To celebrate how powerful advertisement songs can be, we’re going to share some favorites from over the years. What were your most memorable commercial songs in 2020? What new commercial songs do you like? Perhaps you’ll find them here.
All of the brands we’ll mention today have successfully chosen music that creates a story, elevates their message, and implores people to engage emotionally as they watch the corresponding advertisement. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best songs used in commercials.
Classic Songs Used in Commercials
Song: Rocket Man
Artist: Elton John
Commercial: Samsung TVC Ostrich
Written in 1972 by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, ‘Rocket Man’ is a classic hit inspired by a book of short stories called ‘The Illustrated Man.’ This Ray Bradbury collection included a story called ‘The Rocket Man,’ which alluded to the idea that astronauts would be an everyday job in the future.
Song: Catch the Wind
Artist: Donovan
Commercial: GE: ‘Jar’
Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan was dubbed a ‘British Bob Dylan’ by critics of the day. The song, released in 1965, was inspired by a lady called Linda Lawrence, who Donovan would go on to marry in 1970. Although Donovan wrote this song before he met Linda, he claims the lyrics are about a love yet to be found.
Song: Go Your Own Way
Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Commercial: Anoro
‘Go Your Own Way’ was one of four Top 10 singles from ‘Rumours,’ an LP Fleetwood Mac released in 1977, and without a doubt the band’s most famous album. The song chronicles the breakup between band members Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The track has sold millions of copies and has been used in a string of TV commercials, more recently by Anoro.
Modern Pop Songs in Commercials 2020
It’s time to look at some of the best commercial songs in 2020. Below are some of last year’s most memorable advertisement songs:
Song: We’ve Only Just Begun
Artist: Bats for Lashes
Commercial: Lloyds TSB
Bats for Lashes covered this classic Carpenters song, and the track was used in Lloyds TSB’s banking commercial in 2020. The commercial sees the brand’s classic black horse galloping through the countryside alongside this haunting and melancholy cover version. The stripped back arrangements made this song a perfect choice to accompany the advertisement.
Song: Real Love
Artist: Mary J Blige
Commercial: Target Holiday Commercial
In one of the most memorable commercial songs of 2020, R&B singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige provided her single ‘Real Love’ for Target’s Christmas holiday commercial. This track appeared on Blige’s 1992 debut album ‘What’s the 411’ and is considered one of her best songs to date.
Song: Baba O’Riley
Artist: The Who
Commercial: PS5’ Play has no Limits’
Last year’s official launch commercial for the PlayStation 5 features a track called Baba O’Riley recorded by the popular British band ‘The Who.’ The song is about a post-apocalyptic world in which most of the cities have been destroyed. Inhabitants in this ‘new-world’ have been forced back to simple living. The song’s protagonist is a farmer who is worried about the future of his children.
Car Commercial Songs
Imagine a car commercial without music! It just wouldn’t be the same, would it? Car commercials often use music to set the tone and atmosphere for the viewer. A well-placed song can do wonders for an auto manufacturer’s brand and public image.
Artist: Sting
Song: Desert Rose
Commercial: Jaguar
Sting has been a pop icon for over 40 years. He rose to fame as the frontman of his band ‘The Police’ before releasing a string of successful solo albums. This track was sent directly from Sting’s manager to Jaguar’s PR agency Ogilvy and Mather. After listening to the song and watching the footage, the song was signed for two commercials.
Artist: Bob Seger
Song: Like a Rock
Commercial: Chevrolet
In 2004, Chevrolet used Bob Seger’s classic hit ‘Like a Rock’ in one of its TV commercials. The ad made headlines in Autoblog and other popular car news outlets. This particular song was adapted to the Chevrolet brand back in 1991 and became the classic ‘car commercial’ track for years after the original ads retired.
