Why These Musicians Refused to Sell Their Songs to Advertisers

A band famous for ambiguity still knew when to be direct. R.E.M. spent years allowing some careful uses of its catalog while objecting strongly when songs appeared in places the members felt violated the spirit of the work. When Fox News used “Losing My Religion” during coverage of the Democratic National Convention, the band demanded that the unauthorized use stop, and Michael Stipe made clear that their music did not belong there. The group also objected to campaign use of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).”