Turn On Your Television And Let Me Hear The Song…
I have been ragging the Beatles relentlessly for whoring their music to advertising when they don’t need to. If they needed the bread it would be a smart move but these cats are billionaires. It is just greed. A hit song is a ticket to lifetime of free of financial worry if handled right. It is the popsinger’s 401K plan. Nobody blames the musicians if they are not hypocritical about it. Here are some corporations and their sales reps:
Microsoft – Madonna – Ray of Ligh
Microsoft – The Rolling Stones – Start Me Upt
Mitsubishi – Barenaked Ladie – One Week
Jaguar – Sting – Desert Rose
Volkswagon – Styx – Mr. Roboto
Levis – Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
Maxwell House – Madness – Our House
Dr. Peppers – The Vapors – Turning Japanese
Kohl’s – – Big Country – In A Big Country
Levi’s – Soft Cell – Tainted Love
AT&R – Oasis – All Around The World
Kentucky Friend Chicken – Lynrd Skynrd – Sweet Home Alabama
Here’s another fifty from Apple Corp…
. The Resource featuring Jimmy Napes, “Gimme That” (iPod nano)
2. Bent Fabric, “Jukebox ” (Cingular/AT&T Wireless)
3. The Faders, “No Sleep Tonight” (Motorola ROKR)
4. DJ Kane, “Brinca” (Motorola Rokr)
5. Johnny Cash, “I’ve Been Everywhere” (Choice Hotels)
6. The 5.6.7.8’s, “Woo Hoo” (Vonage)
7. Faith No More, “Easy” (Levi’s)
8. The Ramones, “Blitzkreig Bop” (Diet Pepsi)
9. Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Sixteen Tons” (GE)
10. The Wynona Riders, “Kids In America” (Kmart)
11. Bill Withers, “Use Me” (GMC)
12. Blue Öyster Cult, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (Bones)
13. Kansas, “Dust in the Wind” (Subaru)
14. Better Than Ezra, “Juicy” (Desperate Housewives)
15. The O’Jays, “Love Train” (Coors Light)
16. Nonpoint, “In the Air Tonight” (E*Ring)
17. Louis Armstrong, “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” (Visa)
18. Five for Fighting, “100 Years” (JP Morgan Chase)
19. Train, “Get to Me” (Cingular/AT&T Wireless)
20. Hilary Duff, “Wake Up” (Kohl’s)
21. The Cars, “Just What I Needed” (Circuit City)
22. Cher, “Song for the Lonely” (Weight Watchers)
23. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (Hallmark)
24. M.I.A. , “Galang” (Honda)
25. Bruce Hornsby, “Gonna Be Some Changes Made” (Lowe’s)
26. Spice Girls, “Wannabe” (Citibank)
27. Electric Light Orchestra, “Do Ya” (Monster)
28. Love Unlimited Orchestra, “Love’s Theme” (“Got milk?”)
29. Scorpions, “Rock You Like a Hurricane” (TGI Fridays)
30. Eurythmics, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” (The Apprentice: Martha Stewart)
31. M.C. Hammer, “U Can’t Touch This” (Purell)
32. Robert Palmer, “Simply Irresistible” (Applebee’s)
33. KC & The Sunshine Band, “Keep It Comin’ Love” (Blockbuster)
34. The Edgar Winter Group, “Free Ride” (Citgo)
35. Squeeze, “Tempted” (Dentyne)
36. Hot Chocolate, “You Sexy Thing” (Dr Pepper)
37. Billy Preston, “Nothing from Nothing” (Fidelity)
38. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Do You Believe in Magic?” (Kohl’s)
39. Vangelis, “Chariots Of Fire” (Nike)
40. Kasabian, “Club Foot” (Pontiac)
41. The Carpenters, “Top of the World” (Aquafina)
42. Iggy Pop, “Lust for Life” (Royal Caribbean)
43. Iron & Wine, “Such Great Heights” (M&M’s)
44. John Sebastian, “Welcome Back—Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter” (Mylanta)
45. Alec Empire, “The Ride” (Acura)
46. The Allman Brothers Band, “Melissa” (Cingular/AT&T Wireless)
47. Goat, “Great Life” (Kia)
48. The Mooney Suzuki, “Alive & Amplified” (Suzuki)
49. The Bellrays, “Revolution Get Down” (Nissan)
50. Orquesta Del Plata, “Montserrat” (Kahlua)
OK, so the fast answer is everybody except two hardcore bands from CD and U2 sell their songs to advertisers.Why complain about the Beatles? This is from a blog called bnet:
“Nike pioneered the commercial use of pop music in 1987 when it featured The Beatles’ original recording of “Revolution” in ads peddling its shoes. Artists had sold their music for advertising in the past, but Nike’s use of a song that some say stood for everything noncommercial brought attention to the trend.
The Beatles original recordings have not been used in commercials in years, although their words and sheet music have been. Most recently, Beatles’ tunes have been tapped for H&R Block (“Tax Man”), Allstate (“When I’m 64”) and Phillips (“Getting Better”).”
According to Wiki Answer here are the most popular songs used in commercials.
“Happy Birthday, Black Betty, Bohemian Rhapsody, Let’s Get it On, Y.M.C.A, Play that Funky Music, At Last, Unchained Melody, One Way or Another, What a Wonderful World, Brown Eyed Girl, Walking on Sunshine, Born to be Wild and Crazy .”
Louise Armstrong is the one that annoys me most. He wasn’t around to approve it and though I have no doubt Armstrong would’ve approved it, his mere presense gives any product he post-humously endorse a class and a uniqueness it doesn’t deserve. Pretty soon they’ll do to Armstrong what the necrophiliacs at rockband did to Lennon in the Abbey Road commercial. They’ll be taking the trumpet out of Satchmo’s hands and planting a diet coke in its place.
