pimp
n.
One who finds customers for a prostitute; a procurer.
intr.v. pimped, pimpˇing, pimps
To serve as a procurer of prostitutes.
American HeritageŽ Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
I went to see Jello Biafra's spoken word performance a couple of years ago. He explained that the lawsuit that was essentially removing his influence from all the Dead Kennedys back catalog, as well has wiping him out financially, stemmed from the fact that he was against selling the rights to Holiday in Cambodia to Levi's jeans for a commercial. This got me paying closer attention to the way that popular music is used in advertising.
This is a list of the songs that I have seen or heard used in TV or radio commercials. I know that there are far more out there, and I will add them as I see them. If you don't find what you are looking for here, there are a number of excellent web sites such as Ad Tunes, Songtitle.info, and What's That Called? which have extensive listings.
A designation of (cover) means that the song uses the original lyrics, but is not performed by the original artist.
A designation of (version) means that the lyrics have been altered to suit the advertisement, and that the resulting mutation is not performed by the original artist.
Updated 10.14.07
The 5,6,7,8's - Whoo-Hoo - Chevrolet, Vonage
AC/DC - Back in Black - Cingular
AC/DC - Rock and Roll aint Noise Pollution - Nike
Aerosmith - Dream On - Buick
Aerosmith - The Grind - Sony
After The Fire - Der Kommissar - Fidelity
Air - Surfing on a Rocket - Nissan
Allman Brothers - Blue Sky - KnowMenopause.com
Allman Brothers - Sweet Melissa - Cingular
The Animals - House of the Rising Sun - Gatorade
Adam Ant - Goody Two-Shoes (cover) - Diet Coke
Archie Bell & the Drells - Tighten Up - Titan Insurance
The Association - Wendy - Talbot's
The B-52's - June Bug - Target
The B-52's - Rock Lobster - K-Mart
Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Taking Care of Business - Office Depot
Bachman Turner Overdrive - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Wrangler jeans
The Band - Put the Load on Me - Cingular wireless
Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night - Planter's Peanuts
The Beach Boys - Fun, Fun, Fun - Carnival Cruiselines
The Beach Boys (cover) - California Girls - Cotton
The Beatles - All You Need is Love - Chase
The Beatles - From Me to You (cover) - Macy's
The Beatles - Hello Goodbye - Chase, Target (cover)
The Beatles - Hippy Hippy Shake (cover) - Slimfast
The Beatles - The Long & Winding Road - OnStar
The Bee Gees - Staying Alive - Diet Pepsi, Gametap.com
Benny Benassi - Satisfaction - Wendy's
Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker - Kohl's
Pat Benatar - We Belong (cover) - Sheraton
Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim - I Feel Pretty (cover) - Nike
Big Country - Big Country (cover) - Kohls
Black Oak Arkansas - Jim Dandy - JD Byrider
Blondie - Call Me - Fidelity IRAs
Michael Bolton - How Am I Supposed To Live Without You - e-Trade
David Bowie - Changes - Fidelity IRAs
The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star - Verizon Wireless
C & C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat - American Express
Cameo - Word Up (cover) - Judge Joe Brown Show
Irene Cara - Fame (version) - Old Navy
The Cars - Just What I needed - Circuit City
The Carpenters - What The World Needs Now Is Love - DHL
Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line (cover) - Levi's Jeans
Johnny Cash - I've Been Everywhere - Choice Hotels
Ray Charles - You are so Beautiful - E-Trade
Cheap Trick - Surrender (cover) - Universal Orlando theme park
The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize - Budweiser
Eric Clapton - Leila - SBC
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight - SBC
The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go - Pontiac
The Concretes - Say Something New - Target
Alice Cooper - School's Out - Staples
The Come Ons - Dollar In My Pocket - Hardees
