Shasta: The Greatest Jingle Ever Written

Out of nowhere, after 25+ years, I found myself singing the madcap commercial jingle for Shasta soda: "Don't give that so-so soda, that same ole cola, I wanna rock 'n' rolla, I wanna pop, I wanna Shasssssssssta!" What's that tell you about the staying power of a little ditty?

Actually, more than I imagined. Not only is it on Youtube, I discovered that Shasta, which was launched in the late 1800s, still exists—albeit as a low-cost alternative to Pepsi and Coke—and has a corporate site playful enough to offer some of its commercials through the years. Swell marketing... if only it were available in the Northeast. The company now offers 40 soft drink flavors, including apple, creme soda, kiwi strawberry, root beer, lime lemon, tiki punch and Grapefruit Zazz. I wanna pop!

Above is the original jingle that is so well remembered. Below is a sexed-up version, also from 1983, featuring bad boys in Speedos.