pbognar Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by Tedster: Originally posted by pbognar: I agree with the people who said that half the Beatle tunes fall into that category - they were a pop band, and even though they could rock, they weren't a rock band. I agree with ya, Pete, but, mainly in today's context. When they first came out, they were very much a rock band (as defined by the music of the day). And a pop band. And I guess that's what I'm getting at is that, for instance, both Burt Bacharach and Robert Plant can do "pop"...but, you wouldn't classify all of Plant's catalog as "pop". Just kinda interesting to note. I guess in a way, I'd define "pop" in one of those high school algebra "Venn diagrams" as the mutual subset of all (or most) genres of music.Point well taken, but then we COULD include Hendrix and Zepplin in the pop category. I remember hearing "The Immigrant Song" on AM radio in the early 70's... Also, my theory of pop song construction fell apart once I thought about it - eg. "Who Let The Dogs Out" or "Bang On The Drum All Day"... I guess there is a reason they call it pop(ular) - it's a consensus thing, unfortunately sometimes forced down our throats by Clear Channel and the like. Pete Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by Tedster: At the risk of sounding like a nimrod, "Wichita Lineman" ranks up there with my favorite songs of all time. So, I'm a nimrod. Ya wanna make something of it? Here's a real oldie from the big band era that I like too, for some odd reason..."The Sunny Side Of The Street". I think because it just reminds me of my childhood. Aw, gee, pop, what a swell song!I wouldn't say it's my all time favorite, but I'll place myself in the nimrod catagory just for liking Glenn's songs mentioned above I'd like to add: Seal - Crazy John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow and even though it's not "pop" Tom Petty - There's been a change If this one comes on when I'm parking the car I'm making a couple more trips around the block! Me and my two dogs, Remington and Winchester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Boy, some more great suggestions! Bacharach - pretty much anything. I have to agree with that, but especially Walk On By. Elvis Costello - Alison. Yup, and add Man Out Of Time, Every Day I Write The Book, Clubland, What's So FUnny About Peace, Love & Understanding (another Nick Lowe penned tune), and too many more to list. I was going to add Buddy Holly to my list, but someone beat me to it. Al Green - Let's Stay Together? R&B doesn't get much better. Reverend Al RAWKS. How about Gladys? Midnight Train To Georgia? Yum. Midnight Oil? Yup - and let's add "Forgotten Years" to the list. Did someone say "Cheap Trick" - I Want YOU to Want ME. Or, even better, California Man. Seal? Yes - "No Easy Way" still kills me every time I hear it. Oh to be able to work on something that good! How could I have missed American Pie? An all time classic. One of my favorite songs of all time. Jimmy Webb wrote some amazing songs, and I have to agree with Wichita Linemen and the other Webb songs listed. Sweet? Yeah, I dug 'em in Jr Hi... so sue me. Let's add Ballroom Blitz. FOW - I have to agree with Mexican Wine. I bought the CD at the local Virgin megastore and walked out to my truck and plopped it in, only to be greeted by this powerpop masterpiece. I was blown away from the very first listen. Let's also add Fire Island and All Kinds Of Time from the same album. Here's one that had a big impact on me when it was released (1969?) - Stevie Wonder My Cherie Amour. There may be a lot of "cooler" Stevie songs, but they don't come any more melodic and beautiful than that. Pretenders? I'll always love Kid. The Knack - My Sharona? Oh YEAH - I DEFINITELY "get" the Knack. Joining a Fan Club - Jellyfish? Yeaaaahh!!! Let's just say the entire second record (Spilt Milk) - one of my all time favorite albums. Eternal Flame - Bangles? Yeah... good call. To Sir With Love - ? I forget - a woman's name Lulu? It was a good movie too. A couple of people mentioned Harry Nilsson - my favorite tune of his is probably Without Her... not to be confused with the Badfinger tune he covered (Without You), which is also a classic. Speaking of Badfinger - Come And Get It is a classic McCartney penned (and produced) pop masterpiece... and Baby Blue and Day After Day have to be mentioned. And I'd be thrown out of the powerpop lover's annual convention if I didn't mention No Matter What. A great band that suffered far too much tragedy. Okay, that's enough for now... I'll probably mention more later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Okay, someone mentioned Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers... let's add American Girl and Breakdown just for starters. If there's a cooler American rock and roll band than these guys, I can't think of it at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 And on a related note.... the Byrds "Feel A whole Lot Better" has to go on to my list (TP covered it once, and did a good job on it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Keep going, keep going...I'm writing 'em all down (on phone to band members) "Hey, time for a rehearsal". "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by pbognar: Would you agree that it is harder to write / arrange a great pop tune than a great rock tune? Regarding pop tunes, you can't go by just the "turn it up" factor - I do that with "Purple Haze" everytime I hear it, but I don't consider it to be a pop tune. In a great pop tune, the structure, lyrics, arrangement, mix, and sometimes production etc. all come into play. PeteHey Pete, I think this deserves its own thread, so if it's okay with you, I'd like to borrow this and toss it up over on the Project Studio thread. Maybe generate a little discussion regarding arranging... