Forget “Livin’ La Vida Loca” or “All Star,” the summer anthem of 1999 was The Gap’s “Dress You Up.”

I fell so hard for the song, I spent several stimulating evenings surfing my 78 cable channels in search of the commercial. And when I found it, “I wanna dress you up with my love/ All over … all over” spun in my head like a week-long CD skip.

Whether the models in the commercial are really singing the classic 1984 Madonna song, I don’t even care. I just want to hear it some more.

I want to see the commercial over and over until my eyes bleed.

I want to download an illegal MP3 of it.

I want to e-mail “Total Request Live” and ask Carson to please play “Dress You Up” by The Gap because that song rocks.

I enjoy the tune so much, I am almost tempted to buy one of those vests.

Almost.

“Dress You Up,” which is being replaced by a cool, but less catchy “They Call Me Mello Yello,” is another wildly successful attempt by The Gap to catch our attention with music.

In the past few years, everyone from Run DMC to The Crystal Method have whored their music out to the clothing company’s latest ad campaign.

Why wouldn’t you? It has made careers for lesser known acts, such as Luscious Jackson, and gives songs like “Jump Jive and Wail” even more air time.

The Gap benefits, too. People who prefer to get their orange vests at sporting good store may not actually buy from them, but we at least talk about the commercial, which generates hype.

And who better to generate hype than college students, which is why companies are relying on ’80s songs the same way Limp Bizkit relyed on “Faith.”

We love that crap, especially when there’s a gimmick to go along with it.

A few years ago, you could play “Tainted Love” at a party and be gauranteed to get a couple of drunks imitating an emergency room scene.

Volkswagon followed Levi’s, and pretty soon those same drunks were driving their air mobiles to “Da Da Da.”

I’m surprised more companies haven’t hopped on this bandwagon.

Maybe Gap’s ugly stepchild, Old Navy, should get that old lady singing Twisted Sister songs or busting some funky rhymes “Wedding Singer” style. Anything would be better than their current campaign.

And what would be funnier than seeing Taco Bell’s Chihuahua crooning “Electric Avenue?”

If you think about it, there’s probably an ’80s song to go along with every business.

Car companies … hello! Gary Numan’s “Cars.”

You sell sunglasses? How about the Timbuk 2 hit “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.”

Condoms? There’s always Men At Work’s “Safety Dance” or even Quiet Riot’s “Cum On Feel the Noize.”

Ritz Crackers … even easier. “Puttin’ On The Ritz” by Taco.

You can go on and on and not run out of ’80s songs.

The real winner in all of this would be the company who snags “Ice Ice Baby.” Whether it’s Dentine Ice or those hot Gap chicks, you know you’ll be standing in front of the television, getting your game on. Like an All Star.

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Corey Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.