The Commodores - Brick House - Verizon
Sheryl Crow - Every Day Is a Winding Road - Subaru
The Crystal Method - High Roller - Victoria's Secret
The Cure - Pictures of You - Hewlett-Packard
The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You - Chevrolet
The Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin' - American Express
Otis Day and the Knights - Shout - Aquafina
John Denver - Rocky Mountain High (Cover) - Coors
Devo - Freedom of Choice - Blimpie
Devo - Whip It (version) - Swiffer cleaning wipes
DMX - Ruff Ryders Anthem - Avis
Thomas Dolby - She Blinded me with Science - Myth Busters (TV Series)
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf (Bruce Campbell Cover) - Old Spice
Bob Dylan - Modern Times - iPod
Mama Cass Elliot - Make Your Own Kind Of Music (cover) - Snickers
ELO - Do You Want My Love? - Monster.com
ELO - Living Thing - J.C. Penney
ELO - Hold on Tight - Honda
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9 - Dr. Pepper
EMF - Unbelievable (version) - Kraft cheese
Fabulous Thunderbirds - Tough Enough (version) - Eastgate Chrysler (Indianapolis,IN)
Fleetwood Mack - Rhiannon - Merrill Lynch
Foghat - Slow Ride - Honda
Aretha Franklin - Respect - American Express
Free - All Right Now - Monster.com
Peter Gabriel - Big Time - Lincoln / Mercury
Marvin Gay - Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing (cover) - Just For Men
Gerry & The Pacemakers - I'll Be There - Farm Bureau
George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue - United Airlines
Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Part Two (version) - Starbucks
GoGos - We Got the Beat (version) - Value City
Goldfrapp - Strict Machine - Verizon Chocolate Phone
Grand Funk - Some Kind of Wonderful - Kraft Mayonaise
MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This - Purell hand sanitizer, Lays Potato Chips, Nationwide Insurance
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watch Tower - Turner Classic Movies
Jimi Hendrix - Fire - Verizon / Motorola
Hot Chocolate - I Believe in Miracles - Dr. Pepper
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell - Blockbuster video
INXS - New Sensation - Bally Fitness
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Fidelity Mutual
Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing - Pier One
Rick James - Superfreak - Nike, Old Navy (version)
Tommy James And The Shondelles - Draggin' The Line - Nissan
Robert Johnson - God Done Me Wrong - Ford
Tom Jones - Help Yourself - Diet Dr. Pepper
Tom Jones - What's New Pussycat? - Kellog's Special K Cereal
Journey - Don't Stop Believing - Kinko's
Kansas - Dust in the Wind - Subaru
K.C. and the Sunshine Band - Keep it Coming Love - Blockbuster
K.C. and the Sunshine Band - Shake Your Booty - Crystal Light
K.C. and the Sunshine Band - That's The Way - Papa John's Pizza, The GAP (version)
Gene Kelly - Singing in the Rain - General Electric
Kermit the Frog - It's Not Easy Being Green - Ford
The Kinks - I'm Not Like Everybody Else - IBM
The Kinks - Picture Book - HP
Lenny Kravitz - Are You Going my Way - J.C. Penney
Lady Sovereign - Love Me or Hate Me - Verizon
Cyndi Lauper - True Colors (cover) - Dove Self-Esteem Fund
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll - Cadillac
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire - Applebees
Lipps Inc. - Funky Town (cover) - Areva Energy
Lovin' Spoonful- Do you Believe in Magic - Kohls
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama - KFC
Lyrics Born - Callin' Out - Diet Coke
Madness - Our House (version) - Maxwell House Coffee
Van McCoy - The Hustle - AllState Insurance
Meatloaf - I'd do Anything For Love - Dr. Pepper
John Mellencamp - Our Country - Chevrolet
Sergio Mendes - Never Gonna Let You Go (cover) - Michelin Tires
M.I.A. - Galang - Honda Civic
Mickey & Sylvia - Love is Strange (cover) - Hummer H3
Mika - Love Today - Motorola
Modern English - Melt With You - Ritz Crackers, Taco Bell, GMC (cover)
The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday - 3M
