British Campaign Aims to Make Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ the No. 1 Song for Trump’s UK Visit
In anticipation for Donald Trump’s presidential visit to British prime minister Theresa May in the United Kingdom this week, a social media campaign in the U.K. is aiming to make the popular 2004 song “American Idiot” by Green Day a hit again.
This is compounded by the fact that Trump reportedly requested to block all protests in the U.K. during his upcoming visit. In one alleged phone conversation during 2017, Trump complained to May over the criticism he’d been getting in British newspapers.
In the secure bunker underneath the prime minister’s office, May’s advisers listened in to the call in astonishment at Trump’s demand.
Amid warnings that Trump would face protests in the streets when he arrived, he told the prime minister he would not be coming to the U.K. until she could promise him a warm welcome.
For the past couple of weeks, the social media campaign has sought to make the song “American Idiot” the Number 1 tune in the U.K., in time for Trump’s arrival on Friday.
The campaign asked people to download “American Idiot” between Friday, July 6, and Friday, July 13, to push the 14-year-old single to the top of the Official U.K. Charts.
Its inspired slogan, of course, is: Make American Idiot Great Again.
When it was first released in 2004, “American Idiot” was an overt political rally cry, blasting the George W. Bush era. It’s proving to be relevant for any subsequently vilified political figures as well.
“American Idiot” was also the name of Green Day’s 2004 album, which was adapted to a Tony-award winning stage musical in 2009.
On Saturday, the song “American Idiot” had shot back up to the Top 10 on Britain’s iTunes and Amazon charts. By Monday, Chart Data reported that it re-entered the Top 20 on Britain’s official singles chart midway through the charting week, with just a few days to go until Trump arrives in the U.K.
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