American Presidency and Rock and Roll

The American presidency and rock and roll have a historically close relationship, as both are products of a distinctly American quest for identity and freedom.

While rock was perceived as a threat to moral order by the political establishment in the 1950s, it quickly became an essential communication tool for winning over voters.

Born in the USA

The connection was truly cemented during the 1992 campaign, when Bill Clinton used Fleetwood Mac’s « Don’t Stop » as his anthem, signaling a generational shift and the rise to power of the baby boomers who had grown up with this culture.

Historically, rock music has been linked to the presidency because it embodies individualism and rebellion, values ​​at the heart of the American national narrative that every candidate tries to appropriate to appear « close to the people » and dynamic.

We remember Ronald Reagan’s controversial attempt to appropriate Bruce Springsteen’s « Born in the U.S.A. » to exalt patriotism, or Barack Obama publishing his annual playlists to project an image of a cultured and « cool » leader.

More recently, Donald Trump’s rallies have made extensive use of rock classics like those of the Rolling Stones and Queen, often against the artists’ wishes, proving that this music remains the ultimate source of energy for mobilizing crowds.

This connection can also be explained by its diplomatic dimension: rock was a weapon of « soft power » during the Cold War, and presidents used it to project the image of a free and modern America.

In short, rock and the presidency are linked by a mutual necessity: politicians need the raw emotion and authenticity of rock to humanize their speeches, while rock, as a mirror of society, inevitably ends up entering into debates on civil rights and freedom of expression, forcing the occupants of the White House to take a stand against this sonic tumult that defines the soul of the United States.