3 Classic Rock Songs that Have Been Overused in TV Commercials

One of the greatest joys in life is sitting down on your couch for a relaxing few (10?) hours. Watching a stretch of football or basketball games or maybe a few movies of the week on cable. But inevitably what happens during this afternoon is that you end up hearing the same commercials over and over again. And if they include music, it’s often one of several classic rock songs you loved—er, now used to love.

Here below, we wanted to highlight a trio of songs from the classic rock genre that tend to be overused in television commercials. Three songs that are great but that become a little stretched thin once you’ve heard them in the same car or cleaning product advertisement for the 11-billionth time. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs that have been overused in ads.

[RELATED: 3 Classic Rock Songs that Are Overused in Movie Soundtracks]

“Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf from Steppenwolf (1968)

This heavy metal song from Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf rose to fame thanks to its inclusion in the 1969 road-trip movie Easy Rider. But because it is such an iconic traveling song and one that represents counterculture, it has since been used in commercial after commercial after commercial after commercial, from diet sodas to trains to diapers to cars. It seems like the song was actually born to be commercialized!

“Breaking the Law” by Judas Priest from British Steel (1980)

Know what’s a funny idea for an ad? Say something is “breaking the law” when the thing is actually totally lawful but it’s just going against silly convention! And when you’re ready to do that, know what’s a good song to use? That’s right! The Judas Priest hit from their 1980 LP British Steel. The song has been used to sell water, puff pastry and chicken. And much more over the years, to be sure. How could so many things be against the law?

“Lust for Life,” by Iggy Pop from Lust for Life (1977)

The best way to have a lust for life is to buy things! Well, that is if you believe a lot of commercials, including this one for a vacation on a cruise ship that seemed to play every five minutes of every day on TV for years. Indeed, Iggy Pop’s songs have been used in ads about a dozen times, which is odd since the guy is Mr. Rebel. But that’s just how things work these days—in a world where album sales are nonexistent (thanks, streamers!), this is what our best have to do to make a good living. Now, don’t you feel your own lust for life?

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