Charts & Graphs

Play It Again, Uncle Sam

Campaign songs used by Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, 1986–2008.

2008 John McCain Jackson Browne*, “Running on Empty”; John Mellencamp, “Our Country”
Barack Obama Stevie Wonder, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”; Aretha Franklin, “Think”
2004 George W. Bush Brooks & Dunn, “Only in America”; Pat Green, “Wave on Wave”
John Kerry Bruce Springsteen, “No Surrender”
2000 George W. Bush Tom Petty*, “I Won’t Back Down”; Billy Ray Cyrus, “We the People”
Al Gore Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet”; The Call, “Let the Day Begin”
1998 Bob Dole Isaac Hayes*, “Soul Man”
Bill Clinton Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “Takin’ Care of Business”
1994 George H.W. Bush No official selection
Bill Clinton Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t Stop”
1990 George H.W. Bush Woody Guthrie, “This Land Is Your Land”; Bobby McFerrin*, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
Michael Dukakis Neil Diamond, “America”
1986 Ronald Reagan Lee Greenwood, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
Walter Mondale Bill Conti, “Gonna Fly Now,” aka the Rocky theme song

* Songwriter requested candidate cease using the song

For more presidential campaign music, see “Hot Tracks for Campaign Trails.”