It’s funny, but I find a lot of my new music from TV commercials. Unfortunately, it takes some investigating to figure out who wrote what music because the music isn’t always publicized. Some companies, like VW, have a place on their web site dedicated to this type of info. Others, like Mitsubishi don’t mention their commercials at all. Of course, VW has already released a compilation CD of some of their commercial music. So, they might be the exception rather than a norm.
I’ve found some good resources on matching music to commercials, though. Here they are:
- Clipland
- Commercial Breaks and Beats: UK Television Advert Music Database
As a result, I’ve found out that the cool VW commercial they’re showing on the Loews commercial reel has music by ELO called Mr. Blue Sky.
Now, who owns an ELO CD anymore?
There are some cool finds buried in there, and it’s a lot of fun to figure this stuff out.
On another note, I’ve noticed that I find “new” music from the companies focused on younger consumers. Like VW, or the Mitsubishi Montero commercial (which turned me on to telepopmusik). On the other hand, companies like Lexus (which used a Chemical Brothers track on one of their recent commercials) tend to focus on established artists, even if it’s electronica or some alternative style. I realize this is probably a function of their advertising agency and probably by design, anyway, but I just thought it was interesting.
Update: Feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Regular readers are happy to answer, as am I.





December 7th, 2008 at 11:37 AM
where can i get the background music of idbi bank commercial featuring 2 kids n elephants playing football
December 7th, 2008 at 11:31 PM
Does anyone know who sings the song on the Quaker Oats commercial…the only words sung are “Im living proof.” Thanks for your help.
December 8th, 2008 at 9:22 PM
Does anyone know the song from the Direct TV commercial about their new channel The 101 Network? It sounds like it starts off with a violin and has a woman singing. The commercial itself seems to show more firework-like graphics and it has a bunch of pictures on the screen. Either way it’s only about their new channel.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:16 AM
The song from the Directv 101 commerical is called “California Soul – Diplo Remix” by Marlena Shaw. As soon as I heard it, I HAD to find out who sang it…awesome remix!!!
December 11th, 2008 at 9:10 PM
Hey! I happen to have a three volume set of ELO music called “Flashback.” I don’t know why you said “Now, who owns an ELO CD anymore?” because some of us Generation X’ers are really really into seventies music and probably always will be. In fact, when an unknown caller calls up my cell phone it plays “Telephone Line” by ELO. Even my wife had to ask what it was.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:23 PM
There’s an instrumental beat on AMC about Hollywood Icon Robert DeNiro. I’ve tried youtube and the AMC website. Any help, please?
December 19th, 2008 at 8:08 PM
hey at the end of a youtube video for Hawthorne Heights song “ohio is for lovers” which was posted by stuart141 theres a part which sounds like “and i miss having you around and now im watching my life go down the drain” or something like that does anyone know that song?! its been driving me insane
December 20th, 2008 at 3:07 AM
Hi, reading through the posts here I’m really amazed at how the songs all get found! I have a new question for you. AMC’s “Long Live Cool” commercial this fall (2008) had a really cool song in the background. I’ve been searching for it, I thought it might be one of the songs on Quantic’s “5th exotic” album but I don’t think so. AMC’s website says the music is from Quantic, I recognize some of those songs from other AMC commercials but not the one I’m seeking. It’s not Folk Implosion’s Natural One either, which seems to be the song AMC was using in 2007 for “Long Live Cool”. The song I’m looking for has a kind of funky electronic beat with a piano on top of it, I’m not describing it well but it’s really such a great song and I go crazy whenever I see the commercial! Any help, please?
December 21st, 2008 at 8:46 PM
Hey Guys, anyone know who does the song on the new Delta Faucet commercial? It starts out with a piano and has some clapping as well. Thanks in advance.
December 26th, 2008 at 2:10 PM
The song is “California Soul” but i dont believe its the version by Marlena Shaw and Diplo. It sounds more like the Maximillian minus the rapping. The Diplo remix doesn’t have the same base and louder strings.
December 28th, 2008 at 7:06 AM
Delta Faucet might be “I Want it All” by Transplants
December 29th, 2008 at 4:36 AM
Hi! Does anyone know the song which is played in the background during the commercial of “The Diary” on Vh1?
December 30th, 2008 at 10:44 AM
What a fabulous find this site is! Lots of questions answered. Does anyone know what’s being used for the newest Jaguar XK-R ad that shows closeup and faraway shots of the car being driven, and of the people laughing in the car? It sounds like an old song by the Kinks or the Ramones, and it’s something I should know, but can’t seem to mine from this middle-aged brain. The words start out “Last night I got a message from you…” I’ve looked all over, including on the Jaguar site, and can’t find a thing about it.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:44 AM
To Lynn T: Haven’t seen the ad yet. By the description, sounds like you are referring to “Message From Yuz” by Switches.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Thanks, Logan. That’s it! I’d even e-mailed my local Jaguar dealership, since their tag was on the spot, and they didn’t know. You guys are the best!
December 31st, 2008 at 1:55 PM
To Lynn T:You’re welcome. Glad we found it for you. Enjoy.
January 1st, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Does anyone know the song AMC has been playing for its upcoming Rambo marathon?
January 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 AM
oh man, i’m looking for that AMC Rambo song too! nice beat…
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Anyone know the song on the tetley red tea commercial.. it’s a type of african music.. im soo in love with it but i don’t know what it is.. can anyone help???
