History Main / RevivalByCommercialization

* ''VideoGame/SpyHunter'' revived Henry Mancini's theme music from the by-then forgotten series ''Series/PeterGunn''; to the point where it was more commonly known as "The Spy Hunter Theme".

don't forget Creator/JamesGunn using the song Creep by Music/Radiohead in the emotionally tear jerking opening sequence of vol 3 which lead to streams increasing and comments on the youtube videos of that song.

" Series/DoctorWho striked again in late 2023 this time thanks to the Toymakers diegetic use of the iconic Music/SpiceGirls Spice Up Your Life duing a chaotic dance scene. Naturally comments on all of the song's youtube video's referenced that moment VERY soon after the episode dropped.

" Series/DoctorWho striked again in late 2023 this time thanks to the Toymakers diegetic use of the iconic Music/SpiceGirl's Spice Up Your Life duing a chaotic dance scene. Naturally comments on all of the song's youtube video's referenced that moment VERY soon after the episode dropped.

** On top of that, this has happened to most if not all of the songs featured in Star-Lord's Awesome Mix Tapes. A big case was ''[[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Vol. 2]]'' with Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah's "Lake Shore Drive", a regional hit whose writer thanked Creator/JamesGunn for giving it worldwide exposure.

* "Carbon Kid" was a relatively obscure ([[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic but epic]]) song by the even more obscure electronic rock band Alpinestars. It got then featured in three games, which are all (or have elements of) racing games: ''VideoGame/ProjectGothamRacing 3'', ''VideoGame/TestDriveUnlimited'' and ''VideoGame/AllPointsBulletin'' (the free-to-play GTA-ish game known today as APB Reloaded).

* "Carbon Kid" was a relatively obscure ([[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic but epic]]) song by the even more obscure electronic rock band Alpinestars. It got then featured in three games, which are all (or have elements of) racing games: ''VideoGame/ProjectGothamRacing 3'', ''VideoGame/TestDrive Unlimited'' and ''VideoGame/AllPointsBulletin'' (the free-to-play GTA-ish game known today as APB Reloaded).

* And still yet another VW ad: Clannad, "Theme to 'Harry's Game'." (Although, it disappeared just as quickly, as new-agey songs sung entirely in Irish Gaelic is something of a niche genre.)

* The Canadian band Faunts was relatively unknown until a Canadian-made game by the name of ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' used their song "M4 (Part II)" as the credits theme. They got another bump when ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' used another of their songs, "Das Malefitz", for that game's credits theme.

* There was a Honda Accord ad that used "Hold On Tight."

* ''Film/{{The Batman|2022}}'' gave a boost to Music/{{Nirvana}}'s "Something in the Way", as well as the band in general. "Something in the Way" was never released as a single, so when it charted in August 2020 following the trailer's launch, it was the first time it had done so. After the film opened, ''Billboard'' reported a 1,508% increase in streams and 1,888% in downloads, hitting #2 on Rock Streaming Songs and Rock Digital Sales and #27 on the overall streaming songs chart, 21 years after its debut. By proxy, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and ''Music/{{Nevermind}}'' also re-entered the charts, and many Nirvana singles also saw significant gains.

* The similar-sounding "88 Lines about 44 Women" by the Nails (which was ''not'' the same band as Music/NineInchNails, or the grindcore band Music/{{Nails}} for that matter, Website/YouTube commentators notwithstanding) was also used in some kind of car commercial in the 90s that nobody remembers now, which started it on the way to several well-known parodies and fan-made videos like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE1i2zLG9yY this one]].

* ''Series/{{Wednesday}}'' went above and beyond and did this with a song that wasn't even featured on the show. While Wednesday Addams' dance scene in the fourth episode originally used Music/TheCramps' "Goo Goo Muck", the version that went viral on Website/TikTok swapped it out for a sped-up remix of Music/LadyGaga's "Bloody Mary". It proved popular enough that not only did Gaga [[AscendedMeme record her own version of the dance]], but she released "Bloody Mary" as the official sixth single from ''Born This Way'', an album that came out ''eleven'' years prior -- and it became a charting hit!

* Any song featured prominently on Website/{{TikTok}} would qualify, with the crowning examples being ILOVEFRIDAY's "Mia Khalifa", Music/LilNasX's "Old Town Road", Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride" and several Music/BillieEilish songs.

* Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's arrangement of "[[Film/TheWizardOfOz Somewhere Over the Rainbow]][=/=]What a Wonderful World" after it was used in a Rice Krispies commercial around 2007. It was also in ''Series/{{Glee}}'' and IMAX Hubble 3D.

