John McCain had quite a few scrapes with famous musicians during his presidential run in 2008. First, he was sued by rocker Jackson Browne for using his 1977 song "Running on Empty" without permission. The politician apologized to Browne and settled the case for an undisclosed amount. When McCain started playing the Foo Fighters' "My Hero," at rallies, the band's frontman, Dave Grohl, spoke out against it. He issued a statement, saying, "It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property," adding, "The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential."
McCain also angered the members of Van Halen after using their song "Right Now" at a rally without permission, and was chastised by John Mellencamp for playing his song "Pink Houses" on the campaign trail. He was banned from using Orleans's hit "Still the One," and the Swedish pop group Abba did not appreciate the presidential hopeful using "Take a Chance on Me" at his events, either; they sent his campaign a cease-and-desist letter.
