This really bugs me: it seems that no matter which show you are watching on TV at the moment, if the show includes a montage that features women, the song “Here Come the Girls” will be playing in the background (usually the recent Sugababes version). It happens so often you can literally predict that as soon as the presenter on the show says words like, ” Well, we’ve seen what the boys can do, let’s see what the girls have to offer…” or, “Let’s meet our food fanatics and see what their diet and lifestyle is like” that song will kick off.
I have nothing against the song, just like I have nothing against “The Race” by Yello, I just hate the fact that it is almost guaranteed that the track will play when a TV program mentions or shows a race of some kind. Likewise, the track “Chariots of Fire” by Vengelis will almost always be used when a TV program wants to show you something in slow motion. A fitness training sequence will likely have the theme tune from “Rocky” playing in the background and a montage of people fixing stuff or welding is usually accompanied by the A-Team theme.
Even if the band Queen weren’t as successful as they are, they would still do well from the royalties off TV shows alone. With songs about riding a bicycle, fat girls, being champions, being under pressure, hearing rubbish on the radio, wanting to break free, etc. they really have cornered all niche areas of the TV montage market.
I guess if this blog post were to have an obvious music track in the background it would have to be Moby’s “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver.”
Any more overplayed songs with obvious lyrics and themes welcome in the comments.
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goldrush09 Jan 19 2009 - 4:02 pm
How’s about, ‘She’s so lover-ly’ (by ex-Carphone Warhouse pop combo “Scouting for Girls”) whenever sexy ladies are seen on screen…
goldrush09 Jan 19 2009 - 4:03 pm
Oh… and ‘I wish I was James Bond…’ – the perfect track for those times a presenter wants to dress himself up in a dinner jacket and act smarmy.
Jadey-lea Jan 19 2009 - 5:56 pm
oh yeah ‘she’s so lovely’ on the Next advert was played over and over again in the white rose center (leeds) once. Quite annoying
Magick Mel Jan 19 2009 - 6:49 pm
Kylie’s wow is in a sofa advert,
& the soo called nickelback song which just though was over, it’s on the dfs advert.
has anyone noticed that sigur ros & coldplay are used alot??
Hanna Jan 19 2009 - 6:58 pm
Everytime I see someone about to use their inhalor, I know the song “Take my breath away….” will start at any time.
barry Jan 19 2009 - 8:40 pm
These songs are overplayed, but more specifically, songs that reflect what the montage the TV show is about:
Such as Madness’ “Our House” during lots of property programmes or “Driving in My Car” during a driving sequence.
What would a creative TV editor use this music for I wonder?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFsZhw9IMqQ
Aoife Jan 19 2009 - 8:46 pm
Any talent show – ‘All Or Nothing’, ‘You Raise Me Up’, and any random Leona song.
‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ for sporting montages – especially the god-awful McFly version.
Magick Mel Jan 19 2009 - 9:16 pm
Oh, like using It’s Magic by Pilot.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dt6zYIYf-hk
with a scene related to magic?
now i’m being distracted by barry’s face…
Hanna Jan 20 2009 - 5:43 pm
Barry, I know this is completly annoying and we spend too much money on cable to endure this kind of bullshit.
And answering to your question…
I guess a beach programme or a travel company advertisement would play that song.
barry Jan 20 2009 - 6:30 pm
@Aoife Those songs are a staple of any televised talent show!
@Magick Mel Exactly, there are a lot of songs a magic act could use that contain magic related lyrics. Once again, Queen got there early with “A Kind of Magic”
Dawn Jan 20 2009 - 10:47 pm
One day the song “Ding, Dong! The Witch is Dead” will be played over a montage of Margaret Thatcher’s greatest moments.
Well, I live in hope.
Jadey-lea Jan 21 2009 - 4:39 pm
How about ‘Alright’ by Supergrass or ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ by Berlinda Carlisle (?) on holiday adverts.
yasmin Jan 22 2009 - 11:33 am
I guess Barry would prefer if Kiss was playing on the background …. does anyone else think the guy singing in the crowd, at the start of this video is BARRY???
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=C8LSQNdkXPY
Ruthie! Jan 23 2009 - 7:22 pm
I agree that Sigur Ros is WAY overplayed on scenes that are supposed to be ‘touching’. ¬_¬
And also, any Arctic Monkeys song seems to play whenever there are northern teenagers about.
Hanna Jan 23 2009 - 7:35 pm
And what about Raindrops keep falling on my head in rainy scenes???