Beyond selling devices, Apple's marketing has a decades-long history of breaking unknown songs into mainstream success. The company’s iconic commercials and keynotes didn’t just showcase products; they served as powerful tastemaking platforms, propelling tracks from obscurity onto the Billboard Hot 100. This curated playlist collects those defining moments, from the iPod era to the MacBook Air reveal.

Feist’s “1234” became a top-10 hit after its 2007 iPod nano ad. Yael Naim’s “New Soul” was catapulted by the famous manila envelope MacBook Air unveiling. Coldplay debuted “Viva La Vida” via iTunes and an iPod silhouette ad, making it the store’s best-selling song that year. The iPod silhouette ads themselves, set to songs from Jet, The Fratellis, and The Ting Tings, created a sonic identity for a generation.

Some campaigns had unusual origins, like the student-made iPod touch ad set to CSS’s “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex” that Apple adopted. Others, like Chairlift’s “Bruises” for the colorful nano ad, became instantly recognizable. These weren’t just background noise; they were integral to the product’s story, transforming niche indie tracks into global anthems and demonstrating Apple’s unique cultural influence.