History Main / RevivalByCommercialization

* ''FamilyGuy'': Have [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184 heard the word? The bird is the word!]] "Shipoopi" from the soundtrack of ''TheMusicMan'' also got a revival from this show.

* The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" reached No. 1 in 1988 (almost 20 years after its original release) after being featured prominently in an advert for Miller Lite beer.

* "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey was pretty much completely absent from radio before it was featued on ''FamilyGuy''.

* While it's never exactly been ''obscure'' per se, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" is back in the forefront of pop culture's noggin thanks to ''TheSopranos'' series finale and its appearance in an episode of ''FamilyGuy'' involving a karaoke bar.

* Yet Another Volkswagen ad: "Mr. Blue Sky" by ElectricLightOrchestra.\\
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This song was also used for the French telecom company SFR's ads -- there is even a version sung by Lily Allen, which appeared in an ad. There was also a Honda Accord ad that used "Hold On Tight."

* Nico's "These Days" after it was in ''TheRoyalTenenbaums''. The K-Mart commercial didn't hurt either. Jackson Browne, the song's writer and guitarist, had to ''re-learn'' it before he could start playing it live again when people started requesting to hear it.

[[,AC: Video Games]]

[[AC: Video Games]]

* Pretty much the entirety of most QuentinTarantino's soundtracks are well within this trope. Steeler's Wheel might have even gotten back together as a band because of the new attention given to "[[ReservoirDogs Stuck in the Middle With You]]".

A mostly-forgotten song gets used in a prominent movie, tv show, or [[RepurposedPopSong commercial]]. Suddenly it is everywhere. Other shows, movies, and commercials start to use it. A lot. It is back on the radio, maybe even back on the charts. The original album it came from sells like hotcakes. Somewhere, a songwriter makes a lot of unexpected money.

A mostly-forgotten song (probably so obscure they don't even play it on the "oldies" radio stations) gets used in a prominent movie, tv show, or (especially these days) commercial (see RepurposedPopSong). Suddenly it's everywhere. Other shows, movies, and commercials start to use it. A LOT. It's back on the radio, maybe even back on the charts. The original album it came from sells like hotcakes. Somewhere, a songwriter makes a lot of unsuspected money.

A.k.a. "The Wes Anderson Effect", as it applies to pretty much any classic rock song that ends up on a Mark Mothersbaugh soundtrack for a Wes Anderson movie. Later A.K.A. the "GuitarHeroEffect" after mainstream media started linking music games ''GuitarHero'' and ''RockBand'' with the same phenomenon - old songs finding a new audience by their inclusion in the game.

Possibly related to WatchItForTheMeme, at least in the case of RickAstley.

* Yet Another Volkswagen ad: "Mr. Blue Sky" by ElectricLightOrchestra.
** This song was also used for the French telecom company SFR's ads (There's even a version sung by Lily Allen, which appeared in an ad)
** There was also a Honda Accord ad that used "Hold On Tight."

** Prado's "Patricia" also got popular after its use in Royal Mail adverts.

* Levi's Jeans adverts have resulted in three UK number one singles by this method: Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" in 1987, Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" in 1990, and TheClash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" in 1991.
** The 1985 advert "Laundrette" [[http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2010/02/jackie-wilson-reet-petite/ took a reissue of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" to #8 in 1985]].

* Nico's "These Days" after it was in ''TheRoyalTenenbaums''.
** The K-Mart commercial didn't hurt either.
** Jackson Browne, the song's writer and guitarist, had to ''re-learn'' it before he could start playing it live again when people started requesting to hear it.

** The Blues Brothers could also be credited with bringing "Minnie the Moocher" by CabCalloway back into the public consciousness.
* The song ''Mad World'' was released by Tears for Fears in the 1980s. In 2001, Gary Jules and Michael Andrews wrote a cover, a haunting ballad in the {{Dorian Mode}}. This version appeared at the end of the film ''DonnieDarko.'' As the movie became a cult hit, the song became popular enough that it was rereleased successfully as a single in 2003. Since then, it has appeared in dozens of shows and a handful of commercials.

* Many {{Jukebox Musical}}s aim for this. Reportedly, "Our Love Is Here To Stay" got a big popularity boost from the movie ''AnAmericanInParis''.

* "Singin' in the Rain" [[OlderThanTheyThink had been around for 23 years]] -- and appeared in at least two other movies -- before [[SingingintheRain the Gene Kelly film]] revived it.
** Mint Royale's remix of "Singin' In The Rain" also deserves mention: the remix itself was made for a 2005 Volkswagen commercial, was released on CD, was largely forgotten about, and then became a #1 UK hit three years later thanks to a ''Britain's Got Talent'' routine.

* ''WaynesWorld'' did this for {{Queen}}'s "Bohemian Rhapsody."
** [[DeadArtistsAreBetter Freddie Mercury's untimely passing]] a few months prior also helped.

* Somewhat related: ElvisPresley' "A Little Less Conversation" was mostly forgotten, and didn't even make the top 40, when originally released (it only peaked at #69). Then in 2002, it was remixed by Junkie XL, got featured in commercials and soundtracks, and became a #1 hit in many countries. It's now a standard number in Elvis impersonator acts in Las Vegas.
** Also used as the theme song to the TV show ''Las Vegas''.

