Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Songs Made Famous by Commercials

Television commercials are a great way to get one’s product in front of the eyes of the masses. They are also a great way for a band or artist to get heard. A commercial with the right soundtrack can launch an artist into the mainstream overnight or reintroduce an artist to a new audience.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at songs that have gotten a boost from their appearances in television commercials. From new artists whose TV spots earned them a place on the charts to old songs that have now become synonymous with a particular company, here are six songs from commercials that became extremely popular.


1.       Feist, “1 2 3 4”: With their series of silhouettes dancing in front of brightly colored backgrounds with iPods, Apple helped bring a lot of artists to the limelight. One of which was Feist. Her song “1 2 3 4” became a hit in 2007 after the company started using it for their iPod campaign. It was so popular that the song was launched her album into the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and got her nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy that year.

2.       Portugal. The Man, “Feel It Still”: If you haven’t heard “Feel It Still” at this point, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Arguably one of the best songs of the year thus far, it’s been getting a boost from Vitamin Water over the last few months with a prominent placement in their current commercial starring Aaron Paul. It is now their first song to place in the Hot 100 chart and is currently number one on the alternative charts and the radio charts.

3.       The Ting Tings, “Shut Up and Let Me Go”: Like Feist, The Ting Tings also benefited from being featured in an iPod commercial. Before the advert, the band’s second single, “Shut Up and Let Me Go,” wasn’t even released in the United States. After the commercial’s release, the song was quickly made available in the US, where it promptly charted in the Hot 100, the first time one of their singles has done so.

4.       Dirty Vegas, “Days Go By”: While “Days Go By” was a minor hit among the club scene upon its initial release, it wasn’t until the remixed version was picked up by Mitsubishi and used in a commercial for their Eclipse that it really took off. The ads turned into radio airplay and more Mitsubishi ads, which meant more exposure. It became really hard to think about the song without thinking about purchasing cars.

5.       Iggy Pop, “Lust For Life”: Obviously “Lust For Life” was written way before it was ever considered for commercials. But following the renewed boost it got from its usage in the film ‘Trainspotting,’ the song became fair game again. In 2001, Royal Caribbean started using a cleaned-up version of it in commercials for their cruises. With the lack of drug and sexual references, the song became synonymous with luxury and having fun, and made Iggy Pop relevant to a whole new generation.

6.       X Ambassadors, “Renegades”: When “Renegades” was first introduced in commercials for Jeep’s Renegade SUV, no one knew who X Ambassadors was. But the song’s catchiness caught the ears of viewers who started Shazaming the song. The song caught on, reaching the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and becoming one of the hottest songs of 2015.


Television commercials are a great tool for artists to get their music heard by a wider audience. These songs have proven that, as their commercials have boosted their artists’ listenership and positioned them for chart success.

---

Find music from these artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop. We have thousands of titles to choose from spanning a wide array of genres. Browse our growing selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or shop online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

No comments:

Post a Comment