7 Songs That Soundtracked Donald Trump’s Big Loss
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump was denied a second term in office in a landmark victory for Democratic challenger Joe Biden. And with Biden winning the most votes of any candidate in U.S. history, citizens across the nation celebrated the news of Trump’s loss by taking to the streets, dancing, and celebrating the end of a tumultuous four years.
Some popular picks for songs to usher out the end of the Trump era included: protest anthems against the commander-in-chief, classic party jams, and even a few tunes one would expect to hear at a sports game. Here are the seven that trended the highest.
YG, “FDT”
This almost goes without saying, but if you walked through the streets of New York, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles on Saturday, you very likely heard YG’s “FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)” blasting from someone’s boombox or out a car window. A rallying cry for many since Trump’s first year in office, the protest anthem earned more than 2 million streams on Saturday, a 490% lift compared to Friday, according to Alpha Data. Other popular anti-Trump rap songs that trended over the weekend included Tamu’s “Fuck Donald Trump” and Dropz’s “F**k Donald Trump.”
Steam, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”
Viral videos showed crowds gathering outside the White House on Saturday to taunt the president with this classic sports anthem, but it wasn’t just them singing along to Steam’s 1969 hit: “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” saw a 400% increase in streaming on Saturday. Queen’s “We Are the Champions” also received a streaming boost, with an 84% increase.
Ray Charles, “America the Beautiful”
For a more patriotic choice, Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” was a popular pick, seeing a 350% increase in streams on Saturday. (On a more biting note, Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack” saw an uptick of about 35% as well.)
Kool & the Gang, “Celebration”
And then there were the classic party jams — the songs you expect to hear at every wedding or bar mitzvah but were perfectly suitable for celebrating the end of a fascist regime as well. While Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” was king among them, earning a grand total of nearly 600,000 streams over the weekend, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Streets” and Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” also received boosts.
Elton John, “Philadelphia Freedom”
This track from John’s 1975 album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy got some love this weekend due to Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in the election, helping to secure the full 270 electoral points needed for Biden to win the presidency. I’m sure many costumed Grittys had fun dancing to this classic ode to the Philadelphia sound.
Young Jeezy, “My President”
Young Jeezy and Nas recorded this Recession single over a decade ago, on the day that Barack Obama was chosen as the Democratic nominee for president. “My president is black, my Lambo is blue” may not exactly apply to Joe Biden, but the 2020 blue victory undoubtedly inspired this song’s 157% increase in streams.
Beyoncé, “Freedom”
On a similar note, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s Lemonade track “Freedom” earned a boost in numbers, with about a 117% increase. Black voters played a pivotal role in clinching the election for Biden, and Beyoncé’s contemporary anthem for Black power — as well as classic tracks like Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up” — felt like an appropriate soundtrack for the moment.