** The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird" similarly came back into the public eye after it was featured prominently in ''FamilyGuy''.
** ...Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty!

* On their GreatestHitsAlbum, the band Goldfinger happily acknowledge that they had no fans in the UK until they had a song of theirs put on the first ''TonyHawk's'' game.
** Similarly, the ''GrandTheftAuto'' games have re-popularized the songs featured on their soundtracks. It's even the TropeNamer for the GrandTheftAutoEffect.

* So many songs have found new life after being used in ''RockBand'' and ''GuitarHero'' that it's easier to just say that rock ''as an entire genre'' has been revived by these games.
** In their live shows, however, {{Dragonforce}} refer to "Through the Fire and Flames" as "The song that made Guitar Hero famous".

* ''{{Bioshock}}''. How many people born after, say, 1980 would know BobbyDarin's "Beyond the Sea" and other such songs?
** Some would know "Beyond the Sea" from ''FindingNemo'' - but this also qualifies for the trope (and CoveredUp, since it's sung by Robbie Williams).

* Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" thanks to the {{Rickroll}}ing gag.
** Rickrolling made Astley so popular he came out of retirement and is making new music again.

* ''FamilyGuy'': Have [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184 heard the word? The bird is the word!]]
** "Shipoopi" from the soundtrack of ''TheMusicMan'' also got a revival from this show.

* Billy Vera's "At This Moment" went from being a little known song released in 1981 to the #1 song for 15 weeks in 1985 after it was played on ''FamilyTies''.

See also TheRedStapler and the GrandTheftAutoEffect, which sometimes involves this as well.

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* Quite possibly the ''only'' reason anyone under the age of about 50 knows the theme song from "Rawhide" is thanks to ''TheBluesBrothers'' movie. (Unless they remember it from ''AnAmericanTail: Fievel Goes West''...[[CoveredUp which used the Blues Brothers version]]).

* "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" reached No. 1 in 1988 (almost 20 years after its original release) after being featured prominently in an advert for Miller Lite beer.

* Another Queen example: ''We Are The Champions'' in ''RevengeOfTheNerds''.

* {{The Beatles}} version of "Twist and Shout" thanks to ''FerrisBuellersDayOff''

* ''{{Bioshock}}''. How many people born after, say, 1980 would know Bobby Darrin's "Beyond the Sea" and other such songs?

* I think I read that the old Christmas song they used in the Marks & Spencers adverts last year (the one that went "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." the really awesome adverts with Twiggy and Erin O'Connor and all those other ladies going on a skiing holiday and trying to seduce Antonio Banderas for some reason?) was downloaded by loooooads of people when it became available on itunes.

* If you've heard Trio's "Da Da Da" or a cover of it at any time later then the early 1980s, you almost certainly have Volksvagen to thank for that even if you don't remember [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvAfBJNQ_NY the 1997 ad]] that revived the song.
** Though if you live in the UK, you may also have seen it in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So5UswFSPtc this mid-to-late 80s ad]] (this troper's first exposure to the song)

* Quite possibly the ''only'' reason anyone under the age of about 50 knows the theme song from "Rawhide" is thanks to ''TheBluesBrothers'' movie. (Unless they remember it from ''AnAmericanTail: Fievel Goes West''...[[SoYeah which used the Blues Brothers version]]).

** On an episode of NeverMindTheBuzzcocks Gary Jules was mocked by Chris Moyles for "being responsible for Tears for Fears getting back together." Kind of hypocritical when you consider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Andre who]] ''he'' almost single-handedly revived the career of

* The somewhat obscure ZZTop song "Velcro Fly" has been given a popularity boost thanks to a prominent mention in TheDarkTower books.

* American Idol will do this for a song, especially after a very good performance. The MostTriumphantExample is likely Heart's "Alone," which was performed by Carrie Underwood in the fourth season to great acclaim, and then surfaced on albums by Celine Dion and (previous Idol contestant) Clay Aiken not long after, on Glee a few years later, and several times on later seasons of Idol by luckless female contestants at trying to outdo her.

* RobotUnicornAttack did this for {{Erasure}}'s "Always".

* {{Bioshock}}. How many people born after, say, 1980 would know Bobby Darrin's "Beyond the Sea" and other such songs?
* Same for the {{Fallout}} series for even earlier tunes (The Ink Spots' repertoire, Cole Porter's "Anything Goes"...).
** usually thanks to the fact that the tunes chosen can either set up SoundtrackDissonance ''or'' SuspiciouslyAproposMusic, depending on what you're doing at the time.
* This Troper thinks that SaintsRow 2 might have done this for Working For The Weekend, as I heard it on the radio OUTSIDE of Friday Night 80s and now Resses is using it.

* [[FamilyGuy Have]] [[MemeticMutation you]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184 heard]]?
** Shipoopi?

* Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "[[TheWizardOfOz Somewhere Over the Rainbow]][=/=]What a Wonderful World" after it was in that cereal commercial.
** It was also in {{Glee}}.

** There was also a Volvo ([[DistractedByTheShiny I think]]) ad that used "Hold On Tight."
*** It was a Honda Accord Ad.