R.E.M. Lose Their Religion Over Fox News Song Use

Iconic band R.E.M has taken aim at Fox News for using their famous track Losing My Religion during their coverage of the Democratic National Convention last week.

In a short but concise statement on the band's website, former frontman Michael Stipe (R.E.M officially disbanded last year after thirty one years together) said, “We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage. Our music does not belong there.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, R.E.M has requested that Fox News discontinue any use of the song in the future. A spokesman for Fox News has claimed that the network did have legal rights to use the track in their Fox & Friends program which is aired on Thursday 6 September. This conflicts with Stipe and the band's allegation that it was used during the DNC broadcast the previous day.

“FOX News Channel's use of an R.E.M. song during Thursday's edition of Fox & Friends was in full accordance with its license agreements with all appropriate parties. Nevertheless, we're always flattered to have this much attention for a song selection and we hope R.E.M. was able to satisfy their publicity fix,” said the Fox News spokesman via email.

No further comment has been made by R.E.M or their camp.

It is not the first time music has been the hot topic of debate during the recent US Presidential Election campaigns. In August , Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his Vice President hopeful  Paul Ryan were blasted by Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider for using their hit We're Not Gonna Take It at a rally in Pennsylvania.

According to an article on Billboard, Snider made these comments through his manager:

"I emphatically denounce Paul Ryan's use of my band Twisted Sister's song, We're Not Gonna Take It, in any capacity. There is almost nothing he stands for that I agree with except the use of the [workout program] P90X."