On this day (September 15) in 1990, the Steve Miller Band reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with “The Joker.” The song was already a classic rock staple by this time. However, it had never been a huge hit across the pond. Then, director Hugh Johnson used the song in an ad for Levi’s jeans. The incredibly popular ad reintroduced the song to the public and helped send it to the top of the chart.
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Steve Miller Band released “The Joker” in October 1973. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1976. The song received heavy airplay in the United Kingdom upon its initial release. However, it didn’t become a hit there. In fact, their only appearance on the UK chart came in 1976 with “Rock’n Me,” which peaked at No. 11.
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Steve Miller Band Wins with Levi’s Jeans
According to Udiscover Music, “The Joker” wasn’t the first song to get a boost from a Levi’s commercial. Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman” were among the soul staples that found new life after featuring in an ad for the brand.
The ad didn’t just give the Steve Miller Band a hit in the United Kingdom. It also went to No. 1 in New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Ireland. Additionally, it was a top 10 hit in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, and Austria.
Miller thought “The Joker” was “just a song” when he recorded it. “I didn’t think it was a hit single or anything,” he said. At the time, he was more concerned with his label making sure they put his albums in stores in the cities he was going to hit on tour. After playing across the country, he returned to California. “I was listening to the radio, and ‘The Joker’ was on four of the five radio stations at the same time. I was upset because it wasn’t on all five,” he recalled.
Featured Image by Colin Fuller/Redferns
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