'Surrender' by Cheap Trick

If NBC's prayers are answered, Conan O'Brien's move to 'The Tonight Show' and its 11:35 ET/PT time slot will bring more of the younger, hipper audience the lanky funnyman was known for on 'Late Night.' It's only fitting, then, that last night's long-awaited premiere episode kicked off with a Cheap Trick song about the similarities between the old and young, however vague they are.

The talk show's opening featured O'Brien in New York realizing that he forgot to move to Los Angeles for his new job. After failing to hail a taxi, he gives up on finding a ride and opts to run across the country. He sprints his way through Pennsylvania Amish country, Chicago, the Rocky Mountains, Las Vegas and finally gets to Universal Studios in Hollywood, backed all the way by the anthemic rock of 'Surrender' and its famous "Mommy's all right, daddy's all right/They just seem a little weird" chorus.

Written by Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and released on 1978's 'Heaven Tonight,' the song is about a young man realizing that his World War II generation parents can be just as cool as anyone. The realization comes when the narrator sees his mom and dad "rolling on the couch/Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out." If that gives you an unfortunate mental image, we apologize, but the concept is certainly fitting, as Conan takes the late-night TV torch from Jay Leno. Yes, he's younger, cooler and arguably funnier, but that doesn't mean the traditionally older 'Tonight Show' audience won't get the jokes. Whether or not the writers specifically chose the song for the message and its appeal to most crowds -- plenty of current artists have covered it, including Green Day -- it shows that things will be the same, if only slightly different.

'Fools' by the Dodos

Beer commercials usually call for the kind of music that gives off good-time vibes and catchy hooks, so a San Francisco psych folk duo like the Dodos might seem like an odd choice to sell Miller Chill. However, some clever editing makes the heavy-drummed 'Fools' an inspired choice.

'Lose You' by Pete Yorn

Nobody who follows 'House' had any inkling that Dr. Kutner would do what he did last night. If you haven't heard by now, consider this your spoiler alert: He's gone.

The Pete Yorn song that played over the credits pretty much spells it out. It's 'Lose You,' from the Jersey singer's 2001 debut. Deliberately flat and listless, the song is a haunting portrait of depression. When he sings of being trapped in a cage and digging himself into holes, we wonder how we could have missed the clues that Kutner was feeling the same way.

That's actually the point. The show ended with a real promotion for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Yorn's singer sounds like a guy who might want to keep the number handy.

'You, Me and the Bourgeoisie,' by the Submarines

Indie pop duo the Submarines never expected a song of theirs to complement the latest gadget. "I always thought it would be slightly ironic if someone decided to use it in a commercial, given the somewhat anti-consumerist lyrical content," band member John Dragonetti tells Spinner, admitting, "it's a catchy tune, though."

The folks at Apple seem to agree on its appeal -- they've now used the track in two different iPhone 3G ads, the most recent shown above. But how did the pair feel when they first heard their song being played while the iPhone's features were being lauded?

"It was exciting. We laughed. We didn't actually believe they were going to use it," Dragonetti says.

'Colors,' by Kira Willey

Once upon a time, kids could spend hours drawing rainbows, or maybe going outside to look for them after a rainstorm. Now, of course, they need a laptop to Google rainbows. Preferably a laptop in a color that matches the kid's own personality.

That's the idea behind Dell's recent ad campaign, which features a bunch of overgrown kids -- a DJ spinning black vinyl, a young lady on a pink scooter -- and their color-coordinated computers. The understated ad is based on the song 'Colors,' by Kira Willey, a Pennsylvania yoga-for-kids instructor. It's a fuzzy little ditty, not without a wry smile or two: "I am orange today, loud and messy like finger paint on the wall."

'Secret,' by Max Morgan

Is Izzie nuts, or what? Or is there some sort of medical disorder behind her weird hallucinatory relationship with her dead fiance?

Whatever the case -- and we came a little closer to finding out with last night's 'Grey's' -- the fact that she has a secret was telegraphed loud and clear by the soundtrack selection. The song is called ... wait for it... 'Secret.'

The showcase was an early windfall for the British newcomer Max Morgan. Months before he releases his debut album, it's no secret that the Liverpudlian songwriter is on the fast track. For one thing, his MySpace sneak-peeks have already been played more than a million times. 'Wait for Me,' the lead single from his debut, is now up on iTunes. Getting the gold-plated 'Grey's' treatment, just minutes before Kanye's episode-capping 'Street Lights,' pretty much sealed it. We'd understand if he's talking to himself today.

'Around the Bend,' by the Asteroids Galaxy Tour

When Apple is brave enough to label one of its products "the funnest iPod ever," they'd better back it up. And they do with Copenhagen's the Asteroids Galaxy Tour's 'Around the Bend.' Bouncy, dance-ready drums? Driving bass line? Horns? "Oooh yeahs"? A promise of "good, good times around the bend"? Okay, we'll play along with that.

"It's a song about sexual energy," Lars Iversen of AGT, who make their U.S. debut this Wednesday at New York City's Pianos, tells Spinner. "An energy that you want so bad from someone, and you'd do whatever it takes to get it." Ah, there's the fun.

Iversen, who says he and music partner Mette Lindberg complement each other like some sort of yin/yang, king/queen pair, is having visions and dreams of Apple products despite remaining schwag-free. "We attended our personal guru last week. He looked into his crystal ball and saw this great sight: Apples everywhere!" Iversen jokes. "He then told us that a big load of toys should arrive very soon from the big fruit company. Steve? Are you there?"