About a year ago, Stephen Colbert invited the Black Keys and Vampire Weekend onto his show The Colbert Report in order to battle for his vote for the Grammys’ Best Alternative Music Album. It was a “sell-out-off,” Colbert dubbed it. The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney listed the commercials where there music has appeared: Zales, Victoria’s Secret, Nissan and Sony Erickson. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend lists Honda, Tommy Hilfiger, and Hewlett Packard. It’s a situation that many bands have found themselves in: sell a song for commercial use, make a good amount of money to fund the next record, and get some mainstream listeners. Or, on the flip side, refuse the money and keep diehard fans by not licensing the song for commercial use. And these decisions aren’t without controversy: musicians seem to need to defend themselves against the ‘sell-out’ attacks from diehard fans. But we’ve all got to pay our bills, and sometimes, artistic integrity might have to take a back seat. Here, we round up some notable songs that have appeared in commercials and prime-time television. The Black Keys – Victoria’s Secret “Girl is on My Mind” Alabama Shakes – Zales “You Ain’t Alone” Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Grey’s Anatomy “Flying or Falling” Grace Potter “I Want Something That I Want” (This appears on One Tree Hill but it’s also in credits of Tangled ).
Here’s more…Phish – Dawson’s Creek “Birds of a Feather” Gossip Girl: In addition to the slew of top 40 hits, Gossip Girl has featured dozens of up-and-coming indie bands and also electronic acts. The list includes Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem, MGMT, The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, The National, Sonic Youth (who actually made a guest appearance on the show), Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Delta Spirit, Vampire Weekend, Monsters of Folk, Florence and the Machine (also made a guest appearance) and Deadmau5. Here’s Kim Gordon’s cameo and click here to watch Sonic Youth appear for ‘Star Power’. John Butler Trio – Dannon Greek Yogurt “Zebra” The Slip – Grey’s Anatomy “Life in Disguise” Caveman – Lenovo “My Time” Final batch…Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Ford “Janglin” Gary Clark Jr. – Jack Daniels “Bright Lights” Ben Harper – Cadillac “Suzie Blue” Michael Franti & Spearhead – Corona Light “Say Hey (I Love You)” G. Love – Coke Zero “Teach the World To Sing” Vampire Weekend – Honda “Holiday”