Thx
- Tiny
January 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 PM
Ohhh and the one from the commercail for heartburn and there is a bunch of delivery guys down the one guys hallway…
January 4th, 2009 at 2:11 PM
anybody know the name of the song for the nissan trucks commerical that plays during foot ball games??…lyrics say..dont forget to breath
January 5th, 2009 at 7:33 AM
To Crys: Regardint the Nissan truck ad; Haven’t seen it in a year or so. In 07 the ad featured the song “Breathe” by Alexi Murdoch.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:54 PM
looking for a song that i think was in a car commercial for Mitsubishi, maybe, but its a guys voice, kinda sounds like sting and the only words i can make out are driving so high, driving so high, don’t nobody know and it almost sounds like hes humming in between those lines. can anybody help?
January 9th, 2009 at 10:57 AM
I absolutely can’t find the song from the clorox commercial where some of the lyrics are “Lying in the evening, nothing’s changed but the seasons” and i really want it! Please help me!
January 10th, 2009 at 11:55 PM
Last month, AMC had a “Hollywood Icon” commercial playing honoring Robert DeNiro. Would someone please tell me the name of the song that was playing through the commercial? It also played during the interludes for Casino and The Untouchables.
January 13th, 2009 at 7:42 PM
Hey, does anyone know the song from the astro zero commercial…it goes la la la la laaaa lalaa…i dont know the lyrics, but i remember the song from somewhere
January 14th, 2009 at 9:51 AM
To Brittni: Regarding the Clorox ad song, I believe it’s available on a special album titled “The Blue Sky Project”. http://www.clorox.com/our_story/media_center/
I believe the album/songs are available from iTunes.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Hi,
There is a Moen faucet ad that played on TV in the fall and into the new year. The sing sounds like a jazzy version of a snake charmer type song. Does anyone know what song this is? Thanks so much.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Wow please help me! The Astro Zero commercial song, it has “la la la la” over and over again. It’s a relatively new commercial; it’s such a calming song, please help me find it!! I love it so much!
January 14th, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Yeah, the astro zero commercial song, i really want to know that as well..
January 19th, 2009 at 12:23 PM
# 2178 & 2188
Dear PK,
Thank you thank you, thank you. That’s it. I had been told it was Endless Noise before, but on you can’t tell from their sample music.
Everybody, don’t give up, because someone out there knows
pjjns
January 19th, 2009 at 12:42 PM
ME TOOO, what is that ASTRO COMMERCIAL song . la la la la la la laaaaa 2x OUUUUUUUU OUUUUUUU. Its crazy !! love it. what is the name of that. CAN SOMEBODY TELL US !!!????????????
January 20th, 2009 at 9:49 PM
Does anyone know the new Denytene gum commercail song? It has a couple on a beach.. and its a guys and girls voice.. he says like shooo sa shooo sa swaaa and then she says it and then there is alittle singing… can someone help me!
Thanks,
Ash
January 20th, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Does anyone know who plays the music to the smmoth jazz dealta faucet commercial entitled the snake charmer? http://www.deltafaucet.com/videogallery/index.html (go here and its down on the right
January 21st, 2009 at 5:07 AM
does anyone know the song to amc “this is the future of classic” commercial?
where it says this is….love
this is …… hate and so on
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:34 AM
Does anyone know the name of the older song that has the phrase “ring-ring telephone ring” in it? I believe it was from the early 70’s.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:50 PM
To Post #2283: The Dentyne song is Summer Day by Coconut Records. http://www.strangerdance.com/commercial-madness-dentyne-and-coconut-records/
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Omg, this is an amazing blog.
A lot of commercial music blogs are rarely updated, but there are even posts from today?!
I’ll be frequenting this now! <3
January 22nd, 2009 at 4:27 PM
To Brad: Is it “Rings” by Lobo?
January 24th, 2009 at 1:21 AM
What is the name of the song from the new commercial of the toyota rav4?? girls come out in it and when the rav4 passes by them their dresses fly up and they try to put it down. its a french song and its really pretty some help please!
January 26th, 2009 at 1:46 AM
What is the name and artist who does the song for the new Comcast HDTV commercial that includes the lyric “I’m free” and sounds like a sample from American Woman? I feel I know it and have heard it before and it’s driving me insane. I’ve looked everywhere to no avail. Please help!
January 26th, 2009 at 9:09 AM
logan – thank you – that was it!
January 26th, 2009 at 10:29 AM
surge,,,the song its called ohio is for lovers,,the band is hawthorne heights
January 26th, 2009 at 12:38 PM
To Brad: Great. Glad to help.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Astro Yogurt Commercial. “lala lala lalala, lala lala lalala la laaaaaa la” Where can I find this? Any information would be lovely. I want to remix this song, but I have no clue where to find it
January 27th, 2009 at 12:35 PM
This is a great resource. Car company’s used to be the most guilty of the crime of making commercials with insanely infectious tunes leaving us all scrambling to find them. Now AMC is driving us all crazy with their music for their commercials like ‘Rambo’ and ‘long live cool’. Does anybody know what the music is playing in the background in the recent ‘man with no name’ triology commercials?( you know the Clint Eastwood films, westerns like The Good the Bad and The Ugly) I love the music and have to know its an obsession now! Lol
January 27th, 2009 at 9:45 PM
wat is the name the song for the zero fat astro yogurt coomercial..?//?
lallala
January 28th, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Does anyone know who sings that song from the Gillette commercial … “The World is mine, The World is mine”?
January 28th, 2009 at 7:47 PM
To Nancy: the Gillette ad features the song “The World is Mine” by the band Cracker.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:49 AM
does anyone know the name and the title..female sultry singer from an auto ad..song begins “Hello My Love”…can never catch the name of the auto..sounds almost from a cabaret in the 30’s..