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveMusic Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Power of Love, Huey Lewis Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, The Casinos (except Neal McCoy's version is far better) You Really Got Me, Kinks That's Alright Mama, Elvis > > > [ Live! ] < < < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salyphus Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by pbognar: Would you agree that it is harder to write / arrange a great pop tune than a great rock tune? Regarding pop tunes, you can't go by just the "turn it up" factor - I do that with "Purple Haze" everytime I hear it, but I don't consider it to be a pop tune. In a great pop tune, the structure, lyrics, arrangement, mix, and sometimes production etc. all come into play. I agree with the people who said that half the Beatle tunes fall into that category - they were a pop band, and even though they could rock, they weren't a rock band. Well I would say that Pop is not a genre at all, it is a classification. Any style of music can be Pop, it just has to be really popular. I would definitely consider 'Purple Haze' Pop as well as Rock, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comfortat Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 "I wanna hold yer hand" Or 100 other Beatles' tunes. If you don't wanna be nibbled, don't play with the bunny. God created Eve and me, not Steve and me. - Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrix Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Originally posted by LiveMusic: Power of Love, Huey Lewis Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, The Casinos (except Neal McCoy's version is far better) You Really Got Me, Kinks That's Alright Mama, ElvisYeah the KINKS. How could we leave them out? "All day and all of the night" is the other one. Check out some tunes here: http://www.garageband.com/artist/KenFava Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaibuka Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 men at work, simple minds, david bowie, talking heads, depeche mode, steely dan, don henley, robert plant, paul simon, john lennon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roto Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 Gotta add my favorite band Los Lobos: Don't Worry Baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Somehow, this thread seemed to veer off track. Or else it just proves that "pop" means something different to everyone. to me, "pop" music is called that in the way some people would differentiate between "hard" liquor and soda "pop". "Pop" music, to me, was always catchy in the beat, harmless in it's approach, lacking in "meat", "drive", "groove" and "balls". Cheezy stuff that for a while was called "bubblegum" due to it's wide appeal to pre-adolescents. Many of the tunes put up here do NOT fall into this category. Most DO, however. For the youngsters(GAWD, did THAT sound like Ed Sullivan!)there was a period of time from '67 to about '73 when AM and FM both had plenty of music stations. AM were the stations that played the tunes that were too lame for the progressive and once-called "underground" rock music that them "hippies" listened to on FM. In other words, "pop" music. Some of the tunes put up are bona fide ROCK tunes, and cannot be fairly listed in a thread about "pop". To illustrate, I'll list some from that period. "One, Two, Three Red Light"/1910 Fruitgum Co. "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy"/Ohio Express "Summer Rain"/Johnny Rivers "Arizona"/Mark Lidsay, I think... "Dizzy"/Tommy Roe "Cherish"/Assotiation "Sugar Sugar"/The Archies "Ben"/Michael Jackson "Crimson And Clover"/Tommy James&The Shondells Hey, Ted! Listened to "The Big 8" a lot myself. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gord -B Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 The Church - Under the Milky Way This is my new fav song Derek Smalls: It's like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role in the band is to be somewhere in the middle of that, kind of like lukewarm water. http://www.myspace.com/gordonbache Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan South Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I could list hundreds of technically good ones, so I'll list one that stands out from the crowd. Baby Got Back, by Sir Mix-a-lot The follow up single was also cool. You have to see the videos to fully appreciate them, though. The Black Knight always triumphs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Here`s one from an unusual source that always stikes me as pretty close to perfect: The Pet Shop Boys w/Dusty Springfield, `What Have I Done To Deserve This?` Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throatsinger Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Catchiest Power-Pop tune I've heard in a LONG time is Los Lobos' Good Morning Aztlan. Yeah! Steve Sklar http://www.bigskyrocks.com (some good power pop there, btw) Steve Sklar http://khoomei.com http://www.bigskyrocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Crimson And Clover"/Tommy James&The Shondells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorman Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 what about hotel california - eagles? and you and i - yes river - joni mitchell hysteria - def lepperd black cow - steely dan kyle's mom is a bitch - cartman (southpark) - it is freakin' hilarious. she's a beauty - tubes little fighter - white lion headed for a heartbreak - winger rough boy - zz top matters of the heart - michael mcdonald new york minute - don henley luck of the draw - bonnie raitt avenging annie - andy pratt geez, there's a lot of 'em... jnorman sunridge studios salem, oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorman Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 windows to the soul - steve vai (it's in 11/8 - the drum part kicks ass, not to mention vai's guitar) sailing to philadelphia - mark knopfler 40,000 headmen - blood, sweat and tears new york state of mind - billy joel power