I remember getting into it a few years ago before the whole Sopranos/Glee thing and thinking 'why does nobody else know this, it's fantastic?'. Then it began to be played everywhere and I started to hate it. Some people I know started saying that they'd always loved Journey which was a lie because they weren't very well known at all in the UK, never mind 20+ years after their heyday.

Other songs which people of my generation seem to love even tough they were released far before they would have been into music and they weren't even that big hits include; Laid by James, Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine and This Charming Man by the Smiths.

I think it's great that people are into music from before their time but when they claim to have been as massive fan since they were toddlers it gets on my nerves.

Powerslave

I'm going to put forward 'Get a Move On' by Mr Scruff. It was heavily used on TV in 1999 when it was first released and has remained a staple choice ever since for commercials and montages. After hearing it on BBC News tonight on the election roundup 16 years later, it's proved to be as popular a choice as ever for TV background music. It's an electronic breakbeat track that many wouldn't know if you told them but I can guarantee they'd know it if they heard it.

Can't say i've heard that before, what commercials and show was it heavily used on?

It's been a regular 'go to' track for TV montages for years, especially on the BBC, whether they be political, sport or entertainment features. I seem to remember it being used on a Mastercard advert in the early 2000s and a Volvo advert I think. I'm sure if you did a quick Google of Mr Scruff - Get a Move On you'd probably be able to find where it's been used.

Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes; has become ubiquitous at sports stadia of various different flavours, where the fabulously filthy riff is tunelessly squawked in unison by drunk spectators. Must be galling for Jack White - it doesn't even generate any royalties.

Intro by The XX. A TV favourite which hardly troubled the charts yet has been used in a raft of TV dramas, current affairs programmes, montages and adverts.

Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla

Nearly 11 years old and it just won't go away!

The only thing that irk's with Dont stop Believin' is that it's the only Journey track that you ever hear.
They have a back catalogue going back to 1973 ? and you only ever hear 1 track (it was the same when John Peel claimed "Teenage Kicks" as his favourite track of all time).
Back on topic Whole Lotta Love - Led Zep and The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Sound of Silence. The new Disturbed version is just unbelievable!! The Simon and Garfunkel one wasn't bad either

Average White Band - Pick Up the Pieces. The default choice when catchy, upbeat background music is required. To give it it's due, it does sound pretty timeless despite it being from way back in 1974.

Across the universe, The Beatles - this version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpGME3Iv7Yg

Across the universe, The Beatles - this version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpGME3Iv7Yg