Political campaign songs go back hundreds of years, but in the age of TV and archival recordings are more important now than ever. It's not a simple task to select the perfect song to go along with serious speeches and advertising, and many politicians end up with songs that make you scratch your head. A list from Mental Floss doesn't separate the best from the worst (which may be a matter of opinion), but does give the stories behind some of the more memorable choices.
1. Saddam Hussein: "I Will Always Love You"
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s selection of Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love You" for his sham campaign in 2002 is perhaps the most wonderful, if nonsensical, choice of a campaign song in political history. Syrian pop star Mayyada Bselees’ Arabic cover of the soaring love ballad (written and originally performed by Dolly Parton) was broadcast on dawn-to-dusk radio spots from Baghdad to Basra endorsing the mustachioed autocrat—just before the U.S.-led bombing campaign began in 2003.
Another thing you should know before you tackle the list is that no songs from the 2020 presidential race are included, even though one candidate has been holding campaign rallies for two years now. The stories that are included range from pretty good to "what were they thinking?"