Honest Bob's Automotive

Bob Dylan raised many an eyebrow yesterday with his new commercial for Chrysler, which aired during the Super Bowl.

In case you missed it, here it is, in all its patriotic glory:



Some people are calling him a sell-out -- you'd think he'd brought an electric guitar to a folk festival stage or something -- but in the long view, it's not that big of a deal. After all, Flatt & Scruggs shilled for Martha White Biscuits all those years. B.B. King has done spots for diabetic supplies. And I still remember Porter & Dolly on those ads for Breeze detergent. And Michael Jackson set himself on fire for Pepsi.

No, Dylan's hardly the first iconic music star to lend his face and music to TV ads. Check out some of these:

Taco Bell in the '90s snagged a couple of the world's most beloved country stars ...


I actually liked Willie's song in this next one:



Lou Reed took a walk on the commercial side. (And Honda's not even American!)



And no, this wasn't Dylan's first time at this rodeo. Remember this one? (Ironic clip tacked on at the beginning)