Both Springsteen and Blige have campaigned for the Biden-Harris ticket, with Springsteen narrating a campaign ad about Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

American presidents have used music at campaign rallies for decades to communicate messages and energise crowds, but not without peril if the musicians did not agree with their political stance.

Ronald Reagan famously ran into trouble in 1984 with his plans to use Springsteen’s Born in the USA as part of his re-election run. The song is a stark repudiation of how Vietnam veterans were treated after the Vietnam war, but politicians have continued to try to deploy it as a rousing American anthem.

Springsteen, an advocate for liberal causes, objected at the time and has repeatedly challenged its usage by politicians, including by the Trump campaign.

“We used to have a president who calmed and soothed the nation, instead of dividing it,” he said, quoting the poem.

“We are rudderless and joyless.”

In addition to Springsteen, a litany of artists objected to the Trump campaign’s use of their music, including Neil Young, Queen’s Brian May and the estate of the late Tom Petty.

But, the Trump campaign is not alone. Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all had artists request their campaigns no longer use their music at rallies.

As fireworks lit the night sky and supporters beeped the horns of their cars at the socially distanced gathering, Biden’s victory rally also played Petty’s I Won’t Back Down, Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars and Hall and Oates’ You Make My Dreams.

It ended with Tina Turner’s The Best.