20 Commercial Jingles From The 1950s To The 1980s You Can Still Sing Word For Word

Say the name of a candy bar, a soda or a hardware store, and a tune pops into your head before you can stop it. For millions of us, those little songs from the radio and the family television are still stuck in there, no lyrics sheet required.

In 2007, Branding Strategy Insider published a list of the 30 most influential U.S. jingles since 1948. Eric Swartz surveyed 100 advertising, marketing and branding professionals on more than 400 nominated taglines and jingles, and they ranked their top 3 on longevity, equity, portability, memorability and originality.

Here are 20 brands from that list whose jingles date from the 1950s through the 1980s. The tobacco and beer entries are not part of this tour, and there are no lyrics printed here, so hum along on your own.

Pepsodent Toothpaste Sang Its Way Into 1953

Branding Strategy Insider places the Pepsodent jingle in 1953, ranked number 26 on its list. A toothpaste brand made a list full of cars, candy and soda.

Think about that. A song for a tube of toothpaste outlasted most of the shows it once interrupted.

Peter Paul’s Candy Tune Is Ranked Number 11 From 1953

The same list gives Peter Paul, the maker of Mounds and Almond Joy, number 11 for a 1953 jingle. That is a high spot for a candy company, ahead of Dr Pepper and two of the three Coca-Cola entries.

Chocolate and coconut have never had a better theme song.

Roto-Rooter Turned A Plumbing Call Into A Catchy Song In 1956

Roto-Rooter, 1956, landed at number 29. Not many drain services can say they made a list of tunes at all.

If you grew up in this era, you probably know exactly which one it is without any help.

Pillsbury Cracked The List In 1957

Branding Strategy Insider ranks Pillsbury at number 22, with a jingle from 1957. A cheerful tune was a fine way to land on a shopping list.

A good jingle did the same work as a recipe card, just faster.

Doublemint Gum Landed At Number 4 In 1959

Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum earned number 4 for its 1959 jingle. That puts a pack of chewing gum ahead of every soft drink on the ranking.

It also shows how far a simple, repeatable tune can travel.

Brylcreem Kept Hair In Place Through The 1950s

Brylcreem is listed at number 7 with a jingle from the 1950s. Plenty of dads reached for the tube in those days.

The list shows a time when even a bit of hair cream could have its own theme song.

Jell-O Wobbled Into Number 17 In The 1950s

Jell-O comes in at number 17, also from the 1950s. The wobbly dessert and its tune showed up together in many a family kitchen.

A jingle was often the quickest way to get a family to remember the box.

Chevrolet Took The Number 20 Spot In The 1950s

Chevrolet’s 1950s jingle ranks 20th. A car company with a song was hard to forget.

A song that fit a Sunday drive did the job nicely.

Green Giant Got Its Early 1960s Moment At Number 16

Green Giant ranks 16th, with a jingle from the early 1960s. Vegetables do not usually get a spotlight, but this brand earned one.

Kids who refused to eat peas may still remember the tune.

Maxwell House Perked Up To Number 30 In 1961

Maxwell House closes the ranked list at number 30, with a 1961 jingle. Last place on a list of 30 still means a tune that pros remembered decades later.

The morning coffee ritual had its own soundtrack.

Rice-a-Roni Hit Number 28 In 1961

Rice-a-Roni appears at number 28 for a jingle from 1961. A boxed rice dinner became a household name with the help of its song.

Plenty of weeknight suppers started with that tune.

Coca-Cola Shows Up Three Times, In 1963, 1970 And 1971

The list shows that Coca-Cola appears three times, with entries at number 15 (1963), number 8 (1970) and number 12 (1971). No other brand got that much space on the list.

Few brands have kept so many generations singing along.

Oscar Mayer Took Both Number 1 And Number 13

Oscar Mayer is the top entry, ranked number 1 with a jingle from the 1960s, and appears again at number 13 for a 1965 entry. The brand is one of two, along with McDonald’s, to earn two spots.

It is hard to beat a hot dog song for staying power.

State Farm Insurance Rose To Number 3 In 1971

State Farm landed at number 3 for its 1971 jingle. Mental Floss reports that State Farm also ranked seventh in a survey of 735 U.S. residents by Quality Logo Products about 67 famous jingles.

That is a rare thing, an insurance company people hum on purpose.

McDonald’s Won Number 10 In 1971 And Number 14 In 1975

McDonald’s earned two spots on the Branding Strategy Insider list, number 10 for 1971 and number 14 for 1975. In the Quality Logo Products survey reported by Mental Floss, McDonald’s ranked second.

Two different decades and two different spots, but the same golden arches in the background.

Sara Lee Sweetened The List At Number 21 In 1972

Sara Lee comes in at number 21 for a 1972 jingle. Desserts and music go together, and this tune proves it.

Cheesecake fans know exactly which line is stuck in their head.

Alka-Seltzer Fizzed Up To Number 2 In The 1970s

Alka-Seltzer ranks number 2, with a jingle from the 1970s. That is the second most influential jingle of the entire period, according to the professionals surveyed.

It beat out every soft drink, car and candy bar on the page.

Ace Hardware Landed At Number 9 In The 1970s

Ace Hardware ranks 9th, with a 1970s jingle. Mental Floss reports that Ace ranked 18th in the Quality Logo Products survey.

Both lists agree this one has staying power in the minds of customers.

Dr Pepper Brought Its 1970s Tune To Number 18

Dr Pepper ranks 18th, with a jingle from the 1970s. Soft drink rivalry played out in song as much as on store shelves.

The tune still gets a smile from anyone who grew up with it.

The U.S. Army Won Number 5 In 1981

The U.S. Army ranks number 5 for its 1981 jingle. Mental Floss reports that the Army also ranked 16th in the Quality Logo Products survey.

A recruiting tune that lasted that long says a lot about how well it was written.

That is 20 tunes, from toothpaste to the Army. Try them out loud with the family and see who remembers the most.

You may be surprised how many you can still sing, and how fast the grandkids learn them.

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