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)