Nazareth - Love Hurts - Norelco
Gary Neuman - Cars - The NFL on ESPN
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (version) - Shoe Carnival
Harry Nilsson - Coconut - Coke
The O'Jays - Love Train - Coors Light
Roy Orbison - It's Over - Blockbuster Video
Robert Palmer - Bad Case Of Loving You (version) - Applebee's
Parliament Funkadelic - Give Up the Funk - Mastercard
Partridge Family - Cmon, Get Happy - Dodge
Johnny Paycheck - Take this Job and Shove it (version) - Applebee's
Iggy Pop - Lust for Life - Royal Caribbean Cruises
The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket - National City Bank
The Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha - Heineken Beer
Queen - I Love my Car - Jaguar
Queen - I Want to Break Free - Coke C2
Queen / David Bowie - Pressure - Zales Jewelry, Propel Sports Water
Queen - We are the Champions - Viagra
Queen - We will Rock You - Napster
Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noise - Careerbuilder.com
Lionel Richie - All Night Long - Mt. Dew MDX
Lionel Richie - Easy Like Sunday Morning - Levi's
Ramones - I Wanna be Sedated (version) - Chuck E. Cheeze
Ramones - Let's Go - AT&T Go Phones, Diet Pepsi
Rare Earth - I Just Want to Celebrate - Gatorade
Rolling Stones - Complicated - Lexmark
Rolling Stones - Down Home Girl - Ford Trucks
Rolling Stones - Time is on my Side - Slimfast
The Ronettes - Be My Little Baby - Cialis, Tide
Salt and Pepa - Push it - Nextel, Chevrolet
Santana - Evil Ways (version) - Cingular
Scorpions - Rock You Like a Hurricane - TGI Friday's
John Sebastian - Welcome Back - Mylanta
Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Were Made for Walking (Jessica Simpson version) - Pizza Hut
Sir Mixalot - Baby Got Back (version) - Target
Sixpence None The Richer (covering the LAs) - There She Goes - Ortho Tri-Cyclen
Snap - I Got the Power - Hotels.com, Pampers
Spandau Ballet - True - Taco Bell
Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl - Nexium
Squeeze - Tempted - Dell
Stealers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You - Oil of Olay, Wendy's (cover)
Gwen Stefani - If I were a Rich Girl - Pepsi
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild - Nissan
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride - Chevrolet, Wendy's
Supertramp - Give a Little Bit (cover) - Chevy
Supreme Beings of Leisure - Under the Gun - Acura
Sweet - Ballroom Blitz - Mitsubishi
Tag Team - Whoomp There it is (version) - Value City
George Thoroughgood - Who do you Love? - Sam Adams beer
Thin Lizzy - The Boys are Back in Town - Capital One, Wrangler jeans
B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head - Advance Auto Parts
Three Dog Night - Shambhala - Citgo
Pete Townsend - Let My Love Open the Door - J.C. Penney
Trammps - Disco Inferno (version) - Dannon Lite yogurt, Tabasco Sauce
The Trashmen - Surfin' Bird - Papa John's Pizza
Marshal Tucker Band - Can't You See - VFW
The Turtles - Happy Together - Coldwell Banker
Twisted Sister - I Wanna Rock - Avis
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It - 7-Up, YAZ (Birth Control Pills) (cover)
U2 - Take Me Out - PSP game system
U2 - Vertigo - iPod
Van Halen - You Really Got Me - Chevy Trucks
Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - Nike
Grover Washington - Just the Two of Us - Chase
Bill Withers - Use Me - GMC trucks
The Who - Baba O'Riley - Hewlett-Packard, Cisco
The Who - I Can See for Miles - Sylvania
The Who - I'm Free - SAAB
The Who - Pinball Wizard - SAAB
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke - Lee Jeans
Ann Wilson and Mike Reno - Almost Paradise - M&Ms
Winger - I Need you now - Subway
Stinky Wizzleteats - Happy Happy Joy Joy - Sara Lee
The Yardbirds - For Your Love - Zales
Young MC - Bust a Move (version) - Old Navy
The Zombies - Time Of The Season - Fidelity, Sprite
ZZ Top - La Grange (version) - Shell Gasoline
ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man (cover) - S & K
Vargr
www.spikevision.org
