Brendan Benson Doesn’t Know If An iPod Chart Bump Is What He’s Looking For

Al Shipley | March 4, 2008 3:15 am
The latest indie rocker to be plucked out of relative obscurity to soundtrack an Apple commercial is Brendan Benson, whose “What I’m Looking For” can be heard in a spot for the iPod Touch that debuted last Wednesday during American Idol. The effect of these ads on a song’s popularity is well-documented, having most recently made an overnight chart star out of Yael Naïm. But it’s unlikely to have as much of an impact on the more established Benson.

That’s partly because the song in question comes from Benson’s album The Alternative To Love, which was released nearly three years ago. The Detroit singer-songwriter is no stranger to TV ad money, having already placed several songs in national spots (“Tiny Spark” for Saturn, “Cold Hands (Warm Heart)” for Ford, and even “What I’m Looking For” already once before for Sears). Nearly a week after the iPod ad started running, the song is nowhere to be found on the iTunes Store’s Top 100 chart. But given that Benson’s previous biggest claims to fame include filling more cutout bins with his major-label debut, 1996’s excellent One Mississippi, than Carly Hennessy has–not to mention playing in a band with Jack White that even most White Stripes fans seem to hate–I’m happy to see a little extra exposure for “Looking,” which was my favorite song off Alternative.

Brendan Benson – What I’m Looking For [YouTube]