* The song "Skinnamarink" ("Skinnamarink-a-dinky-dink, skinnamarink-a-doo") dates back to 1910, but is best remembered now as the theme of the Canadian children's show ''Series/SharonLoisAndBramsElephantShow'' -- so much, in fact, that its follow-up series adopted the name ''Skinnamarink TV''.

** In TheNewTwenties, "Out of Touch" by Music/DarylHallAndJohnOates became associated with a Twitter account called "Out of Touch Thursday" that, every Thursday, posts a clip from the ''Anime/LuckyStar'' opening synced to part of that song. Multiple variations and parodies ensued.

* Pinkfong's version of the classic campfire song "Baby Shark" became a hit around the world in 2017 after it became the basis for various exercise challenges, and again in 2019, when it was used as the walk-up song of the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Washington Nationals]], who would win their first title at the 2019 World Series.

** Royksopp's "Remind Me" is associated with a 2006 Advertising/{{Geico}} caveman commercial, despite coming out several years prior.

* "Mr. Sandman", especially the Four Aces version, may be forever associated with ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' (though at least [[MisterSandmanSequence its usage]] ensures everyone will remember what decade it's from).

* A strange Venezuelan case was Henry Stephen and his [[TheSixties 1960's]] song "Limon Limonero", who became relevant (and parodiable) in TheNineties after being [[RepurposedPopSong repurposed]] for a lemon-scented bleach commercial.
* 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 Volkswagen to thank for that even if you don't remember [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvAfBJNQ_NY the 1997 ad]] that revived the song. If you live in the UK, you may also have seen it in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So5UswFSPtc this mid-to-late 80s ad]] or a tradidional Bavarian take in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnIKjnmUYpQ a Pepsi ad from 2006]].
* The similar sounding "88 Lines about 44 Women" by the Nails (which was ''not'' the same band as Music/NineInchNails, or the grindcore band Music/{{Nails}} for that matter, Website/YouTube commentators notwithstanding) was also used in some kind of car commercial in the 90s that nobody remembers now, which started it on the way to several well-known parodies and fan-made videos like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE1i2zLG9yY this one]].

** It was also used in promotional material for the American Boys Town in the 1980s, which is appropriate because it was inspired by a legend based around an illustration which was used by Boys Town by founder Father Edward Flanigan in the 1940s to promote what Boys Town was doing.

* Alex Clare's song "Too Close", released in 2011, had little success despite having a top production team, and Clare was eventually dropped from his record label. In 2012, "Too Close" was used in an ad for Internet Explorer 9, and within months of the ad's debut the song reached the top 10 on the Hot 100.

* Felix's '90s house hit "Don't You Want Me" gained resurgence in the UK after being featured in a famous 1996 ad for Blackcurrant Tango.

* Though it never completely fell into obscurity, Hall & Oates's 1981 hit single "You Make My Dreams" has certainly rose to prominence in film and TV since the late 1990s to the point where it may now be their SignatureSong. It may have possibly started with its appearance in the Creator/AdamSandler comedy ''Film/TheWeddingSinger'' and is now associated with the films ''Film/StepBrothers'' and, especially, ''Film/FiveHundredDaysOfSummer''. It also appeared in the end credits to ''Film/ReadyPlayerOne2018''.

* "As Time Goes By" will forever be known as the song Sam played (and played again) in ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'', but it dates back to 1931, when it was introduced in an unremarkable and now-obscure Broadway show called ''Everybody's Welcome''. (Since ''Casablanca'' was released in the middle of a long recording strike, radio stations were forced to turn to older recordings of the song.)

* Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" climbed up to #4 on the Billboard Top 100 charts back in 1961. Then about 25 years later, the movie ''Film/StandByMe'' was released and the song made its way back into the charts topping at #9 in the US Billboard charts.

* "My Sharona" by Music/TheKnack was a big hit in 1979 and regained popularity in 1994 when it featured in ''Film/RealityBites''. It only reached #94 on its second go-around, but the film's soundtrack reached #13 and propelled the song back into the public consciousness in a big way. It was the introduction to the song for many people who were born around the time it was originally released.

* Music/SmashMouth's "All Star" got a major boost from ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'', and is now associated mainly with that movie despite being featured on the ''Film/MysteryMen'' soundtrack a few years earlier.

* Brazilian artist Supla was mostly forgotten around 2001. Then a Creator/{{MTV}} AccentuateTheNegative show, ''Piores Clipes do Mundo'' ("The worst music videos in the world") decided to showcase one his videos, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvqPFCAuaDs Green Hair]]". Even though Supla initially complained about it ("they never show my videos, and when they do it's on ''Piores''!"), the exposition was enough to revive his career - it helped the show was so fond of "Green Hair" it appeared nearly OnceAnEpisode.

