Gears Of War Grinds "Mad World" To #1
The tired old divorcee that is the music industry has met a charming young gardener whose name is video games, and it’s not only the sheen of sweat shining off his enormous biceps that has the old gal swooning: it’s what the pretty young thing does to music sales that’s making the lady blush.
Ever since Gears of War dug out Donnie Darko crooner Michael Andrews’ “Mad World” for that freaking awesome ad, the song has been building up speed and seeing the kind of exposure it should have received back in 2001 – or, for that matter, when Tears for Fears released the original version in 1982. Last week the song reached #1 on iTunes’ “Top Songs” list, and still seems to be hanging around.
Is this a great way for good songs to be brought back into the limelight, or the dovetailing of two exploitative marketing industries? Either way, I’m tapping my foot and my buttons. Brainwash me, baby!
The Gears of War Influence: ‘Mad World’ Reaches Top Charts on iTunes [GamingBits]
tiny dancer
Posted to Music, Video Games on 27 November 2006
· Comments (11)
Other stuff like this: cliffyb, donnie darko, gears of war, mad world, michael andrews, microsoft, tears for fears, xbox 360
It’s a great song, but for a war game, it’s out of place I think. It’s like playing death metal at prom, or “Reunited” at a funeral.
I love the song, but it’s so wrong for that video game. I think it’d be more fitting with Twilight Princess or something.
I bet the same thing happens with any other commercial, be it for a car commercial, a movie, shaving cream, or a video game. They play a good song, people go download it.
That is an incredible song, and works great in that spot. In fact, that’s probably one of the best ads for a video game I’ve seen in a long time. The song integrates well with the tone of the images to evoke a sense of weariness and loss.
K
P.S. It’s Gary Jules doing the singing. Michael Andrews was the composer for the soundtrack album.
I think the juxtaposition of the song and the action in the commercial is the brilliance of it. Sometimes there’s no better way to evince the fiercness and fear of a moment than by making the music accompanying it soft and calm. In fact, if you ask me, it makes it even MORE frightening.
I actually don’t like the original that much. It’s too synthy for the tone of the song. I think the cover is better. It makes more sense.
You kind of have to have been there in the early 80’s to appreciate why angry or depressive lyrics went so well with synth-pop backdrops…. that sound was still new and kinda foreign then, most people considered it really “sterile”, and here were these bands like TFF and Depeche Mode writing really angsty lyrics against it.
The cover version is brilliant, but kinda overused. Also, the existence nowadays of thousands of untalented emo acts cheapens it a little. But I’m sure Roland Orzabal (the TFF songwriter) doesn’t mind as long as the cheques keep showing up.
I agree 100% on the “brutally violent visual, soft music” juxtaposition. Once again, it’s been done to death, but I always like seeing it when it’s done right. I think the GoW commercial was done right.
Emo kids go home!
...I’m old.
I love this song and thought the GoW commercial was great when I saw it. This song deserves some recognition!
this song has too much recognition from whiny high schoolers that watch donnie darko three times a week. the soundtrack had way better moments – head over feet, under the milky way, and of course, love will tear us apart.. although that may be a little off-topic. i was really hoping the ‘buzz’ for this song had died off by now. leave it to big media to be a few years late to the party!
ahem. head over heels, that is.
thank you voltRis.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that it seemed out of place for this game.