We"ve talked about Windows 95 here on Neowin a lot in the past. This includes a trick to boot up the OS faster than usual, the exclusion of an instruction that was meant to save power in a PC, fraudulent techniques used by PC vendors through modification of BIOS strings, and more. The OS has a rich history, and it"s considered a significant release that pioneered many of the UX and backend elements that we see today. Now, Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen has shed some light on how the firm managed to secure the rights to a popular music video included in the Windows 95 CD.
For those unaware, Windows 95"s CD came with a lot of multimedia extras, that were designed to not only offer a fun experience, but also to show off the OS" capabilities in this area. One notable addition in the CD was the iconic Buddy Holly video by the band Weezer. Microsoft apparently had to jump through several hoops to procure distribution rights for this content.
The first was the song itself, which was licensed after negotiations with Weezer"s publisher Geffen Records. Interestingly, the band members themselves were unaware about these communications, and were initially displeased about that they had been kept in the dark. However, as Windows 95 became popular, Weezer described it as "one of the greatest things that could have happened to us".
The next tricky part was the video itself which took place on the reconstructed set from the show Happy Days. Clips from the show were interlaced with the music video to give off the impression that the characters are involved in the video. To do this in a legal manner, Microsoft"s lawyer actually had to get permission from cast members of Happy Days individually. Although Chen is unsure whether the lawyer actually got to talk to the actors themselves or just their agents, he claims that the assignment was "thoroughly enjoyed". Check out the video itself below:
Just to give some additional context, Microsoft spent roughly $1 billion on Windows 95"s promotional campaign. This includes a commercial featuring Rolling Stones" single "Start Me Up", a 30-minutes video featuring Friends co-stars Matthew Perry and Jennifer Anniston, lighting up the Empire State Building in New York City with the colors of the OS, and bundling the game Hover! and a trailer for the 1995 movie Rob Roy in the Windows 95 CD, among other things. It seems all of these efforts worked to Microsoft"s advantage, making Windows 95 an iconic and memorable OS that managed to reach 57.4% market share by 1998.