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

** And the big Eliot/Shaun relationship scene in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. The song was featured in a few scenes ("My Journey"), since JD insisted that Turk and Carla should have a Journey cover band at their wedding.

* Soul classic "Reet Petite" by Jackie Wilson reached number one in the UK in 1986 (almost thirty years after original release) after a BBC Two arts show called ''Arena'' played a claymation video of it.
* Billy Vera's "At This Moment" went from being a little known song released in 1981 to the #1 song for 15 weeks in 1987 after it was played on ''Series/FamilyTies''.

* Creator/AntAndDec performed their old song "Let's get ready to rhumble" on ''Saturday Night Takeaway'' in 2013. A week later it was Number 1. It only managed Number 9 the first time round in 1994.

* "Don't You Forget About Me" is in the same boat as its fellow 80's anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" thanks to its usage in countless TV shows and movies, such as ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'' and a ''[[Film/TheBreakfastClub Breakfast Club]]''-themed episode of ''Series/TheGoldbergs''. It was also memorably parodied by ''WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded'' (see Web Original below).

** Music/KateBush's [[Music/HoundsOfLove "Running Up that Hill (A Deal With God)"]] charted in the top 10 in several countries after it was featured multiple times in season 4. In the United States, the song only reached #30 during its first go-around in 1985, only for it to reach a far higher peak in 2022.

* The song "Cult of Personality" was successful back in 1989, winning a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for the band Music/LivingColour. It (and the band) toiled in relative obscurity after the early 1990s. When Wrestling/CMPunk began to use this under his new "voice of the voiceless" gimmick (he had used the song previously in Wrestling/RingOfHonor), it created a new audience for the song, which jumped into the iTunes Top 100 downloads list, and also reached the top 10 of the rock charts. The band confirmed on their Facebook page that they will be performing it for CM Punk's entrance at Wrestling/WrestleMania 29. A true [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome CMoA]] in the making.

* The ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' trailer included the song "In The Woods Somewhere" by Music/{{Hozier}}, which promptly boosted the song's popularity in Website/YouTube.

* Like they did with ''VideoGame/BioShock'', 2K Marin has made people looking for "Don't Lie To Me" by Stompy Jones, when it was used in ''VideoGame/TheBureauXCOMDeclassified'' trailer.

* Music/{{Darude}}'s "Sandstorm" skyrocketed in popularity after being subjected to MemeticMutation starting with its popularity on Twitch. There, people constantly asked what song was playing, and the meme took off from there. While the meme was soon CondemnedByHistory due to how annoying it was, especially among [=YouTube=] commentors who wanted to know the actual title of a song, it led to renewed interest in Darude's career, and eventually led to Darude (with vocalist Sebastian Rejman as well) representing Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.

* While it was by no means obscure (it's one of the most iconic songs of the 80's and a staple of oldies stations), Music/SimpleMinds' [[Film/TheBreakfastClub "Don't You (Forget About Me)"]] gained popularity again among younger viewers after a SuspiciouslySimilarSong parody of it closed ''WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded'''s take on ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''. Unfortunately, this had a negative side-effect: said younger viewers [[PopCulturalOsmosis ended up permanently linking the song with the movie]], more specifically the supporting character [[ImaginaryFriend Bing Bong]] (thanks to the parody lyrics: ''Don't you forget about Bing Bong'').

** Have you [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184 heard the word? The bird is the word!]] "Rock Lobster" by Music/TheB52s ("Screams of Silence") and "Shipoopi" from the broadway musical ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' ("Patriot Games") also got a revival from this show.

* "Life in a Northern Town" by TheDreamAcademy got this treatment in the popular ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'' episode "Wings of the Dope" since it plays while Luanne and Buckley's Angel play on the trampoline and again at the end when Luanne says goodbye to him and he leaves. Now almost any Website/YouTube videos of the song will have comments along the lines of "R.I.P. Buckley," "Hey," "Chicken thigh" and "Buckley's Angel brought me here!", especially on nights when the episode reruns on Creator/AdultSwim.

** The original show popularized songs such as [[Music/RobZombie White Zombie]]'s "Thunderkiss '65", and both gave attention to and unfortunately stereotyped Music/{{Winger}} as a straightfoward HairMetal band (they're more of a ProgressiveMetal band with some hair band elements) when a ButtMonkey character constantly appeared wearing a Winger t-shirt (after Mike Judge was misinformed that Kip Winger had asked the network not to make jokes about the band on the series, but, after subjecting the band to mockery, Judge eventually learned from Winger himself that he had never made any such stipulation).

