[QUOTE=msmith537]
Mad World - Michael Andres (Donny Darko, Geers of War trailer, “some REALLY serious shit goes down this episode” trailers)
[/QUOTE]
The song is a cover performed by Gary Jules
How about “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve
[QUOTE=jayjay]
That’s Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s (or just “Iz”) version. He was a native Hawaiian singer whose rendition of that song just burst out everywhere around the early 2000s.
[/QUOTE]
The last time we had a statewide election in California, there was a proposition to fund children’s hospitals whose campaign ad featured that song as background music. I think they played it in a PSA for St. Jude’s as well. Thanks to these examples, I now associate this version of “Over the Rainbow” with terminally ill children. 
Weapons of Mass Distortion by The Crystal Method (Blade Trinity, Bourne Ultimatum, Forza Racing 2)
Really ANY ambient electronica trip-hop break-beat (or whatever the kids listen to these days) music by the following artists should not be used in any TV commercial, videogame, movie trailer, montage, sports clip or TV show every again:
Moby (specifically all of ‘Play’)
Overseer (Horndog)
Paul Oakenfold (especially anything from ‘Bunka’)
The Crystal Method
Fatboy Slim
The Chemical Brothers (I should never hear ‘Block Rockin Beats’ again)
The Prodigy (I’ll smack your bitch up)
Tina Turner, “The Best”.
And I also want to second Green Day’s “Time of Your Life”.
Could you possibly be less original?
[QUOTE=MrSquishy]
And I also want to second Green Day’s “Time of Your Life”.
[/QUOTE]
Oh you mean the them for every high school prom since 1997?
[QUOTE=Lucky 13]
Thanks to these examples, I now associate this version of “Over the Rainbow” with terminally ill children.
[/QUOTE]
So now it’s only used for commercials about sappy children or dying children. I guess that’s why I can’t stand it – like Wile E, I think the current usage wrecks the way it was used in that ER episode.
How has “I Feel Good” by James Brown not yet been nominated? God, I hate that song!
I Will Survive. Mandated to be in every movie about straight guys dressing up as women to hilarious effect, scenes with flamboyantly gay characters, or movies involving over-the-hill plucky women.
[QUOTE=msmith537]
Weapons of Mass Distortion by The Crystal Method (Blade Trinity, Bourne Ultimatum, Forza Racing 2)
Really ANY ambient electronica trip-hop break-beat (or whatever the kids listen to these days) music by the following artists should not be used in any TV commercial, videogame, movie trailer, montage, sports clip or TV show every again:
Moby (specifically all of ‘Play’)
Overseer (Horndog)
Paul Oakenfold (especially anything from ‘Bunka’)
The Crystal Method
Fatboy Slim
The Chemical Brothers (I should never hear ‘Block Rockin Beats’ again)
The Prodigy (I’ll smack your bitch up)
[/QUOTE]
You forgot “Spybreak” by the Propellerheads, used to awesome effect in The Matrix in 1999, and then used in tons of things to far less awesome effect ever since.
Any advertiser that’s still using music from Kill Bill… they really need to stop.
Yeah, I’m looking at you, Vonage.
Green Day’s “Time of you Life” is a good one; it was completely the wrong tone when they used it during some near-final Seinfeld recap.
But networks also got a ton of play out of Green Day’s “wake me up. . .when September ends” song.
I remember it being particularly overplayed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
After yet another tedious commercial (this time during the Super Bowl) riffing on the Rocky meme, I nominate any use of that movie’s overused theme song.
O Mio Babbino Caro is beautiful but used too often by car companies, insurance companies and other shitehawks tryna sell me things I don’t need.
[QUOTE=msmith537]
Mad World - Michael Andres (Donny Darko, Geers of War trailer, “some REALLY serious shit goes down this episode” trailers)
[/QUOTE]
Isn’t this actually Gary Jules, covering Tears For Fears?
thwartme
[QUOTE=Hampshire]
“Salisbury Hill” Peter Gabriel (used in every movie trailer to denote the part of the movie when the city folk go out into the country)
[/QUOTE]
While I love the song itself, such usage invariably reminds me of Shining now. 
Maybe I’m showing my age, (and again, I actually still like the song) but “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree is right up there. (The mention of “Unwritten” reminded me of it.)
Sampiro, if it makes you feel any better, I don’t associate “For What It’s Worth” with Vietnam so much as with little Muppet forest creatures. My husband does too, because as I started it playing on Youtube, he turned around and said, “Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas?” (It was actually the Muppet Show, but still.)
[QUOTE=thwartme]
Isn’t this actually Gary Jules, covering Tears For Fears?
thwartme
[/QUOTE]
It is, however the remake is the one used in commercials and whatnot.
A song entitled “The Office” which is from the movie (and on the soundtrack to) Brazil.
I love that song and it fits into the movie so well. But now I’ve seen it twice in the past few weeks. Once for the trailer to the new Pixar film Wall-E and once during a promo spot for that new TV show Eli Stone that follows Lost.
I wish they’d leave that song alone.
Ooh, Child (Things are Gonna Get Easier). If I hear that song in one more movie or t.v. show…grrrr! The first time I noticed it used in a movie, it was at a very poignant moment in Boys in the Hood. Since then, it has been just straight up jacked by every sappy black sit-com or movie to come along.
[QUOTE=Trunk]
Green Day’s “Time of you Life” is a good one;
[/QUOTE]
I would also throw in Paul Van Dyks “Time of our Life”
I never again want to see any movie use the song that goes “money money money money! MONEY!”
or
“Feelin’ Hot! hot! hot!”