The following is a list of most frequently mentioned brands in the Top 20 songs from the Billboard Hot 100. This list of brands was produced by Lucian James, a brand management consultant, as part of his American Brandstand project. James compiled the list for the years 2003 and 2004.
Some critics have speculated that it will be revealed that artists were paid to include certain brands in their songs.
2003
| Rank | Brand | Number of mentions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes automobiles | 112 |
| 2 | Lexus automobiles | 48 |
| 3 | Gucci fashion | 47 |
| 4 | Cadillac | 46 |
| 5 | Burberry apparel | 42 |
| 6 | Prada fashion | 39 |
| 7 | Cristal champagne | 37 |
| 8 | Hennessy cognac | 35 |
| 9 | Lamborghini automobiles | 34 |
| 10 | Chevrolet automobiles | 33 |
Of the 111 songs in the Billboard Top 20 for 2003, 43 (38.7%) had brands in the lyrics. Only one of those, Good Charlotte's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, was not connected to hip hop or R&B.
2004
| Rank | Brand | Number of mentions | Rank movement from 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cadillac automobiles | 70 | +3 |
| 2 | Hennessy cognac | 69 | +6 |
| 3 | Mercedes automobiles | 63 | -2 |
| 4 | Rolls-Royce automobiles | 62 | Did not chart in 2003 |
| 5 | Gucci fashion | 49 | -2 |
| 6 | Jaguar automobiles | 37 | +65 |
| 7 (tie) | Chevrolet automobiles | 28 | +3 |
| 7 (tie) | Cristal champagne | 28 | +0 |
| 9 | Bentley automobiles | 26 | -2 |
| 10 | Maybach automobiles | 25 | +24 |
In 2004, Kanye West led the pack in brand-name-dropping, citing 19 different brands in his four hits for the year. As in 2003, brands remained heavily connected to hip-hop. Only one brand was mentioned in a Top 20 non hip-hop song (Levi Strauss in "With You" by Jessica Simpson).
Of the 105 songs in the Billboard Top 20 for 2004, 42 (40%) had brands in the lyrics.
2005
| Rank | Brand | Number of mentions | Rank movement from 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes automobiles | 100 | +2 |
| 2 | Nike | 63 | +9 |
| 3 | Cadillac automobiles | 62 | -2 |
| 4 | Bentley automobiles | 51 | +5 |
| 5 | Rolls-Royce automobiles | 46 | -1 |
| 6 | Hennessy cognac | 44 | -4 |
| 7 | Chevrolet automobiles | 40 | +0 |
| 8 | Louis Vuitton fashion | 35 | +42 |
| 9 | Cristal champagne | 28 | -1 |
| 10 | AK-47 rifles | 33 | +4 |
In 2005, 50 Cent cited 20 different brands in seven songs making him the biggest name-dropper. As in 2003, brands remained heavily connected to hip-hop. Brands were mentioned in more pop songs, such as Gwen Stefani's "Rich Girl", which mentioned high fashion brands including Vivienne Westwood and Galliano, and Mariah Carey's "It's Like That" and "Shake It Off", which mentioned brand names including Bacardi, Calgon and Louis Vuitton.
Of the 106 songs in the Billboard Top 20 for 2005, 36% had brands in the lyrics.