* The song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTnvhGHDGA Rubber Bullets]]" by 10cc was released in 1973, but has since become more well-known after it was used in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'' pilot.

* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' briefly renewed interest in Music/NineInchNails' original recording of [[Music/TheDownwardSpiral "Hurt"]] upon its usage in the season 2 finale [[WhamEpisode "The Wedding Squanchers"]]. At that point the song had been mostly CoveredUp by Music/JohnnyCash.

* For a lot of fans, "Say That We're Sweethearts Again" is now pretty much synonymous with ComicBook/HarleyQuinn after she performed it in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Harlequinade". The 1944 film ''Meet The People'' that the song is originally from [[BreakawayPopHit is largely forgotten today]], and many don't realise at first that the song was not created for the show.

* Number 14 of UsefulNotes/TheThirtySixStratagems is "Borrow a Corpse to Resurrect the Soul", meaning to revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose, or reinterpret it to your advantage.

* This happened InUniverse in ''Manga/SatouKashinoDanganwaUchinukenai'. One of the old songs sung by Mokuzu's father is popular with commercials.

* While not enjoying the same level of commercial success, Music/{{Moby}}'s 2000 BSide "Flower" also became a lot better-known in 2018-19 when it was used for the widespread "Bring Sally Up" squat / push-up challenge.

** {{Eurobeat}} received a significant revival following memes relating them to the ''Manga/InitialD'' anime that popularized it, prompting many eurobeat labels to release their music worldwide on digital platforms, and several artists returned to the genre full-time.

* 1976 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6um9vU9iP4Cadbury Fruit and Nut]] commercial ("Everyone's A Fruit and Nut Case"), set to the tune of Tchaikovsky's [[TheNutcracker "Dance of the Reed Flutes"]].

* "I Like To Move It," thanks to the remixed version in ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''.

* Music/SmashMouth's "All Star" got a major boost from ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', and is now associated mainly with that movie despite being on the ''Film/MysteryMen'' soundtrack several years earlier.

* 1976 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJMAVfkI0ioCadbury Fruit and Nut]] commercial ("Everyone's A Fruit and Nut Case"), set to the tune of Tchaikovsky's [[TheNutcracker "Dance of the Reed Flutes"]].

* "Heat Waves" by the British pop band Glass Animals was voted most popular song of 2020 in Australia due to being the inspiration for a fanfiction of the same name about ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' YouTubers LetsPlay/{{Dream}} and LetsPlay/GeorgeNotFound. The fanfiction became the most-read fic on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn in only four months due to being frequently brought up in Dream's and [=GeorgeNotFound=]'s livestreams.

* "[[Music/NickCave O Children]]" was originally released in 2004, and was an album-only track on a record that didn't sell a lot (though was critically acclaimed). Six years later, ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallowsPart1'' decides to use it in one of the film's most [[{{Tearjerker}} heartwrenching]] / SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments, which was also unique to the film. Cue huge surge in the song's popularity, with many young listeners being introduced to Nick Cave for the first time. Funnily, this wasn't the first time this had happened to Nick Cave - ''Film/{{Scream|1996}}'', ''Film/DumbAndDumber'', and to a lesser extent ''Series/TheXFiles'', did the same thing for "Red Right Hand" (which was also a [[RedRightHand trope]] [[TropeNamer namer]]).

* Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling" was used for the trailer of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', and quickly returned to the iTunes Top 100 after that. Related to the Quentin Tarantino example above, it had been previously used on the soundtrack of ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. Also see the entry for ''Series/AllyMcBeal'' below under Television.

* Most people probably would be surprised to learn that the "''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' theme" is actually "Journey of the Sorcerer" by Music/TheEagles.
* Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" saw an uptick in listenership from 1978 on, thanks to ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''.

* Like they did with ''VideoGame/BioShock'', 2K Marin has made people looking for "Don't Lie To Me" by Stompy Jones, when it was used in VideoGame/TheBureauXCOMDeclassified trailer.

* "First of the Year (Equinox)" by Music/{{Skrillex}} got a boost in popularity when it showed up on the premiere of the WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead revival.

* For a lot of fans, "Say That We're Sweethearts Again" is now pretty much synonymous with Comicbook/HarleyQuinn after she performed it in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Harlequinade". The 1944 film ''Meet The People'' that the song is originally from [[BreakawayPopHit is largely forgotten today]], and many don't realise at first that the song was not created for the show.