Artist: Eminem
Song: Lose Yourself
Commercial: Chrysler
‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem is at the top of the list for popular car commercial songs. The commercial was released during the 2011 Super Bowl and wowed viewers all over America. The ad itself attracted a huge fan base, and the commercial was so popular, its infamy eclipsed the product that it was meant to promote, the Chrysler 200. Unlike most car commercial songs, Eminem actually made a cameo appearance in the commercial.
Artist: Nick Drake
Song: Pink Moon
Commercial: Volkswagen
One of the most iconic commercial and song pairings ever was Volkswagen’s use of ‘Pink Moon’ by ‘Nick Drake’ in their 1999 Cabrio commercial. This song introduced the world to Nick Drake and led to record sales that topped every previous year for three decades for the late artist.
Drake’s beautiful melancholy voice and perfect fingerpicking were so beloved, the song still conjures up a sense of nostalgia in those that listen to the track today. The commercial was beautiful and romantic, successfully selling a sense of peace and freedom that made viewers want to buy a Volkswagen and set out on their own adventure.
Most Memorable Commercial Songs of All Time
As we’ve looked at the most popular TV commercial songs in 2020, the best classic songs, and the most iconic car commercial songs, it’s time to discover some of the most memorable commercial songs of all time.
Artist: Feist
Song: 1,2,3,4
Commercial: Apple (iPod Nano)
Perhaps the number one Apple commercial of all time was choreographed perfectly with Feist’s pop classic 1,2,3,4. Although Feist was relatively unknown before this advert launched, this song helped her sell thousands of records. It also proved a success amongst Apple fans, with millions of people rushing out to purchase an iPod Nano so that they could head over to iTunes and download 1,2,3,4.
Artist: Madness
Song: Our House
Commercial: Maxwell House
Madness is one of the most iconic British bands from the 1970s and 1980s. They have released a string of catchy pop songs, many of which have appeared in commercials over the years. However, none of these pairings proved quite as iconic as the ‘Maxwell House’ commercial in the U.S.A.
In the advertisement, coffee-themed lyrics replace the original words, which made the commercial radiate energy and saw it go down in commercial history.
Artist: Phil Collins
Song: In the Air Tonight
Commercial: Cadbury’s Chocolate
The drumming score in ‘In the Air Tonight’ is one of the most iconic of all time. Cadbury’s chocolate uses this infamous beat to its full potential in their U.K. ad, which shows a gorilla sitting at a drum kit waiting patiently to play the solo. Although this song had nothing to do with chocolate, it was incredibly popular and led to an increase in streams and sales for this Phil Collins classic.
Artist: Jose Gonzalez
Song: Heartbeats
Commercial: Sony (Bouncing Balls)
This commercial stuck in the memory of millions of people as it showed thousands of bouncing balls rolling down a hill in slow motion. The ad was visually stunning, aesthetically appealing, and introduced millions of us to the beautiful ‘Heartbeats’ by ‘Jose Gonzalez.’ This advert was truly unforgettable and helped Gonzalez skyrocket to fame.
Artist: Charlene Soraia
Song: Wherever You Will Go
Commercial: Twinings
When Soraia’s cover of ‘Wherever You Will Go’ was featured in the 2011 Twinings commercial, the song became so popular that it peaked at No. 2 in the iTunes digital download chart and reached No. 3 in the U.K. singles chart. This cover version also propelled the original song to find a place in the U.K. Top 40 singles chart. This goes to show the immense power of songs used in commercials.
Choose Cloud Cover Music
You can use Cloud Cover Music to stream some of the best commercial songs from 2020 direct to your business. Whether you have one store or multiple franchises across the U.S.A. or Canada, We can help you create dynamic playlists that entertain and convert your customers.
Using our software, you can create a soundtrack for your brand that motivates employees, brings joy to customers, and makes them want to visit your store time and time again.
Try our business music subscription services today. We work with the top PROs and music publishers to obtain the correct type of license for streaming music. Using our services, you can ensure your business creates the soundtrack it needs without breaking any copyright laws.
Sign up for a free 14-Day trial today to discover all of the benefits of Cloud Cover Music.