of love - rick springfield jnorman sunridge studios salem, oregon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblue1 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 The Night Chicago Died had more gimmicks, schtick, musical quotations, production tricks and sound effects than any song since Spike Jones packed it in. That's the kind of criteria you all use, too, isn't it? [OK, OK. How about Dusty Springfield doing The Look of Love? That makes me pretty weak in the knees even decades later...] bookmark these: news.google.com | m-w dictionary | wikipedia encyclopedia | Columbia Encyclopedia TK Major / one blue nine | myspace.com/onebluenine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael saulnier Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 If the definition of "pop" and "rock" can blend when they hit the "mass media"... and if the criteria is that I get the urge to "turn it up" when they hit my radio... Then I can add these to the list. Jane - Starship Carry on my Wayward Son - Kansas More than a Feeling - Boston Wheel in the Sky - Journey Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith Ride Like the Wind - Christopher Cross Don't Take Me Alive - Steely Dan Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi Born To Run - Springsteen Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple You Really Got Me - Van Halen Breakdown - Tom Petty Crossfire - SRV Little Bit of Sympathy - Robin Trower We're an American Band - Grand Funk Railroad Born to be Wild - Steppinwolf Mississippi Queen - Mountain Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuLio Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Perfect Pop tune or Perfect Pop Marketing either way it's a category some of my faves fit in even though some of the are a little obscure by top 40 radio standards Lisa Loeb - Stay McKinley - Lucky Child Duncan Sheik - That Says It All Lyle Lovett - North Dakota Shawn Colvin - When Sunny Came Home 5440 - One Gun XTC - Louder Than Bombs Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out Cibo Matto - Sugar Water David Bowie - Space Odditty John Prine - Angel From Montgomery Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule Neil Young - Heart of Gold Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer The Producers - She Sheila Rod Stewert - Maggie May Steelers Wheel - Stuck in the Middle With You dare I follow that with Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do Stan Ridgway - Drive The Police - Roxanne Camper VanBeethovan - Jack Ruby Pixies - Here Comes Your Man Thomas Dolby - My Brain Is Like A Sieve Everclear - AM Radio Tom Tom Club - Measure Up Madness - Our House Emmy Lou Harris - Where Will I Be English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom Beck - I'm a Loser Crowded House - Fall at Your Feet Talking Heads - Burning Down the House Sorry this is such a damn long list but these are just a few of my "Pop" faves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Fortner Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Wow! I actually have a couple no one's posted, unless my eyes are catching up to my mind (going, that is...) Barenaked Ladies: "It's All Been Done" and "One Week" IMHO this band is doing some of the catchiest, hookiest, tastiest pop out there. Stephen Fortner Principal, Fortner Media Former Editor in Chief, Keyboard Magazine Digital Piano Consultant, Piano Buyer Magazine Industry affiliations: Antares, Arturia, Giles Communications, MS Media, Polyverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by Stephen Fortner: Wow! I actually have a couple no one's posted, unless my eyes are catching up to my mind (going, that is...) Barenaked Ladies: "It's All Been Done" and "One Week" IMHO this band is doing some of the catchiest, hookiest, tastiest pop out there.I'm a fan, took the whole family to see them here last week, but hesitated putting them on the list. There are a few songs on their latest album that seem influenced by XTC, who have been frequently mentioned here. My picks from BnL for this list would be "Jane" and "Brian Wilson". (How ironic is this: a few years ago, I saw Brian Wilson play a cover of "Brian Wilson".) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rog Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by powerpop: The Boy with the Arab Strap - Belle and Sebastian "That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." - Banky Edwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix. Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 The Go Go's - Our Lips are Sealed The Police - Every Little Thing She Does is Magic Abba - Dancing Queen Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now Queen - Another One Bites the Dust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hound Dog Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 The Monkees - I'm a Believer Yum, Yum! Eat em up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baileyrecords Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by Anderton: Well we all know of at least one or two pop songs that when they come on the radio, you want to turn them up...what are your favorites? Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" comes close, but the bridge seems a little forced. The Hooters' "And We Danced" is really pretty cool, compact writing, good performances. I guess I'd have to give a real thumbs-up to Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time." Hell, if it's good enough for Miles Davis...come to think of it, the Scritti Politti song he covered was pretty close to perfect pop too. There are others, but...what are YOUR faves?All of your suggestions are great and definitely in my top bracket... but I'd add pretty much an radio single from Madonna as best pop songs. No Doubt is a great, edgier pop flava too! - Stratos Bryan K. Borgman (aka: Stratos) Bailey Records Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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