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What's the Perfect Pop Tune?


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Steve Miller-Abracadabra

Swinging Medallions-Double Shot of my Baby's Love

Cher-Believe

Robert Palmer-Addicted to Love

Bob Welch-Ebony Eyes

The Clash-Rock the Casbah

Glen Frey-Party Town

Elvin Bishop-Fooled Around and Fell in Love

and on and on and on.............

My gear: http://fendercaster.freeservers.com/guit3.html

 

If you own two Lexus cars, do you have Lexi?

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Great topic and lots of great tunes already mentioned. "Time After Time" is indeed a killer (Miles could always surprise with the pop tunes he covered, rediscovered, and transformed, back to "Bye Bye Blackbird" and before, although on this one I still think I like Cyndi Lauper's original best in all its plaintive vulnerability).

 

For current tunes, how about Dre3000's "Hey Ya" for a strong if highly eccentric and unrepresentative contender? My guess is that time is going to treat this tune well.

 

In the R&B classics category, I'd say that Chic's "Good Times" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" are a couple slam dunks.

 

I also think Kool and the Gang put out several timelessly well-constucted tunes. I've been listening to (and playing along with) "Ladies' Night" a lot again lately: what a perfect balance between sinewy rhythm lines, sophisticated composition, major funk, and mainstream pop accessibility! The vamps build irresistably, and the changes are surprising but finally absolutely right. Gratifying to both brain and butt.

 

-Steve

Steve Chall

steve.chall@earthlink.net

919-969-5553

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Great topic and lots of great tunes already mentioned. "Time After Time" is indeed a killer (Miles could always surprise with the pop tunes he covered, rediscovered, and transformed, back to "Bye Bye Blackbird" and before, although on this one I still think I like Cyndi Lauper's original best in all its plaintive vulnerability).

 

For current tunes, how about Dre3000's "Hey Ya" for a strong if highly eccentric and unrepresentative contender? My guess is that time is going to treat this tune well.

 

In the R&B classics category, I'd say that Chic's "Good Times" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" are a couple slam dunks.

 

I also think Kool and the Gang put out several timelessly well-constucted tunes. I've been listening to (and playing along with) "Ladies' Night" a lot again lately: what a perfect balance between sinewy rhythm lines, sophisticated composition, major funk, and mainstream pop accessibility! The vamps build irresistably, and the changes are surprising but finally absolutely right. Gratifying to both brain and butt.

 

-Steve

Steve Chall

steve.chall@earthlink.net

919-969-5553

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Great thread and a lot of good stuff has already been mentioned. If I may add...

 

Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House (the New Zealand Beatles as far as I'm concerned).

 

I Need You - America

 

So You Are A Star - Hudson Brothers (obscure enough?)

 

Saturday In The Park - Chicago

 

Any number of ELO singles.

 

Pulling Muscles From The Shell - Squeeze

 

Man Out Of Time - Declan McManus

 

Tedster...*love* the Grand Funk song...ever heard the Jayhawk's version?

 

Hats off to all the XTC fans too.

 

Phil, never heard of this Ralph guy...must be some yahoo from the 909, eh? :wave:

this house is empty now...
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ignoring the beatles for the moment, i'd mention these gems:

 

elvis- "burnin love"

 

the cars -"my best friends girl"

 

xtc- "life begins at the hop"

 

flaming groovies -"shake some action"

 

big star- "september gurls"

 

stones - "satisfaction"

 

buzzcocks- "ever fallen in love?"

 

talking heads- "and she was" (bascially a ripoff of "just like romeo and juliet" which is an even better song, but i can't remember the band's name)

 

neil diamond via the monkees - "i'm a believer"

 

butch walker/marvelous 3 - "you're so yesterday" not the same as the lizzy maguire song

 

paul collins' beat- "rock and roll girl"

 

plimsouls- "a million miles away"

 

cheap trick- "surrender"

 

the wonderstuff- "like a merry go round"

 

the queers - "punk rock girls"

 

prince- "when you were mine"

 

the osmond brothers - "just like a yo yo"

 

ramones - "rockaway beach"

 

ohio express- "yummy yummy yummy"

 

music explosion- "little bit o soul"

 

dave clark 5- "any way you want it"

 

wilson pickett- "midnight hour"

 

eddie floyd- "knock on wood"

 

redd kross- "bubblegum factory"

 

the jam- "that's entertainment"

 

imperial drag "boy or a girl?"

 

-d. gauss

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I'll pass that along Bluestrat. :D

 

Kendrix made some good calls - can't leave Todd Rundgren off the list... so "We Gotta Get You A Woman" gets added...

 

I can't believe I left The Cars off my list too... Best Friend's Girlfriend is incredible stuff, as is pretty much the whole first album.

 

Good call on the Crowded House stuff Songwriter... I thought of adding that song to my list this morning (afternoon) when I got up. I really like that Hudson Brothers song you selected... but only the pure of powerpop heart will remember it. :D As far as the Ralph Torres guy, I think you'd like him. I will burn you a CD of some of his stuff when I see you later. ;)

 

She Loves You was a great call, but I think my fave early Beatles tune would have to be "I Saw Her Standing There". That would definitely rate as a "perfect" pop song in my book. Heck, even the count in is a classic.

 

Lots of great selections folks - keep 'em coming!

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Originally posted by gmstudio99:

Safety Dance (I forgot who did this one)

That was Men Without Hats, from Canada

 

Whichever one of the Finn Brothers did `Hit The Ground Running`-gorgeous changes

 

I would add a couple by Shawn Colvin-Another Round of Blues, Steady On, Shotgun Down The Avalance.

 

Landslide abd Bare Trees (an early one) by Fleetwood Mac are great.

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

Skipsounds on Soundclick:

www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491

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Originally posted by skipclone 1:

Originally posted by gmstudio99:

Safety Dance (I forgot who did this one)

That was Men Without Hats, from Canada

 

Whichever one of the Finn Brothers did `Hit The Ground Running`-gorgeous changes

 

Three Strange Days-School of Fish (the band)

 

I would also add a couple by Shawn Colvin-Another Round of Blues, Steady On, Shotgun Down The Avalance.

 

heck, this could go on for years...

Landslide abd Bare Trees (an early one) by Fleetwood Mac are great.

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

Skipsounds on Soundclick:

www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491

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Sweet - Love is Like Oxygen

Just about everything by Journey

Devo - We're Through Being Cool

B-52's - Rock Lobster

Queen - You're My Best Friend

Wings - Silly Love Songs

Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai

 

Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands.

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Police - Every Breath You Take

Katrina and the Waves - Walking on Sunshine

Blondie - Heart of Glass

The Lightning Seeds - Pure

Echo and the Bunnymen - Killing Moon

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK

Tone Loc - Wild Thing

Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me

 

on and on it goes, the wheel of POP (eat that Lydon!) spins again...

 

BTW, Phil....Smithereens and Sweet....! WOOHOO!!!! I thought i was the only one who appreciated them

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Birdhouse in your Soul - TMBG

She Bangs the Drums - Stone Roses

Race for the Prize - Flaming Lips

"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." - Banky Edwards.
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Originally posted by jlampson:

Phil,

 

Is Ralph a local? I'd love to catch his act, if possible.

 

John

He plays the occasional gig with his partner John McGill (another really good singer / songwriter www.johnmcgill.com ) as a duo known as "Mostly Harmless". I'll let you know if they have a show coming up in your area, and I'll be including a few of their cuts on a CD for you if I can cop a few free moments of time to put it together.
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