Best Power Pop Songs of All Time?

"Tonight" by the Raspberries
The whole Singles Going Steady disc
"At Night" by Buffalo Tom

"And Your Bird Can Sing" -- The Beatles
"Dirty Water" -- The Standells
"When My Baby's Beside Me" -- Big Star
"Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" -- The Wedding Present
"Echos Myron" -- Guided by Voices
"I'm Always in Love" -- Wilco
"The Bleeding Heart Show" -- The New Pornographers

crazy that only 3 tracks by Cheap Trick are listed here! i mostly know the first two albums so these are all just from those records:

"ELO Kiddies"
"Taxman, Mr. Thief"
"He's a Whore"
"Big Eyes"
"Downed"
"I Want You To Want Me"
"Oh Caroline"
"Southern Girls"

"Downed" is probably my favorite

I want to live on a mountain
way down in Australia
It's either that or suicide
It's such a strange strain on you

hearing this the first time unlocked some hidden level in my mind completing the gap between The Beatles and Nirvana

Wait a second, there's a list of great Cheap Trick songs from the first two records that omits Oh Candy? What the hell is going on?

help me list tropes of the genre. I'll start:

Jesus
superstition

This is the best power pop song of all time:

DWIGHT TWILLEY - LOOKING FOR DA MAGICZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xq0ykm_SrM

― Moka, viernes 12 de diciembre de 2014 0:25 (three years ago)

This is still my answer.

Link has died so new link

https://youtu.be/Voa_7sLL7dQ

Ron Howard directed this made-for-TV film called Cotton Candy in 1978. That thing is the ultimate power pop movie!

This is the best power pop song of all time:

DWIGHT TWILLEY - LOOKING FOR DA MAGICZ

📹

― Moka, viernes 12 de diciembre de 2014 0:25 (three years ago)

This is still my answer.

Looking for the Magic is perfect. Adam the next two CT records are great too

On the Cheap Trick front, I saw Over the Edge for the first time tonight (in a theatre).

the next two CT records are great too

i've ordered Heaven Tonight and Dream Police both VG+ used vinyl for under $10

weird al does a surprisingly good cover of Hello There.
What's the best power pop song from a decidedly non-powerpop band?

Power Pop is probably not the first thing you think when you think NRBQ, but they had a number of great moments in that vein ("I Want You Bad", "Green Lights", "Me and The Boys" etc.).

Paperback Writer

A number of songs on the Ron Goedert solo album!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQDhavk4oh4

Is Hey Ya power pop or bubblegum?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF9DBXoBrNk

What's the best power pop song from a decidedly non-powerpop band?

Either 'Drill Sergeant' by N*E*R*D or 'Here Come July' by Scritti Politti

"My Sharona" for song structure alone.

Simon Turner - (Baby) I Gotta Go

Peace Love & Understanding - Elvis Costello

― ImprovSpirit, Friday, April 23, 2010 1:10 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is the jam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssd3U_zicAI

the beat - rock n roll girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cEvEUKN4Fw

pure bliss

https://youtu.be/gkSy-6ij76k

help me list tropes of the genre. I'll start:

Jesus
superstition

pedophilia

Some later era cheese

DM3 - Road to Rome album

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlt545QqLBKV4GK9CjjTfZX2YzEpIsqoi

Lolas - Something You Oughta Know album

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOYnBR8tMVojkgcIMG53yG4S4-Hw9U0SE

The Candyskins - Never Will Forget You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT1jh97FsXI

Flashing Lights - Where Do the Days Go? Heard this one in between sets at a Sloan show but doesn't appear to be available streaming anywhere.

What's the best power pop song from a decidedly non-powerpop band?

California Boy by Lil B came to mind, but then I remembered that song was terrible.

controversial opinion: almost all of the 90s power-pop revival stuff is trash

not controversial, just rong

controversial opinion: some of the aor/power pop crossover stuff from the early '80s (balance, martin briley) is fucking good

i have a hard time getting past the production. what’s the best 90s stuff iyo?

jellyfish

also cotton mather

i think there’s something too formally dramatic and muso to make jellyfish powerpop for the most part and i really like both things. Jellyfish are just fucking awesome.

what’s the best 90s stuff iyo?

Red Kross, Lady in the Front Row & Jimmy's Fantasy

Sloan
The Grays
The Loud Family

Never could get into Jellyfish. Too close to psychedelia I guess.

I have a soft spot for Buffalo Tom, but never loved the Posies or the Gin Blossoms

(and I absolutely adore TFC but they transcend "power pop")

I love Buffalo Tom but never really thought of them as power pop. I suppose if jangle is a major component of the genre, they do have plenty of that.

Their 2018 album is pretty solid, btw.

The track listing for Rhino's Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '90s (released, rather prematurely, in 1997):

Matthew Sweet - "I've Been Waiting"
Jellyfish - "That Is Why"
Ride - "Twisterella"
Gigolo Aunts - "Cope"
The Rembrandts - "Rollin' Down the Hill"
Tearaways - "Jessica Something"
The Posies - "Solar Sister"
The Wondermints - "Proto-Pretty"
The Lemonheads - Into Your Arms"
Redd Kross - "Lady in the Front Row"
The Grays - "Same Thing"
The Rooks - "Reasons"
The Greenberry Woods - "Trampoline"
Velocity Girl - "I Can't Stop Smiling"
Velvet Crush - "Hold Me Up"
Zumpano - "The Party Rages On"
P. Hux - "Every Minute"
Idle Wilds - "You're All Forgiven"

I know a few of those artists but I honestly can't recall any of those specific songs offhand aside from "Same Thing."

the first jason falkner solo album is also top notch

there's a KEXP version of Twisteralla I've watched at least a dozen times, what a band what a song. (Wouldn't consider it power pop though??)

by the way he took the '90s off but the toms put another record out last year and it's fucking great

I saw the Sugarplastic once in the '90s - they seemed like an actual power pop band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8HVyrkwc88

90s power pop I like (not in any order): Spongetones, Sneetches, Perspex Whiteout, Teenage Fanclub, Posies, Velvet Crush, Fountains of Wayne

didn't really like Buffalo Tom. Gigolo Aunts were OK

Velvet Crush's first two albums are essential
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqD6Z8KYUGw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHSMg0oGsII

I've never really been able to get into Matthew Sweet or Redd Kross bar a few songs here and there.