UPDATED 8-10-17 | Songwriters That Don’t Want You To Sing Their Songs in the United States of America
The karaoke “No-Fly” list is a real thing. These original Artists do not want you to sing their songs, and US law dictates that you need explicit permission from the artist to produce and sell their song in karaoke format. It’s a shame. It’s as if these Artists have really lost touch with what drew them to music in the first place and who made them who they are…why not let your fans honor with emulation? As they say, that’s the highest form of flattery…
The US and the UK are the only countries in the world with a copyright law that prevents karaoke companies from producing songs without special permission from the songwriter.
Karaoke “No-Fly List”
- PUBLISHER: BMG – Restricted – No Fly List
- Aerosmith
- Nirvana
- Johnny Cash
- Kings of Leon
- Black Eyed Peas
- The Guess Who
- Gerry Rafferty
- Alvin Lee
- Quincy Jones
- Paul Anka
- Cat Stevens
- Carly Simon
- Soundgarden
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Tame Impala
- The Strokes
- Blondie
- Outkast
- Billy Idol
- ZZ Top
- PUBLISHER: Warner – Restricted – No Fly List
- Alain Boublil
- Bee Gees (Barry Gibb)
- Beyonce
- Brandi Carlile
- Chris Isaak
- Damien Rice
- David Byrne
- Eagles (Don Henley / Glen Frey / Randy Meisner/ Bernie Leadon / John Southner/ Don Felder)
- Eric Clapton
- George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin
- George Michael
- Green Day (Billie Joe Armstrong / Frank E Wright III / Michael Pritchord)
- Harry Nilsson
- Huey Lewis
- James Brown
- James Todd Smith (LL Cool J)
- Jay-Z (Shawn Carter)
- John Williams/Lucas Films Catalog
- Katy Perry
- Kid Rock
- Led Zepplin (Jimmy Page / Robert Plant / John Paul Jones / John Bonham)
- Linda Thompson
- Madonna
- Me’Shell Ndegeocello
- MUSE (Matthew Bellamy)
- Paramore (Hayley Williams / Josh Farro)
- Peter Yarrow
- Pharrell Williams
- Pink Floyd (Roger Waters)
- Priscilla Renea
- Radiohead (Thom Yorke / Johnathan Greenwood / Ed O’Brien / Phil Selway / Colin Greenwood)
- Randy Newman
- Rihanna (Robyn Fenty)
- Rod Temperton
- Savage Garden (Daniel Jones / Darren Hayes)
- Serj Tankian
- Stephen Sondheim
- Stephen Stills
- The Swell Season (Glen Hansard / Marketa Irglova)
- The Ramones
- Van Halen (only those compositions with David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar listed as writers)
- Van Morrison
- Wallflowers (Jakob Dylan)
- PUBLISHER: Sony-EMI – Restricted – No Fly List
- Tracy Chapman
- Erasure – Andy Bell and Vince Clarke
- Everything But The Girl – Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt
- Hozier – Andrew Byrne
- Michael Jackson
- Cyndi Lauper
- Jeff Lynne
- Oasis – Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher
- Joe Perry
- Linda Perry
- Sade – Helen Adu
- Shakira – Shakira Mebarak
- Ed Sheeran
- Rod Stewart
- James Taylor
- MIJAC Music-affiliated writers
- PUBLISHER: Universal – Restricted – No Fly List
- Justin Timberlake
- Christina Aguilera
- Linkin Park: Mike Shinoda, Chester Bennington, Robert Bourdon, Brad Delson, Joseph Hahn
- 30 Second to Mars: Jared Leto
- Natalie Imbruglia
- Bee Gees: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb
- Rammstein: Richard Krupse, Paul Landers, Till Lindemann, Christian Lorenz, Oliver Riedel, Christoph Schnieder
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Paul Simon
- The Cars: Rick Ocasek
- U2
- ABBA: Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
- Dire Straits: Mark Knopfler
- Van Morrison
- John Williams
- Adele: Adele Adkins
- Mumford And Sons: Marcus Mumford, Edward Dwane, Benjamin Lovett, Winston Marshall
- Coldplay: Guy Berryman, Jonathan Buckland, William Champion, Christopher Martin
- Iron Maiden: Stephen Harris, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, Bruce Dickinson
- Eurythmics: David Stewart, Annie Lennox
- The Killers: Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, Ronnie Vannucci
- The Clash: Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Topper Headon, Paul Simonon
- The Foals: Yannis Philippakis, Jack Bevan, James Smith, Edward Congreave, Walter Gervers
- Elvis Costello
- Paul Weller
- Randy Newman
You could buy their songs from England, Europe, Canada… but you can’t sing them here.*
* US Copyright Law prevents American karaoke companies from producing songs without special permission from the songwriter – but karaoke companies anywhere else in the world don’t need that special permission.
