80s Western pop hits featured in commercials. A roundup of nostalgic CM songs.
“What was that song they used in that commercial again…?” Everyone’s had that moment at least once.
And when it’s a Western song, you might only remember the lyrics vaguely.
In this article, we’re rounding up and introducing popular tracks from the 1980s—the so-called golden age of Western music—that were featured in Japanese commercials!
The lineup includes not only nostalgic commercials from the ’80s for those who remember the era, but also recent ads that have revived ’80s hits.
Younger readers might even discover that a familiar commercial jingle was actually a hit from the 1980s.
Enjoy!
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80s Western pop hits featured in commercials. A roundup of nostalgic CM songs (51–60)
Call MeBlondie
This is the song used in the commercial for the lowered-spec S-MX that aired in 1998.
It’s a track by the American rock band Blondie, released in 1980.
Some may also remember that, in addition to this commercial, it was used the same year as the theme song for the film American Gigolo.
The four-on-the-floor beat driven by the bass drum is striking, and the song’s structure—combining dance music with punk rock—felt fresh at the time.
Never Ending StoryLimahl
In the Honda Stepwgn commercial that aired in 2005, the song “Never Ending Story” was used.
Originally released in 1984 as the theme for the film The NeverEnding Story, it was sung by Limahl, a member of Kajagoogoo.
In contrast, the Stepwgn commercial featured a cover version performed by Miu Sakamoto rather than Limahl himself.
While Limahl’s original is a synth-driven pop track, Sakamoto’s cover employs piano and strings, resulting in a beautifully refreshing arrangement.
SukiyakiMarlena Shaw
The great female jazz singer Marlena Shaw.
She was a hugely active singer from the late 1960s through the 1970s and remains one of the beloved jazz artists today, with her music frequently sampled in hip-hop tracks.
This is her cover of Kyu Sakamoto’s classic “Ue o Muite Arukō,” titled “Sukiyaki.” It’s an English-language cover that skillfully captures the charm of the original.
It’s used in a Konica commercial, and it matches the ad’s mood perfectly, so be sure to check it out.
XanaduOlivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John was a singer-songwriter born in the United Kingdom who moved to the United States via Australia.
She had numerous hit songs from the 1970s to the mid-1980s and enjoyed worldwide popularity.
Her song “Xanadu” was used in a SoftBank commercial.