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That a man who never played an instrument or so much as sang a note professionally could be considered one of the greatest rock stars of this generation speaks to the impact Steve Jobs had on the music industry, and the legacy on it he leaves behind.
More than 100 people flocked to Apple's flagship store on 59th Street in New York City Wednesday night to pay respects following the death of Steve Jobs.
The singer had high praise for Jobs, who once collaborated with U2 on a charitable iPod.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness caught up with us from his Dublin office, warmly remembering Steve Jobs the man, the music fan and, yes, the tough negotiator.
Steve Jobs had an ear for music, both indie and mainstream, and often cherrypicked the songs featured in some of Apple's best-known spots of the last decade. From Feist's "1234" video in a 2007 iPod nano commercial to the Ting Tings' "Shut Up and Let me Go" in a 2008 iTunes spot, the ads brought tremendous awareness and sales boosts to emerging and under-the-radar artists. Even superstars like U2 and Coldplay benefited from the colorful ads. Check out some of the biggest sales spikes in our infographic below.
Steve Jobs & Apple: 10 Pitch-Perfect Music Ads
Steve Jobs' Music Legacy: The Billboard Cover Story
"When you look at some of the other artists who've had really big synchs in Apple ads, the difference with Feist is that it [the ad] made her whole body of work -- a prolific body of work -- visible to many people," the Canadian singer-songwriter's manager Robbie Lackritz tells Billboard. "For some people, they saw one song and one commercial, and maybe became quite annoyed with it. For Feist, it elevated her 10+ years of music-making."
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