what's the most melodramatic pop song?

¿

I don't know, but I know that it was definitely written by Jim Steinman

otm

Thought this was a poll >:(

don't be so...!!

'Total Eclipse of the Heart', no?

No one mentioned it so far.

This is the answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D24yIYiVBc

Death pop from the early '60s--"Leader of the Pack," "Endless Sleep," that kind of thing.

Last Night I Dreamt... ain't no slouch

That's the good answer; the bad answer is bombast like "MacArthur Park."

xxp Yeah, I was gonna offer “Dressed in Black”

Born To Run

Skeeter Davis — The End of the World

Celine Dion "Power of Love"

Marc Almond & Gene Pitney - something's gotten hold of my heart

Meatloaf - pretty much anything but especially I'd Do Anything For Love

"Alone Again Naturally", surely. There's suicidal ideation in the opening line and it's all downhill from there.

MacArthur Park is the correct answer. Why can't a song be both bombastic and melodramatic?

Johnny Ray's "Cry."

Roy Orbison - It’s Over

Bobby Orlando - I Cry For You

The Babys - Isn't It Time

Dusty Springfield, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"

24 Hours from Tulsa

Shakespears Sister - "Stay"

Dr Hook and the Medicine Band, "Sylvia's Mother"

UK melodrama ca. 2007:

Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love”
Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black”

Is country not allowed? I guess not, or the replies would just be a list of Tammy Wynette and Red Sovine songs.

Little Rosa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iOiVh0kuaQ

Something by Depeche Mode, like "Somebody" or even "Blasphemous Rumours"?

"An American Trilogy" by Elvis Presley - he released it as a single so I think it counts as pop

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Nina Simone

"never tear us apart" was my first thought before reading the thread

came here to say MacArthur Park, if we're talking songs that are infamous for being such

but Alone Again Naturally is also a great answer. those are two sides of the same coin. (I love AAN)

Paralyzed, obv

Roy Orbison - It’s Over

I think Orbison/Gene Pitney/Del Shannon would be the male equivalent of the Shangri-Las/girl-group kind of melodrama (the best kind, I'll again add).

Party Fears Two

For emotional masculinity

James Brown - It's a Man's Man's Man's World
Jacques Brel - Dans le port d'Amsterdam / Ne me quitte pas

Both with tears and sweat running down their faces live

And in the most positive way, Nina Simone ?

Isn't 'melodramatic' a negative term per se?
I've seen songs in this thread that i love (resp. can't hate) along with others i hate, like Shakespears Sister - "Stay" (which is a good call though).

Lorraine Ellison - 'Stay With Me'

(which, although unquestionably OTT, I love a great deal)

I don't think it's negative, you can exaggerate emotions and delivery and make something great out of it. It's like an effect. A sense of grandiose, pompousness.
David Bowie - Five Years / Heroes for other familiar examples.

“over the top” (Old Lunch just used it) works like that as well

All the Things She Said?

Or Bring Me to Life?

I don't think Spector's been mentioned yet: "River Deep, Mountain High," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," many others.

Yeah, Spector definitely came to mind. 'Try Some, Buy Some' is another.

ABC - 'Look of Love'

HEAVENS ABOVE!!!

To me 'Look of Love' is the Excalibur of pop songs ("a sword that could only ever fight on the side of love and truth"). Yes, you could call that melodramatic.

...while not being whiny-voiced.

nothing compares 2u

“The Beautiful Ones”

Tom Jones - Delilah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BGL-a_FrHk

This particular rendition. I know it's a show tune, but it's also a pop song, I'd say.

air supply, making love out of nothing at all (written by jim steinman)

this version w/ the tinkling flourishes

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

Total eclipse of the heart

If we go this ridiculous route then we might as well mention Con te Partiro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_0i7Arjep4

Vienna

Annabelle Fox - “Lonely Girl”

https://youtu.be/vOJFfkfiwbY

The Pussycats' rendition of 'Dressed in Black' is one of my favorite pop songs of all time, amplifying mild adolescent drama into the grand and insurmountable tragedy which rages inside the teenaged heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xINB45xdVkg

thats the 2nd vote for “dressed in black” — lock thread, Old Lunch and I win :)

Ah, didn't even see! TBF, I'm aware of at least a half dozen renditions.

whoa that is a great record!

I do think the best melodrama is found in girl-group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nCMfoefQBY

xxp Yeah, had the original in mind, but a song is a song... glad we’re reaching consensus on SOMETHING around here

Just had a flashback to this exemplar of early video meme culture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysUjYAi0WcQ

Whyte Boots - “Nightmare”

The sirens in the last verse really get me.

https://youtu.be/78_6pE-r0g0

Have we not had any Kate Bush yet?

The ending of "He Stopped Loving Her Today" feels hyper-melodramatic given the relative reserve of the first half

I was thinking "Frankie Teardrop", but it might be the most anti-melodramatic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h27rFCiL96Y

(xp) Also the most anti-pop.

SEASONS IN THE SUN

The Walker Brothers - My Ship Is Coming In. Especially Scott's vocal towards the end.

Scott's cover of Jackie could also be a contender here.

'My Ship Is Coming In' is a good call even when there's quite a lot of SW to choose from!

"He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)" by The Crystals popped into my head

A couple of similar late 60s standards translated from French into English:

"If You Go Away" (covered by SW, etc.)
"It Must Be Him" (Vicki Carr)