My initial thought when listening to ‘Best Day of My Life’ for the first time was that this song, #13 on Billboard’s Hot 100, is tailor-made for a TV commercial.
I’m sure everybody who heard The Rembrandt’s ‘I’ll Be There For You’ figured it was destined for a TV sitcom long before Friends nabbed it.
Sure enough, this song has been featured in ads for Lowes, Hyundai and Telecom New Zealand, as well as an ESPN promo for the World Series of Poker.
Give the ubiquity of pop songs in commercials these days — and the lack of stigma associated with the practice, in contrast to decades past — I wonder if bands consciously write some tracks with that in mind.
There’s probably more money in a good jingle than a good song.
I had a dream so big and loud
I jumped so high, I touched the clouds
(Wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh)
I stretched my hands out to the sky
We danced with monsters through the night
(Wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh)
[Pre-Chorus]
I’m never gonna look back, woah
Never gonna give it up, no
Please don’t wake me now
[Chorus]
This is gonna be the best day of my life
My li-i-i-i-i-i-ife
This is gonna be the best day of my life
My li-i-i-i-i-i-ife
[Verse 2]
I howled at the moon with friends
And then the sun came crashing in
(Wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh)
But all the possibilities
No limits, just epiphanies
(Wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh)
[Pre-Chorus + Chorus]
[Bridge]
I hear it calling outside my window
I feel it in my soul (soul)
The stars were burning so bright
The sun was out ’til midnight
I say we lose control (control)
(Wo-o-o-o-o-o-oh)
[Chorus](2x)
Meet Me In Montauk 
This is another popular song in our car. I initially assumed it was Imagine Dragons as it had a similar sound as their hits, at least to my ears. The song does work well for commercials, though I don’t think it was written with that in mind, but who knows? You’re probably right that there is more money in selling it for ads than there is in sales of the song itself. I suspect that may have been true even before the plummet in record sales, which is why so many artists have “sold out,”
I’ve never seen any of those commercials, but this strikes me as just being a poppy, positive song in the vein of… oh, I don’t know, other such poppy positive songs that have come before it. I do like it, though its appeal is limited. There are plenty of times I wouldn’t be in the mood to listen to this song, but when i am… it works well!
As Doug likes to say “they just don’t write jingles like they used to” 🙂