Culture: Music: Catalog
Song titles for TV ads!   (+16)  [vote for, against]
So you know the name / artist of those annoying tunes!

There have been so many BAD (and good) songs which have featured on TV ads and then got into the music charts! e.g. That 'spaceman' tune off the Levis ad (example of BAD).

Thing is, there are also numerous songs on ads which don't get into the charts or have already been in the charts. You really like them and perhaps would like to buy or at least seach for the MP3 off the net. Thing is, you don't know the title and/or artist.

A good example is that new O2 ad in the UK with that MOBY tune on it, but I don't know the title of that particular track...anyone know it?

Anyway, my idea is when ads feature a tune in this way, they should put the song and artist at the end of the ad, just at the bottom in small writing like some kind of disclaimer.

This way the public knows what the tune is and the artist gets better exposure. The ad companies may even be able to get the cost of royalties down due to this extra publicity.

Everyone wins!
-- ferret, May 12 2002

Song Exploitation Obliviator http://www.halfbake...tation_20Obliviator
For when you know the tune and don't want it killed </plugging of own ideas> [-alx, May 12 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Advert Music Website http://www.halfbake...t_20Music_20Website
[phoenix, May 13 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

In the meantime, look here http://www.songtitle.info
[mrthingy, May 14 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

for waugsqueke http://www.adforum.com
requires a free signup, but it's worth it. [mihali, May 14 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

some will likely answer any particular query here http://ubb2.mojo4mu...b.cgi?ubb=forum&f=4
[snarfyguy, May 21 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Commercial Breaks and Beats http://www.commerci...eaksandbeats.co.uk/
UK TV advert music database. [JKew, Jul 07 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

service to 'name that tune' for you http://news.bbc.co....t/music/2202830.stm
costs 50 pence a shot, though. [sappho, Aug 19 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Song of The Salesman http://www.songofthesalesman.co.uk/
Music used in TV Ads with links to samples and free MP3s [mikeydred, Oct 04 2004]

What's That Called? http://www.whatsthatcalled.com
A free website of song titles for TV adverts and commercials. Requests for an unknown advert can be made using the Forum. [whatstha, Oct 04 2004]

I remember when that Volkswagen Cabrio commercial came out a while ago featuring the song Pink Moon, many folks including myself discovered Nick Drake... Despite the obvious commercialisation, it sold quite a few of Drake's records. And it was used tastefully, so it wasn't so bad.

The way the music industry is going, I'm sure artists might even end up paying the advertisers....
-- professorfrink, May 13 2002


Adcritic.com (R.I.P.) used to list artists and song titles from television commercials.

It shut down, and has since bought out by Advertising Age. Appears they might crank it up again. You'd think a web site that does nothing but show television commercials would be failsafe.
-- waugsqueke, May 13 2002


Can we extend this to TV programs, which unlike films don't normally list the songs they've used in the end credits?
-- pottedstu, May 13 2002


If you know the artist, part of the title, etc, you can check online music vendors, who usually have 30-60s clips of many songs. Of course, you'd have to sample a lot of said artist's other music, too...
-- nick_n_uit, May 13 2002


After the 'Golf' commercial I had to download Mr. Roboto.
-- RayfordSteele, May 13 2002


Press the "Text" or "Caption" button on your remote. The song title will appear along with lyrics.
-- thumbwax, May 13 2002


Or Teletext Page 888 for UK viewers.
-- [ sctld ], May 13 2002


Sweet -- I think I'll break the caps button off the remote. ¯thumbwax: illest.
-- reensure, May 14 2002


No, The Pig & Bicycle is illest
-- thumbwax, May 14 2002


That rol(l)y-pol(l)y man? That's me.
-- phoenix, May 14 2002


*cough* Right band, wrong song: the O2 ads use Leftfield's "Release The Pressure".
-- JKew, May 16 2002


At least rods got the band right, I thought it was flippin moby!!
-- ferret, May 16 2002


//You'd think a web site that does nothing but show television commercials would be failsafe.//

The problem is that an actors' union decided to demand ridiculous royalties for ads which were played on the Internet. Since the royalties would far exceed the advertising benefit, the adds effectively cannot be played.

This is also why many listen-on-line radio sites do not include the broadcast ads in the webcast (they either have web-only ads or promos or else nothing). Were it not for the insane royalties demanded, it would be in the interests of the radio station and advertiser to include the ads in the webcast. As it is, though, stations have to spend extra expense to ensure those ads aren't webcast.
-- supercat, May 16 2002


Very good idea indeed. I was excited about downloading that one techno song off of the car commercial "Put your Body in Motion", but it took me hours to find it. Now I'm looking for that weird song off that Levi's commercial that goes "Si Senor..." and I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE.
-- Bohemianqueen, May 16 2002


Also, there's a lot of cool ad-agency songs created specifically for ads which are cool... they should make a CD of just them...

I know that "My Money's on the Little Guy" for the new Mini is an original song produced by the agency.

Also catching my ears is that "Just do that Funk" song in the new Harlem Nike ads... it's obviously (and awesomely) Bootsy Collins, but it's also blatantly a Nike song (ie: Just do it = Just do that funk)
-- professorfrink, May 16 2002


by the way, have you seen those Clarinex ads? the music they use is the overture from the Who's "Tommy".
-- wess, May 16 2002


"which I suppose would be ideal for certain hairy coffee ads now"

u mean nescafe? the one with the friggin car with the afro! toss! LOL!!!!!!

does any UK person remember that peugeot ad with the 'true colours' song, damn that REALLllllllllllllllllY pissed me off, i cant even express it properly!!!!
-- ferret, May 18 2002


//by the way, have you seen those Clarinex ads? the music they use is the overture from the Who's "Tommy".//

Was it the overture? I recognized it as definitely being music from //Tommy//, but would have guessed it was just instrumentals from some of their songs including [at the start] "We're not going to take it".
-- supercat, May 18 2002


They do this in Japan.
-- Qinopio, May 19 2002


Japanese always one step ahead of the game!!
-- ferret, May 19 2002


[supercat] i'm almost sure it's from the overture, i had the "tommy" cd out from the library when i'd first saw the ad.

and wasn't "we're not going to take it" by twisted sister"?
-- wess, May 20 2002


Saw the Clarinex ads, was trying to figure out why they used Tommy though. Anyone know why? I've got my own idea about drug-head and catatonia, but I don't think it holds water.
-- barnzenen, May 20 2002


Is it my imagination or did I do something very much like this idea once?
-- RobertKidney, May 20 2002


Yeah, this does seem familiar. I recall posting the link above (see link): A bulletin board on Mojo Magazine's website where people query and respond re identifying songs, from commercials and other sources. It's pretty handy...
-- snarfyguy, May 21 2002


if so, please provide a link robertkidney.........;-)
-- ferret, May 21 2002


link shown for new service run by mobile phone company. There is a small amount of information about how it works - something to do with digitally mapping the tune and matching it to an enormous database. Anyway, the BBC chaps figure it works for the widest range of artists they could think of...
-- sappho, Aug 19 2002


UH HUM , Whats this about
-- brian69, Nov 17 2003



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