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Top 10 Political Pop Stars

ChuckD

Seeing as it's General Election week here in Blighty we thought we'd take a look at those in the pop fraternity who've dabbled in a bit of politics here and there...

Jarvis Cocker:

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The former Pulp frontman once appeared on the BBC's political debate show Question Time. Singer Will Young and Blur's Alex James have also graced the show.

Bruce Springsteen:

bruce-springsteen

A Democrat to the core, Springsteen made his support for US presidential candidate Barack Obama public by playing concerts for him on the campaign trail.1982's 'Nebraska' album was an overt swipe at Regan's right wing policies but it didn't stop Ronnie using Born in the USA as his election anthem in 1984. Unfortunately, the President misunderstood the song's meaning, assuming it was a patriotic chest beater rather than the scathing comment on the treatment of Vietnam vets that it actually was.

Bono:

bono

The U2 singer has become one of the most vocal of political pop stars, adding his clout to bring attention to world poverty. He gets a lot of stick for it, but whatever his motivations are, he's done more than most of his critics to to cancel the debts of developing countries so good luck to him!

Chris Martin:

chris_martin

Have Coldplay's attempts to take on U2 involved Chris Martin trying to be Bono? Who knows but the singer has adopted fair trade as his flag to wave, scrawling "make Trade Fair" on his hand during Coldplay's stadium-filling shows.

Thom Yorke:

thom_yorke_radiohead

Globalisation and fair trade have been on the Radiohead singer's agenda over the years but his most most vocal campaigning has surrounded the fight against global warming, becoming a spokesman for Friends of the Earth in the process.

Bob Geldof:

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Sir Bob became more famous for his political activity than his music after bringing together music's biggest players in the 1980s for Band Aid and then Live Aid, in support of the Ethiopian famine that was raging at the time. Live 8 – a similar campaign to force the G8 industrialised nations to drop developing world debt – was a similar success in 2005.

Krist Novoselic
:

Krist

Not content to sit at home recounting tales of the good old days of grunge, the Nirvana bass player is now a Democratic State Committeeman for Washington State, advocating proportional representation and electoral reform.

Peter Garrett:

peter_garrett

The Midnight Oil frontman used to sing about environmental issues. Now he's taken it a step further by being environment minister in Australian leader Kevin Rudd's cabinet.

Chuck D:

ChuckD

Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, as he was christened, campaigns for civil rights and improving conditions for African Americans, while also speaking out against use of African "conflict diamonds" among raps bling fraternity.

Sonny Bono:

sonny_and_cher

After achieving huge success with Cher in the 60s, this particular Bono turned to politics after having planning for a restaurant turned down. He was the mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992, and was then elected to the House of Representatives for California. He remained a Republican Congressman until his death in 1998.