Here’s the Music Candidates are Rocking Out to on the Trail

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I was supposed to be writing a wrap-up piece about the South Carolina Republican primary this afternoon, but an attack of writers’ block led me to more inspiring territory: the compilation of the (mostly) complete music playlists of every candidate I’ve seen speak over the last two weeks, in New Hampshire and now South Carolina. Shazam: It’s every political reporter’s best friend.

This list is incomplete, and can change a lot depending on the candidate’s audience or the whims of the artist (heaven forbid Rachel Platten decides to endorse Bernie Sanders). I don’t ascribe any deeper meaning to these musical selections either, although suffice it to say there is a pretty big difference between Sanders and Hillary Clinton, and for that matter, between Donald Trump and everyone else.

See for yourself.

Hillary Clinton:

  • Jill Scott, “Run, Run, Run”
  • Mary J. Blige, “Real Love”
  • Katy Perry, “Roar”
  • Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger”
  • American Authors, “Best Day of My Life”
  • Bon Jovi, “We Weren’t Born to Follow”
  • Pharrell, “Happy”
  • Rachel Platten, “Fight Song”

Bernie Sanders:

  • Simon and Garfunkel, “America”
  • Janelle Monae, “Tightrope”
  • Pearl Jam, “Lightning Bolt”
  • Bob Marley, “Revolution”
  • Disco Infernor, “The trammps”
  • Muse, “Uprising”
  • John Lennon, “Power to the People!”
  • Tracy Chapman, “Talkin’ bout a Revolution”
  • Steve Earle, “The Revolution Starts Now”
  • Neil Young, “Rockin’ the Free World”

John Kasich:

  • Florida Georgia Line, “Round Here”
  • Zak Brown Band, “Jump Right In”
  • Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel”
  • Jake Owen, “Anywhere With You”
  • Diekes Bentley, “Free & Easy”
  • Rodney Atkins, “It’s America”
  • John Fogerty, “Centerfield”
  • Eric Paslay, “Friday Night”

Marco Rubio:

  • Kid Rock, “Born Free”
  • Montgomery Gentry, “This is My Town”
  • Darius Rucker, “Homegrown Honey”
  • MercyMe, “Greater”
  • Eric Church, “Springsteen”

Donald Trump:

  • Elton John, “Tiny Dancer”
  • The Beatles, “Hey Jude”
  • The Beatles, “Revolution”
  • Rolling Stones, “Can’t Always Get What You Want”
  • Rolling Stone, “Sympathy for the Devil”
  • Rolling Stone, “Brown sugar”
  • Adele, “Rolling in the deep”*
  • Twisted Sister, “We’re not Gonna Take It”
  • Danude, “Sandstorm”

Jeb Bush:

  • Of Monsters and Men, “Dirty Paws”
  • Blake Shelton, “Hillbilly Bone”
  • Billy Currington, “That’s How Country Boys Roll”

Ted Cruz:

*Pulled at request of the artist.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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