RAG MusicJazz
Lovely jazz

Jazz commercial songs. Popular commercial songs.

Jazz has a stylish, sophisticated image, and it’s easy on the ears—perfect as background music, right?

You often hear it as BGM in cafes and restaurants, where it helps create a calm, relaxed atmosphere.

And those famous jazz tunes are huge hits in commercials, too!

From global classics known as jazz standards to jazz arrangements of pop songs and anime themes, a wide variety of jazz numbers have been used in commercials over the years.

In this article, we’ll introduce a whole range of jazz featured in commercials all in one go!

Why not take this as a chance to get interested in jazz?

Jazz commercial songs. Popular commercial songs (11–20)

My Favorite ThingsJohn Coltrane

My Favorite Things – John Coltrane [FULL VERSION] HQ
My Favorite ThingsJohn Coltrane
JR Central: Yes, let's go to Kyoto. 1993–2018

A classic song used in JR Central’s “Yes, let’s go to Kyoto” commercials.

The piece originally appeared in the musical The Sound of Music.

Composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, it was later covered by many jazz musicians, including John Coltrane, and is known today as a jazz standard.

Take FiveDave Brubeck

A song used in commercials such as Takeda’s Alinamin V.

It’s a signature piece by the Dave Brubeck Quartet and a jazz standard, making it so popular that almost everyone in Japan has heard it.

The tune is in the very unusual 5/4 time, which makes it instantly catchy and likely a reason it’s often chosen for commercials and TV.

Although it originally has lyrics, it’s commonly used as an instrumental.

Theme from New York, New YorkFrank Sinatra

Theme From New York, New York (2008 Remastered)
Theme from New York, New YorkFrank Sinatra

The song you often hear in Kirin Ichiban Shibori commercials was created as the theme for the 1977 film “New York, New York.” It was originally sung by Liza Minnelli, but the version covered by Frank Sinatra later became the most well-known.

It’s said to have been used in the Ichiban Shibori commercials since 2012.

For some reason, that relaxed brass sound perfectly fits the vibe of a beer commercial, doesn’t it?

Palm BeachMichel Magne

Mélodie en Sous-Sol ” Palm Beach ” Michel Magne
Palm BeachMichel Magne

This is the song that was used in Suntory’s BOSS Unsweetened Black commercial.

It originally comes from the 1963 French film of the same title, “Melody in the Subway,” and is its theme song.

The movie was a worldwide hit at the time, partly because it co-starred two major actors who were global screen superstars then: Alain Delon and Jean Gabin.

As a track to evoke the image of a slightly bad-boy, cool older guy remembering his younger days and sipping with a nihilistic smile, there may be no song that fits better.

Que Sera, SeraDoris Day

KIRIN Tanrei Green Label Commercial ①

This song has been used in numerous commercials, including Kirin Beer’s Tanrei Green Label.

Written for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 film The Man Who Knew Too Much, it features lyrics by Ray Evans and music by Jay Livingston.

“Que será, será,” which means “whatever will be, will be” in Spanish and has become a familiar phrase in Japanese as well, is used within a suspense film in a way that distinctly reflects Hitchcock’s style.