It finally happened -- Bob Dylan has allowed The Times They Are A-Changin' to | be used in an advertisement on television. The ad went on the air this month, but it is not the first -- only the most amazing -- example of the commercial use of a rebellious classic.
-- Song: The Times They Are A-Changin', Bob Dylan
-- Product: Coopers & Lybrand, accountants
For an undisclosed sum, Dylan permitted the Big Six firm to use folkie Richie Havens' rendition of his protest anthem. The company cannot use Dylan's name, even when discussing the spot.
-- Song: Teach Your Children, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
-- Product: Fruit of the Loom underwear
For $1.5 million, Fruit of the Loom used 30 seconds of the song, with writer Nash himself rerecording it. "I'm not that precious about my music. We're not talking Mozart here," he said.
-- Song: Revolution, the Beatles
-- Product: Nike athletic shoes
Michael Jackson owned the rights to the Lennon and McCartney composition, Capitol Records owned the original masters, and so for $500,000 Nike was allowed to use the actual voices of the Beatles.
-- Song: Born to Be Wild, Steppenwolf
-- Product: The Ford Mercury Cougar
With a yuppie, his leather jacket, and his Cougar, the ad was part of a campaign that also used Proud Mary and the Beatles' Help. In three years the average age of Cougar buyers fell from 44 to 35.
-- Song: Satisfaction, the Rolling Stones
-- Product: Snickers candy bars
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the songwriters, and ABKCO, the owner of the rights to the song, were made an irresistible offer in 1991: $4 million, with $2.8 million going to the composers.
-- Song: Turn! Turn! Turn!, the Byrds
-- Product: TIME the weekly newsmagazine
Folk legend Pete Seeger set words from the Book of Ecclesiastes to music, and the Byrds' version became a huge early hippie hit. In the ad it segued into "Hi, I'm Nancy, an operator here at TIME."