Mental Floss

6 Famous Jingles by Barry Manilow

By Stacy Conradt

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Even if you’re not a Fanilow, you’ve almost certainly gotten some of Barry Manilow’s handiwork stuck in your head. And I don’t mean “Copacabana” or “Mandy.” During the 1970s, Manilow wrote, sang, or wrote and sang some of the catchiest jingles in history. Some of the tunes have become so identifiable with the product that they’re still being used now, 30+ years later. Here are a few of his greatest (advertising) hits:

1. Band-Aid, “Stuck on Band-Aid”

Manilow wrote the music and even sang in a childlike voice for one of the commercials.

2. State Farm, “Like a Good Neighbor”

The song, still being used in State Farm ads today, was written and performed by Manilow. He didn't get rich off of this one, though—he was paid a flat fee of just $500.

3. Stridex, “Give Your Face Something to Smile About”

Thanks to his work on campaigns like this one, Manilow received an honorary Clio Award—one of advertising's biggest honors—in 2009.

4. KFC, “Grab a Bucket of Chicken”

Manilow didn't write this feel-good commercial about how Kentucky Fried Chicken can make your day memorable, but he still sings it at many of his concerts.

5. McDonald’s, “You Deserve a Break Today”

There’s long been debate about whether Manilow composed this one—he even seems to confirm it in this appearance on Windy City Live. “That was the granddaddy of all of them. That was the first big one.” Manilow said. But what he means is that it was his first big break into the jingle business: According to Billboard, he only sang in one of the commercials. (But not this one. Sorry.) Despite his great success with the song, he’s not a big fan of the food. “I had one [Big Mac]. It gave me gas.”

6. Pepsi, “Feelin’ Free”

This is another one of the jingles Manilow sang, but didn't write. (This version is obviously not Manilow. You'll have to imagine his dulcet tones.) But he certainly wasn't faithful to Pepsi. He also recorded a jingle for Dr Pepper called "The Most Original Soft Drink Ever," written by Randy Newman.

Unlike some celebrities who do commercials, Barry doesn’t shy away from his highly branded background. Here he is doing a medley of his greatest commercial theme song hits: