The Commercialization of Music Makes it Worse..

So, this morning, after a night out on the town in Madison, I am listening to Pandora.. and the Rolling Stones come on. Rolling Stones! Classic..the song is “I’m Free”. The thing is, all it does is remind me of those stupid credit card commercials that use the song. (ok the nitpickers will say it was The Soup Dragons, but their version wasn’t popular).. Anyway’s, the point is, that the commercialization of music just makes it worse. I didn’t feel like listening to the song.

It is so prevalent in TV/Media today, companies take popular songs, use them as they are (maybe remixed or covered) or they take them and change key lyrics to match up with their brand identity. I hate it!

One of the biggest things is, you will hear TONS of Beatles songs in commercials. But NEVER by the Beatles. Just bands covering them or whatever. The thing is, 95% of people listening don’t even know it is the Beatles. They hear the commercial and think its a unique new song. Just because Macy’s took a good Beatles song and had some no name hip hop artist or rock artist play it, does not make it new.

I think I would be more OK with it if people actually knew the original songs that were used or at least knew that the songs on the commercials are just taken from old songs, but still to me it doesn’t make the songs better.

It is even funnier when the song in question has a totally different meaning than what they use it for. A few I think I can think of of the top of my head..

Ford – they used a song by Morningwood called “The Nth Degree”. They cut out the part where the band sings (spelling out) “M-O-R-N-I-N-G-W-O-O-D”

Macy’s (or some other shopping company) – They used a song by Fats Domino called “Whole Lotta Lovin” – basically once you get into the song it turns out to be about kissing, and then a little “bomp bomp” (he usually does it with his foot) in the song, you can figure out what that is…

Westminster Dog Show/Apple, others – They use The Caesars – Jerk It Out. oook…even if the song isn’t about that, you can kind of figure out what it might be taken as.. * note, this is the 3rd time I have blogged about this song – First Time, Second Time

I am sure I could go on here, but you get the idea.