Popular Songs You Forgot Were Featured in Super Bowl Commercials

Do you remember the ads that featured these famous songs?

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by:
SiriusXM Editor
February 10, 2023

The Super Bowl is the biggest event of the year for football fans, but there is more going on than seeing the two best teams of the year go head-to-head or enjoying the halftime show. In the breaks between all the action, we also get the ever-anticipated Super Bowl commercials!

These have become a cultural phenomenon in their own right, with many only watching the game to see which celebrities are featured that year or to be among the first to watch the next viral advert. And while there are plenty of movie and television stars who are featured every year, we can’t forget the songs that get stuck in our head with each commercial spot.

Here’s a selection of popular songs you didn’t know featured in Super Bowl commercials.


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“Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe

The Super Bowl is the definition of “crunch time” for football, and Planters took full advantage of that for their 2019 commercial, “Mr. Peanut is Always There in Crunch Time.” Featuring Mr. Peanut rushing to provide snacks at the crucial moment (with appearances by Charlie Sheen and Alex Rodriguez), the soundtrack to this daredevil drive is provided by none other than Mötley Crüe. From their 1989 album Dr. Feelgood, “Kickstart My Heart” has been used across a variety of media, but this is one you might have missed!

“I Want It That Way (Remix)” by Backstreet Boys & Chance the Rapper

Doritos really brought the heat with this commercial, as they released a brand-new remix of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” featuring Chance the Rapper. The ad starts with Chance trying the new Doritos flavor, which inspires a daydream where he is performing with the iconic ’90s boy band. Perhaps an unlikely and unexpected pairing, but we definitely want it that way!

“She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult and “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida Mashup

Speaking of unlikely pairings: all the way back in 2012, Budweiser brought together The Cult and Flo Rida to provide the soundtrack to their commercial celebrating some of the most memorable moments in American history. From the end of Prohibition to the first moon landing, the party vibe that this mashup provided was the perfect accompaniment to not only the commercial itself but the whole Super Bowl Sunday.

“Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix

Is there a bigger rivalry in the brand world than Pepsi versus Coke? Commercials by both have leaned into this feud for many years, and this 2004 advert is the perfect example. In it, we see a young (but fictionalized) Jimi Hendrix deciding which soda to buy on a hot summer day, with the instantly recognizable opening notes of “Purple Haze” playing after he finally makes his choice.

“Look at Me Now” by Chris Brown and “Get Your Freak On” by Missy Elliott

Continuing with the rivalries theme, this 2018 commercial featured a lip sync battle between Peter Dinklage (representing Doritos) and Morgan Freeman (representing Mountain Dew). The Hollywood actors are coached, respectively, by Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott, who help them prepare for the intricacies of singing the lyrics. The result is an impressive performance of Busta Rhyme’s rap in “Look at Me Now” and Elliott’s hit “Get Your Freak On,” with visuals inspired by “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

“We Will Rock You” by Queen

If you love a star-studded commercial, then this 2004 Pepsi production is right up your alley. Clocking in at an impressive three minutes, this ad features Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and P!nk as gladiators in Ancient Rome and Enrique Iglesias as the Emperor who rules over them. Any arena fighting is immediately put to the side when the trio start a rendition of “We Will Rock You,” Queen’s 1977 hit single. Iglesias didn’t get what he was looking for, but the audience sure did.



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