http://www.marketingcharts.com/televisi ... m=textlink

A new Billboard Magazine ranking of the five all-time best and five all-time worst songs used in commericals rated Volkswagen’s 2000 Cabriolet ad featuring Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” #1 on the “best” list for its creative use of memorable, undiscovered music and its connection with the target demographic.

The list of best song-commerical pairings also contained several older songs that were paired with iconic brands and proved to be very effective, Billboard said.

At the other end of the spectrum, judges found Bob Dylan’s “Love Sick” to be incongruously juxtaposed with the Victoria’s Secret brand, especially because Dylan himself appeared in the video.

Regarding the decision to rate Dylan’s work the #1 “worst” song in a commercial: “Someone believed there’s no better way to promote a lingerie brand than having an old dude hanging out in the panty aisle,” Billboard quipped.

The Five Worst Songs in Commercials:

5. AARP: “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays” - Buzzcocks
4. Swiffer: “Whip It” - Devo
3. Wendy’s: “Blister in the Sun” - Violent Femmes
2. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: “Lust for Life” - Iggy Pop
1. Victoria’s Secret: “Love Sick” - Bob Dylan

The Five Best Songs in Commercials:

5. McDonald’s: “A Minha Menina”- Os Mutantes
4. Apple: “Jerk It Out” - Caesers
3. Nike: “Revolution”- The Beatles
2. Coca Cola: “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” - The Seekers
1. Volkswagen: “Pink Moon” - Nick Drake

About the rankings: To compile its list, Billboard consulted with a six-person panel of experts in advertising and branding to determine its list of the best five songs in commercials - and five that made viewers reach for the off buttons on their remotes.

What about Johnny "I Will Never Allow Any Of My Songs To Be Used In A Commecial" Cougar's pickup truck jingle, "Our Country"?

"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" seems out of place on this list, since it started life as a commerical and them became a hit single.

I wasn't happy with "you must Swiffer," but it really fits in with the whole "devolution" idea, in a way.

They all suck.

The Kinks Picture Book made a nice soudtrack for an ad a few years back.

I like "She's A Rainbow" in the Sony Bravia ad.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFv2iE61j0I

In general, I detest all of the Geico ads to start with.

However, the new campaign with the VERY OVER-EXPOSED "(I Always Feel Like) Somebody's Watching Me", featuring the piles of money with eyes is not even close to being as "funny" or "edgy" as the makers of the ad think it is.

I don't see what's so bad about Royal Caribbean's use of "Lust For Life" -- I think it fits pretty well.

I would have included Volkswagen's use of Trio's "Da Da Da" in the "best" list.

"Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg is that "I think that maybe I'm falling for you" song that's played in the diamond commercials so much lately. It's pretty clever.

I kinda liked the Da Da Da VW song a few years ago. I remember figuring out who did it & what cd, but i no longer remeber.........

I really like the Tim Myers song "Brand New Day" that Target has been using in their ads lately.

The only one I've ever enjoyed was the hilarious Starbucks commercial with Survivor performing "Eye Of The Tiger".

The Gary Glitter one was better.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wkb5mPpJZw[/youtube]

U2's Vertigo in an iPod ad was also brilliant.

I like the use of music in commercials. With radio formats so narrow these days, I'm for anything that introduces me to good music I may not otherwise hear.

My favorite is still the car commercial several years ago that used "Start The Commotion" by The Wiseguys. I don't remember what car was being hyped (I'm not a car guy) but I did buy the album.