Vasa Order from Sweden's king and queen during a ceremony at Stockholm Royal Palace on May 31, 2024 for outstanding contributions to Swedish and international music life.

On Thursday, ABBA joined several other musicians and musical groups demanding that former President Donald Trump stop playing their music at his rallies.

The group has “discovered that videos have been released where ABBA’s music has been used at Trump’s events and have requested that such use be immediately taken down and removed,” ABBA’s record company, Universal, told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet on Thursday.

Universal said it had not received any request to license the music to Trump, who has played “Money Money Money” and “The Winner Takes It All” at his rallies.

ABBA now joins musicians including Céline Dion , The Smiths , the estates of the late singer Sinéad O’Connor and the estate of late soul singer Isaac Hayes in demanding that Trump stop playing their songs.

O’Connor’s estate said it was an “outrage” that Trump used the singer’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” at his campaign stops.

“Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness and decency towards her fellow human beings,” said a joint statement from the singer’s estate and her label, adding that it was “no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil.’”

Other musicians who have complained about Trump using their music have instead offered support for his opponent, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 elections.

Beyoncé reportedly threatened to send a cease and desist letter after Trump’s team posted a video of him walking off a plane while playing “Freedom,” a song she gave permission for the Harris campaign to use.

A spokesperson for the Foo Fighters said that Trump did not ask for permission to play their song “My Hero” while Trump introduced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally last week. The spokesperson said that any royalties the band makes from Trump using that song will be donated to Harris’ campaign.