Are jingles dead?

Now that all the advertisers want to license pop songs, whether iconic or obscure, the days of the best jingle writers are as lonely as the Maytag repairman's.

Not only are traditional jingles passe', it's become declasse' to refer to your brand name in accompanying ad music nowadays. Bosh! I'm annoyed by ads where I can't figure out the point or the product. I miss the amusing inventions of original music, even when in the service of something as crass as advertising. And what's cooler, if you're a company, than having your own signature tune?

I love the scenes in black-and-white movies where sheet music wizards bang out six new hits a day in the piano and smoke-filled offices of Tin Pan Alley. So, I'm sad about this development on principle. Worse, it's one less place for legit musicians to work. Still, I know some smart cookie will buck the trend, inflame huge buzz (sounds painful) with an old-school jingle, and we'll all fall in love anew with (or at least be inundated by) what's become called "custom" music. Some say no, but it's my bet.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/01/09/the_irresistible_singable_stick_in_your_mindable_jingle_is_dead?pg=full

I haven't learned the link trick yet. Gimme a minute.