Musical tastes of politicians decoded, from Kamala Harris to Anthony Albanese

Whether part of a curated brand image or a genuine insight into their personalities, there's a lot to tell from what they're listening to

US Vice President Kamala Harris shows records she bought at Home Rule Record store in Washington, DC. EPA

Since Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic candidate for the US presidency, a meme that began circulating on the internet has gained as much ground as any of her political appearances.

The meme, a photograph taken of Harris last year, shows the US vice president holding up the vinyl records she bought from Home Rule, a music store in Washington DC.

Over the past few weeks, the image has resurfaced with meme generators letting people replace Harris’s record choices with their own. The meme’s popularity signifies how fascinated the are public by what politicians listen to.

Perhaps it is because music makes them relatable on some level. Perhaps it gives the public insight into who they really are as people. In some cases, music comes as part of a meticulously curated brand image; in others, it seems more genuine.

Here, we take a look at the musical tastes of seven current and past world leaders.

Kamala Harris

In the original photograph which began propagating as a meme, Harris is seen holding up a vinyl record of Let My Children Hear Music, the seminal 1972 album by Charles Mingus. During that same shopping spree, she picked up copies of Roy Ayers’s 1976 album Everybody Loves the Sunshine; as well as the legendary 1959 collaboration between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Porgy & Bess.

Harris’s choices would make most jazz aficionados proud.

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese often embeds lyrics in his public speeches, so much so that Australian Prime Minister has affectionately earned the nickname DJ Albo.

Albanese’s taste is pitted squarely in the punk and post-punk genre. He has often referenced the Ramones, The Clash and Billy Bragg as being staples on his playlist. In a 2022 interview with ABC Melbourne, he fondly recounted attending a 1970s concert by AC/DC in Sydney when he was young.

In that same interview, he said he was a big fan of Bruce Springsteen, repeating his 1975 Born to Run as he backpacked across Europe and Africa. The Prime Minister also mentioned acts that were closer to his home, including Australian rock bands The Triffids and The Fauves as some of his favourites.

Vaclav Havel

Few politicians were as famously rock-and-roll as Vaclav Havel, the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic.

Havel was a playwright, poet and political dissident before he became Czechoslovakia’s president in 1989, so perhaps it comes to no surprise that the rebellious nature of rock influenced him. Havel was a staunch fan of Frank Zappa and even asked the experimental rocker to be a consultant for his government’s cultural, trade and tourism wing. In fact, Zappa’s last concert was in Prague.

Havel's choice of music sharply reflects many of the principles that the politician himself had become famous for, and his decision to bring Zappa in as a consultant perhaps raises a good point about how artists can potentially become part of a political sphere, at least when it comes to cultural decisions.

Jacinda Ardern

Besides being the former prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern is also a reputable DJ.

Not many may have had the chance to see the former politician spin the decks, but there is a playlist on Spotify that provides key insights into Ardern’s eclectic musical taste.

The playlist, published in 2017 by New Zealand’s The Spinoff, includes tracks that range from hits by the Spice Girls and TLC to tunes from The Beatles, Iggy Pop and Sid Vicious.

Barack Obama

Perhaps no politician has shared his music as much as Barack Obama.

The former US president still makes a point of releasing regular recommendations. Like Ardern, Obama’s music is diverse and he often has his finger on the pop culture pulse.

His playlists have included tracks by Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, as well as Burna Boy, Shakira and Rick James.

But a question has often come up whether Obama’s music is a carefully curated brand image, or whether he really listens to what he preaches. The question was explicitly asked by Hasan Minaj in a 2023 YouTube interview.

“Be honest with me,” the comedian asked. “When you do your end-of-the-year lists, do you really read all those books, watch all those shows, and listen to all those songs?”

Obama was adamant that he, in fact, listens to everything he shares. “People, they believe the books and the movies, but the playlists, they somehow think – and this is mostly coming from young people like you – somehow you all think you invented rock ‘n’ roll, you invented hip-hop,” he said. “So the fact that my lists are pretty incredible, people seem to think, ‘Wow, he must have had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out you know, this latest cut.’ No, man – it’s on my iPad right now.”

Lawrence Wong

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is a proud guitarist, often expressing his love for the instrument online. He has posted several performances on his social media, including his own rendition of the Hokkien classic song I Ask Heaven.

However, perhaps his most famous musical project is his cover of the Taylor Swift hit Love Story.

In April, commemorating international guitar month, Wong posted a video on Instagram delving into his musical journey. He has been playing the guitar for more than 40 years, he said, ever since his father bought him one for his birthday. He said he has a particular fondness for guitar brands from Singapore, such as Maestro.

Wong's appreciation for the guitar comes across as sincere and is ever more inspiring considering some of his posts seem like they could have been published by an everyday guitar YouTuber.

John Mahama

In 2016, the then Ghanaian President John Mahama addressed the UN General Assembly by quoting Michael Jackson. “Michael Jackson sang, 'heal the world. make the world a better place for you and for me … and the entire human race',” Mahama told the assembly, before adding: “What happened to that enthusiasm?”

During that same event, Mahama proudly stated that he was born in 1958, the same year as Jackson, who he said was “one of the greatest artistes that ever lived”.

Besides his apparent love for the King of Pop, Mahama has also been reported to be a fan of Afrobeat, particularly the works of one of the genre’s front-runners Fela Kuti, who he has said provided the public an avenue to express criticism against corruption.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

While Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an ardent fan of Ukrainian music, he has also spoken of his love for classic rock acts, including AC/DC.

In a 2023 interview with CNN, he revealed that he likes listening to the Australian rock band in the morning to boost his energy. Eric Clapton and Guns N’ Roses are also some of his favourites, he added. “Maybe it’s too old music,” he said. “[But] I love it.”