Disclaimer:  This blog was going to be about campaign synergy.  But a funny thing happened on the way to writing that one.  I decide to have a little fun and save the serious stuff for 2012.

With that in mind and with the holiday season kicking off, (Get it?  Football reference…Thanksgiving?  Yeah…I didn’t laugh either.), the following took on a life of its own.

I was skipping around my MP3 player the other day (and I was not quite surprised and not quite shocked) and was enlightened by how many songs and artists I have that were used as theme songs for either TV shows, movies or HEAVEN’S TO MURGATROYD! advertising.  Back in the day, fans would have called this “selling out.”  Not that I ever had a problem with it, I’m just curious as to when this became acceptable, so I’ll arbitrarily credit GM/Cadillac for using “Rock and Roll” by Led Zepplin in 2002.  Or maybe it was CSI using The Who’s “Who Are You.”

Either way, I thought with the end of the year approaching, I would make my own Top Eleven List.  So here is my Top Eleven List of Favorite-Songs-To-Have–Been-Used-As-Theme-Songs-By-TV-Shows-Movies-Or-In-Advertising. (Catchy…right?)

11 – “I’ll Be There For You” – The Rembrandts – You don’t know the Rembrandts, maaaaan.  This song is garbage.  ANYTHING off the first two albums is sooooo much better.  #ThingsSomeoneAccusingTheirBandOfSellingOutWouldSay

10 – “We Used To Be Friends” – The Dandy Warhols – Used in the opening credits of Veronica Mars.  Does it get ANY cooler than this?

9 – “Don’t Stop (Color On The Walls)” – Foster The People – Yes, I had this on my MP3 player waaaaaaaaay before Nissan started using it for Versa.   #ThingsSomeoneDefendingTheirBandOfBeingSellOutsWouldSay

8 – “Mastermind” – Daniel Ash – Was used in the opening credits of a little known Fox Show titled “Keen Eddie.”  Despite (or is it in spite of?) only airing for one season, it’s in my Top 5 of shows of all time…that’s a whole other list.

7 – “Believe it or Not” – Joey Scarbury – Who didn’t want to be Mr Hinkley… errr…Mr Hanley…err Mr Hinkley?  Yeah, him.  This guy, owner of the greatest American perm.

6 – “Johnny Appleseed” – Joe Strummer – It.  Just.  Got.  Cooler.  (Used in HBO’s short-lived John From Cincinnati another all time Top 5er.)

5 – “Man Up” – The Blue Van – WHY do all corporations have to ruin everything!?!?!?  It’s bad enough it was in Sony’s MLB 09 The Show for PS3 and USA is using “Independence” for Royal Pains but NOW ABC is not only using it as a theme song, they even named the show Man Up!  I’m never going to listen to their stuff EVER again.  What’s that?  There’s a new album coming out?  I’m so getting it off iTunes.  #ThingsSomeoneAccusingTheirBandOfSellingOutWouldSay  #ThingsSomeoneDefendingTheirBandOfBeingSellOutsWouldSay

4 – “Destiny” – Syntax – Clearly I am NOT the only one to like this band and this particular song but I’m thinking I’m the only one to remember it was used in Conviction, a little known Dick Wolf TV show.  (It lasted one season.  I’m sensing a pattern here.)

3 – “Take A Bow” – Muse and “The Beginning Is The End Is the Beginning” – The Smashing Pumpkins.  Who watches the Watchmen?  Me.  Over.  And.  Over.  (Both were used in separate trailers for the movie “Watchmen” based on the critically acclaimed, ground breaking, trail blazing, culture changing graphic novel-not comic book “Watchmen.”)

2 – “This Life” – Curtis Stigers – Theme song of the FX show “Sons of Anarchy”. I don’t know which came first.  The show or the song.  And I don’t care.  Simply…perfect together.

1 – “Next Year” – Foo Fighters – Theme from NBC’s “Ed”. I almost said short-lived but it lasted four seasons.  Hey, Worldwide Pants…get this out on DVD already!  (Not just a top 5er….it is the “One” – cue harps playing and angels singing.)

There ya have it.  My Top 11.  Debate.  Discuss.  Wipe ‘em from your memory banks.

Draw your own conclusion but I’m pretty sure I watch too much TV.  Now it’s off to enjoy some fine Corinthian turkey, it’s like a party in my mouth.

Ian Cohen is Production Director at The Radio Agency. Please follow The Radio Agency’s Blog “Sounding Board” by subscribing to the RSS link above. Visit our website TheRadioAgency.com