List of most frequently mentioned brands in the Billboard Top 20
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The following is a list of most frequently mentioned brands in the Top 20 songs from the Billboard Hot 100. This list was produced by Lucian James, a brand management consultant, as part of his American Brandstand project [1] (http://www.agendainc.com/brand.html). James compiled the list for the years 2003 and 2004.
Some critics have speculated that it will be revealed that artists were paid to include certain brands in their songs.
Contents |
2003
Rank | Brand | Number of mentions |
---|---|---|
1 | Mercedes automobiles | 112, including four different songs by 50 Cent |
2 | Lexus automobiles | 48 |
3 | Gucci fashion | 47 |
4 | Cadillac automobiles | 46 |
5 | Burberry apparel | 42 |
6 | Prada fashion | 39 |
7 | Cristal champagne | 37 |
8 | Hennessy cognac | 35 |
9 | Lamborghini automobiles | 34 |
10 | Chevrolet automobiles | 33 |
Of the 111 songs in the Billboard Top 20 for 2003, 43 (38.7%) had brands in the lyrics. Only one of those, Good Charlotte's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, was not connected to hip hop or R&B.
2004
Rank | Brand | Number of mentions | Rank movement from 2003 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Cadillac automobiles | 70 | +3 |
2 | Hennessy cognac | 69 | +6 |
3 | Mercedes automobiles | 63 | -2 |
4 | Rolls-Royce automobiles | 62 | Did not chart in 2003 |
5 | Gucci fashion | 49 | -2 |
6 | Jaguar automobiles | 37 | +65 |
7 (tie) | Chevrolet automobiles | 28 | +3 |
7 (tie) | Cristal champagne | 28 | +0 |
9 | Bentley automobiles | 26 | -2 |
10 | Maybach automobiles | 25 | +24 |
In 2004, Kanye West led the pack in brand-name-dropping, citing 19 different brands in his four hits for the year. As in 2003, brands remained heavily connected to hip-hop. Only one brand was mentioned in a Top 20 non hip-hop song (Levi Strauss in "With You" by Jessica Simpson).
Of the 105 songs in the Billboard Top 20 for 2004, 42 (40%) had brands in the lyrics.
See also
External links
- American Brandstand (http://www.americanbrandstand.com/)
- Billboard Hot 100 (http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/hot100.jsp)
- Big Mac Pimpin'? McDonald's Enlisting MCs To Rap About Burgers (http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1499138/20050328/rhymes_busta.jhtml) - from mtv.com (March 28, 2005)