March 2005 No Songs Left to Sell Rock & Pop Classics Take Over Television By S. Appel

Using pop music in television commercials is nothing new. But lately, just turning on the old boob tube can make you feel like you're traveling back to a time when FM radio really mattered. It's almost as if one commercial after another is using a beloved song from the Top 40 Charts of the past. Several years ago, we did a similar piece on music and ads and although some things have stayed the same (car commercials and 70's rock still seem to go hand-in-hand), there were a couple new trends that we noticed while taking note of what ditties are being used today. RETRO DANCE TRACKS- Besides the hilarious Nextel commercial using "Push It" by Salt-n-Pepa, there was also the Real McCoy with "Run Away" for Lexus, and "U Can't Touch This" for Purrell. And the cash-flow is way up for Snap, whose "The Power" is being used by not one, not two, but THREE advertisers. 60's HIP SHAKIN' POP- Hewlett Packard took a not-too-well-known Kinks song ("Picture Book") and paired it with some subtle yet amazing trick photography thus creating possibly the best ad campaign of the year. Chevy has been using "Over Under Sideways Down" from the Yardbirds and Land Rover's use of the Sonics' "Have Love, Will Travel" almost makes me want to go out a buy a Land Rover (or at least have the money to do so should I need an SUV). So here's a rundown of the current line-up of jukebox hits and what commercials you can hear them in. And please note: I in no way, shape, or form will ever accuse a band of being a "sell-out" for renting a song of theirs out for commercial use. In fact, I support it as many of these acts did not make money in their heyday and that most of them all well overdue for some hard-earned cash. Hooray for commerce!
"Just What I Needed" - The Cars (Circuit City) "Lust For Life"- Iggy Pop (Carnival Cruiselines) "U Can't Touch This"- MC Hammer (Purrell) "Picture Book"- The Kinks (Hewlett Packard) "Weight"- The Band (Cingular) "Let My Love Open the Door"- Pete Townshend (JC Penneys) "It's Over"- Roy Orbison (Blockbuster) "Have Love, Will Travel"- The Sonics (Land Rover) "Run Away"- Real McCoy (Lexus) "Should I Stay or Should I Go"- The Clash (Pontiac) "I Want to Break Free"- Queen (Coke) "Rock 'N' Roll"- Led Zeppelin (Cadillac) "Got To Be Real"- Cheryl Lynn (Clairol) "Rock 'n Me"- Steve Miller Band (Wrangler) "What's new Pussycat"- Tom Jones (Special K) "I Feel Good"- James Brown (Ameriquest) "Dream On"- Aerosmith (Buick) "Comon' Get Happy"- The Partridge Family (PA Lottery) "Rescue Me"- Aretha Franklin (Pledge) "Magic Carpet Ride"- Steppenwolf (Chevy) "Too Hot Ta Trot"- The Commodores (Special K) "All Right Now"- Free (Tweeter) "Give it to Me, Baby"- Rick James (Papa John's) "I Can See For Miles"- The Who (Silverstar) "Happy Together"- The Turtles (Clinique) "I Melt With You"- Modern English (Ritz) "Dream Weaver"- Gary Wright (Macy*s) "Push It"- Salt-n-Pepa (Nextel) "She's a Lady"- Tom Jones (Commerce Bank) "Complicated"- The Rolling Stones (Lexmark) "Love Hurts"- Nazareth (Norelco) "Rebel Yell"- Billy Idol (Blockbuster) "I've Got the Power"- Snap (Hotels.com, Pampers, Ford) "You Sexy Thing"- Hot Chocolate (Applebees) "Over Under Sideways Down"- The Yardbirds (Chevy) "Let's Get it On"- Nazareth (Chevy Mailibu)

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