Commercials For Your Consideration
My brother left me a comment the other day, about how in this day and age; new music is being introduced to us via commercials more than any other medium.
Somehow the counter-culture became okay with hearing the Clash in a car commercial and Iggy Pop in a cruise commercial.
Then there are the group of new artists that are gaining major popularity by subliminally convincing people to buy a product with their catchy jingle, earning them the distinction of becoming the artist with the #1 downloaded song on iTunes for a few weeks. In reality they are just a new version of the 80’s one hit wonders that carried the music of that decade into extinction.
Does this approach really drive business? Does it really help the artist? I’m not really sure yet how I feel about this movement, what I will say is that I think it makes music less sacred.
I’m interested in your thoughts on the matter; please leave me a comment or complaint.
Here is an example of commercialism at it’s finest.
Somehow the counter-culture became okay with hearing the Clash in a car commercial and Iggy Pop in a cruise commercial.
Then there are the group of new artists that are gaining major popularity by subliminally convincing people to buy a product with their catchy jingle, earning them the distinction of becoming the artist with the #1 downloaded song on iTunes for a few weeks. In reality they are just a new version of the 80’s one hit wonders that carried the music of that decade into extinction.
Does this approach really drive business? Does it really help the artist? I’m not really sure yet how I feel about this movement, what I will say is that I think it makes music less sacred.
I’m interested in your thoughts on the matter; please leave me a comment or complaint.
Here is an example of commercialism at it’s finest.
posted by Anti-Hipster at
5:58 PM
5 Comments:
If I hear a song on a commercial that I really like, I'll try to look it up online and see if I can't find it on emusic.
I like the VW Rabbit commercial that had "Birds and the Bees" as the soundtrack. I also liked that Chrysler (?) commercial that had "Genesis" by Justice. And I did find them on emusic and bought them.
As to whether these songs make me want to buy the products? nope. Even if I could get a car right now, I would get neither a VW nor a Chrysler, nor a Jaguar ("Hush").
anyway, this dilemma for artists isn't new. I dealt with it when in book publishing, and it's going to continue for as long as artists are trying to make a living.
You forgot the Of Montreal song that Outback Steakhouse bought, and has made into like 6 different jingles.
"Let's go Outback tonight. . . because everyday is Father's day. . ."
Okay so there are a lot of facets to this. First of all remember when Nirvana appeared on the cover of Rollingstone and Kurt had that t-shirt tht said corporate mags still suck? Well he wasn't so much the man who sold the world as he wa the man who sold out the underground. But that has always been the dichotomy between art and commerce. The counter culure changes society for the better but gets dilutted or cannibalized in the process. Cool movelments like 60's rock beget shit like Michael McDonald and Michael Bolton, cool rock and roll like the New York Dolls and Hanoi Rocks spawned hair metal and the alt scene from the 90's lead to Nu Metal and this radio friendly Emo crap that is so pervasive. It is a cycle that renews itself every 5 to 10 years as the next generation of kiddies realizes that rhyming honey with money and baby with maybe is all in the swagger and rock and roll is just a prayer with affectation.
Anyway here are the pros to commercial jingles being the new pop radio:
1. Iggy Pop and the Romones are finally getting paid - too bad Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee are already gone - RIP fellas
2. Some kids would have never heard the SHins or Nick Drake or Of Montreal etc were it not for the commercials.
THAT'S ALL I CAN THINK OF FOR PROS
CONS:
1. Does Jimmy Page really need more money from Cadillac?
2. Now every time I think of Lust For Life I think of old people playing shuffle board and all you can eat buffets.
3. Half the shit Apple plays in thier spots gets fucking annoying fast.
4. One hits wonders wondering where the hit was.
5. Who needs a scene?
6. Is it me or are commercials of any kind diemetrically opposed to the true sprit of rack and roll. Rock and roll at its best is done by people compelled to express themselves whether they have money or fame or not. Look at all the old blues legends who laid the cornerstone of rock and roll. They played their hearts out because they HAD TOO. Some deep longing drove them to create a body of work that defined who they were as artists. Would they have done it whether they got paid or not? Who knows? I guess we would have never of heard those old cats were it not for some white dude trying to make a buck, but to be sure the white dude with the recorder still had reverence for the artists and their art.
I dunno now I really sound like a bitter old Luddite. Whatever gets you through the nights kiddies.
Kudos John, you hit the nail on the head. Thanks for contributing to the correspondence. A true believer in the heart and soul of Rock and Roll!
Dude - We scored 7th row seats to the Nick Cave-Cat Power-Spiritualized show at the Hollywood Bowl in Steptember. I'm so happy I can cry!
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