Background information
Apple TV+: what happened to the world’s most expensive streaming experiment?
by Luca Fontana
Apple’s marketing in 11 songs
19.10.2025
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Beyond high-quality hardware, Apple is also known for its equally outstanding keynotes and commercials. Music always sets the tone – literally. Here are a few gems from Apple’s marketing department for your playlist.
I’ve been following Apple’s keynotes religiously for years. Mainly, of course, to see what’s new in iPhone Land. But it’s not just the technical innovations that leave a lasting impression. Every presentation features at least one song that immediately winds up in my playlist.
Here’s a list of my favourites from recent years.
Fatboy Slim – Right Here, Right Now (2003)
An all-time dance classic. Fatboy Slim’s hit single delivers cinematic synths and an unrelenting beat. Already at the Power Mac G5 launch, Apple proved it recognised the connection between great music and great products. The Jony Ive era was – and remains – a milestone in Apple’s story.
Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl (2003)
Black silhouettes dance on bright colourful backdrops. Only the iPod and its white earphones stand out. This image still comes to mind whenever I think of Apple ads.
The most famous song from this campaign was Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl, though the video includes other well-known songs, too.
Chet Faker – Gold (2015)
Now for slightly less familiar ones. When Apple unveiled the 2015 MacBook, it released an ad oozing with aesthetics. In what’s since become the iconic sleek look, we see a MacBook float through a white room. The scene is underscored by Australian soul singer Chet Faker’s sensual Gold.
Sofi Tukker – Best Friend (2017)
Real talk: this commercial is why I wanted to make this list. With the iPhone X, Apple reinvented its flagship. The trailer had to be just as bold and grand. And Best Friend couldn’t have captured that mood better.
This wasn’t the first (or last) time Apple borrowed from New York dance-pop duo Sofi Tukker. Rightly so – they know how to craft a beat that hits proper hard.
ZHU – Chasing Marrakech (2018)
This might be a personal bias; ZHU has been in my top ten most-played artists for years. But Apple really does know how to make a good ad. Even the somewhat underwhelming iPhone XS looked epic thanks to Chasing Marrakech.
Emmit Fenn – Meteorite (2018)
Primal but beautiful. Emmit Fenn’s Meteorite nails that mix of «just vibing» and energy to make the iPhone XR shine. A track as colourful as the iPhone line-up at the time.
Cid Rim – Polarizer (2020)
When asked about the best Apple ad of all time, I always point to the AirPods Max reveal. Are the headphones overpriced? Absolutely. But the ad is a masterpiece.
We float through space to Cid Rim’s Polarizer, meteors gliding past, basslines pulsing, everything spinning. Then we suddenly land on the sofa of a New York apartment. Transparency mode: rain outside, window closes. Noise cancelling on: silence – and the track throws us back into weightlessness. Many a sci-fi movie could take a leaf out of Apple’s book.
Young Franco – Fallin’ Apart (2021)
We all know that feeling: headphones on, and that simple walk instantly feels like a real-life music video. Few ads have captured that moment as perfectly as the AirPods Pro trailer, set to Young Franco’s playful Fallin’ Apart.
Son Lux – Dream State (2021)
The first iPad Pro equipped with Apple’s M chip marked a subtle paradigm shift. To do its trailer justice, Apple opted for an instrumental version of Son Lux’s Dream State.
Son Lux is among my collection of hidden musical gems. As the German Wikipedia page puts is, «The band is hard to define in terms of genre.» Post-rock, electronic and jazz all fit to an extent. But one thing’s certain: their music gets right under your skin. And Apple knows exactly how to make masterful use of that.
Idris Elba – Biggest (2022)
Here’s an ad that gained more infamy than fame. For the iPhone 14 launch, Apple chose Biggest by multitalented British artist Idris Elba. The word «biggest» repeats at the start.
Within hours, social media was filled with posts claiming the song contained the N-word. Even though it didn’t, Apple took the clip down completely – never mentioning it again.
Justice – Neverender (2024)
I’d already feared the era of proper dance anthems in Apple keynotes was over. So I was pleasantly surprised when last year’s iPhone 16 presentation opened with none other than Justice (video timestamp 12:07).
And not with just any track, but with Neverender featuring Tame Impala – the first single from Justice’s latest album Hyperdrama. It sets the tone perfectly: just like the good old days.
Did I miss anything?
Of course, this list is a highly curated list of songs and commercials. The website applemusic.info lists over 2,000 tracks that Apple has used in its ads, keynotes and demos over the past 40 years.
Is there an Apple commercial that’s burned itself into your brain? Did I miss a track that’s an instant throwback to a particular Apple device? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Header image: Apple
Dayan Pfammatter
Freelance Editor
pf.dayan@gmail.comI've been fascinated by all things keys, displays and speakers for basically as long as I can remember. As a journalist specialising in technology and society, I strive to create order in the jungle of tech jargon and confusing spec sheets.
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