Green Day, Pearl Jam And More Demand That Politicians Secure Consent Before Using Music At U.S. Rallies

Green Day and Pearl Jam have joined The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Courtney Love in calling on American political parties to seek consent from artists before playing their music without permission at campaign events.

An open letter to all parties from the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) states that consent "is the only way to effectively protect your candidates from legal risk, unnecessary public controversy and the moral quagmire that comes from falsely claiming or implying an artist’s support or distorting an artists’ expression in such a high stakes public way."

The letter says that while this is not a new problem, "being dragged unwillingly into politics in this way can compromise an artist's personal values while disappointing and alienating fans – with great moral and economic cost … music tells powerful stories and drives emotional connection and engagement – that's why campaigns use it, after all – but doing so without permission siphons away that value."

Read this: Green Day: Every album ranked from worst to best

The demands come after a wave of high-profile objections to tracks such as Linkin Park's In The End and High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco being used to pump-up crowds at rallies for Donald Trump in Tulsa and Phoenix.

Linkin Park issued their own cease-and-desist letter to the Trump Administration, stating on their official social media channels that "Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organisation to use any of our music."

Meanwhile, Panic!'s Brendon Urie was more direct in his criticism, tweeting "Dear Trump Campaign, Fuck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song. No thanks, Brendon Urie, Panic! At The Disco & company."

The frontman, who has signed the ARA letter alongside Fall Out Boy, Dave Navarro and the Kurt Cobain estate, also wrote to 'everyone else' saying that, "Donald Trump represents nothing we stand for. The highest hope we have is voting this monster out in November."

The letter asks political parties to respond by August 10 with information on how they intend to make positive changes.

Read this: The 50 best albums from 2000