Name A Great Power Pop Tune

Not all of these are power pop groups. You may argue my choices (Zeppelin and Foo Fighters) but I think each of these songs fit the criteria:

Waters Part by Let's Active
The Ocean Inbetween by Matthew Sweet
Couldn't I Just Tell You by Todd Rundgren
Jet by Paul McCartney & Wings
Learn To Fly by Foo Fighters
American Girl by Tom Petty
Bed of Roses by The Smithereens (practically anything by
The Smithereens)
Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin
Kiss This One Goodbye by Andrew Gold
Loud by Richard X. Heyman
Dear Miss Finland by Nick Heywood
Waiting To Shine by Adam Schmitt
Fresh As A Daisy by Emitt Rhodes
Hero Takes A Fall by The Bangles
Oh No The Radio by Owsley
Just A Chance by Badfinger
Girl by The Records
The Laws Have Changed by The New Pornographers
Always Love by Nada Surf
Publish My Love by Rogue Wave

 

^ There are plenty of bands/artists I wouldn't normally consider strictly power pop, who at one time or another have had a song or two that do fit the genre. Like...



I was going to post Elliot Smith's "Baby Britain", too, but it's not available on YouTube.

 

A lot of good ones already mentioned. I also liked "Right Between The Eyes" by Wax, consisting of Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman. Actually made it to #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.

 

Apples in Stereo from an album filled with gems of the more modern power pop.

 

"Tonight", the Raspberries.

I mean, fookin' hell, come on already! If this one doesn't rock you, you probably can't fog a mirror.

 

Recently and with the departure of Coz Canler, The Romantics have started including this song in their sets. Bassist/vocalist Rich Cole is back in the band on bass, while Mike Skill is back on lead guitar. Mike is not only a great bassist, but an amazing lead guitarist. I believe the albums with Coz had Mike on bass, while the albums with Rich had him on lead guitar.

 

ummm.. NO!

 

no

 

Come And Get It.

 

River Deep Mountain High - Ike And Tina Turner. Why it wasn't an American Number 1 I'll never know. An all time classic power song.

 

How about Let's Go Crazy?

 

http://grooveshark.com/s/So+Far+So+Pleased/3P6UVl?src=5

 

This song its perfect

 

...but power pop? Nah...

 

It's catchy - I'll give you that... but it's not what I'd classify as power pop. I'd call it good pop music but not good power pop.

 

It may or may not be "power pop" (just not comfortable labeling what I think is just great rock 'n' roll, which is what most of the songs in this thread happen to be), but I wish like hell that I had written and performed this one.

 

Take your pick:

 

Read the whole thread and am going to try to share a few that I don't think have been mentioned ... if they were and I missed it, apologies!

First off, so glad to see someone else appreciates the amazing power pop that is/was (is) Stackridge, and I would add "Last Plimsoll" to go with your submission of "Fundamentally Yours."

I'm surprised not to see ANY mention of Pilot ... I'd have to add "Just A Smile" and "Sooner or Later" ...

Also ... (trying to limit myself to one song per artist)

Not sure if this qualifies or people think it's too "mellow" but definitely for me "Silver and Gold" by Artful Dodger
"Cupid Complained to Venus" by Mike Viola/Candy Butchers
"Troubled Times" by Fountains of Wayne
"Lisa Anne" by Bill Lloyd
"Bitch of Living" from the "Spring Awakenings" soundtrack (and I'm not a big fan of the show, just this song)
"Tattoo" by Novo Combo
"You Just Don't Wanna Know" by Jules and the Polar Bears
"Lysistrata" by Todd/Utopia
"I Want You Bad" by NRBQ
"Never Enough" by Baby Grand
"Blue Chair" by Elvis Costello
"Deathbed" by Ike

And finally, out of left field, "La Muralla Verde" by Los Enanitos Verdes ... one of my favorite power pop tunes ever even if I don't understand most of what they're saying (they're Argentinian and it's in Spanish)

 

Jude Cole is an amazing songwriter. If you haven't heard the album "A View From 3rd Street" but like power pop, you're really missing out. One of my all-time favorite albums (and I put Jude just a bit under Lennon/McCartney and Neil Finn as one of the best songwriters).

 

This is one of the main ones I thought of when I saw the topic. The guitar riff is fantastic and with a "ballsier" voice this could be a smash record.

 

Couldn't say, but "When You Were Mine" is certainly very power pop.

When I was in HiFi with Iain Matthews and David Surkamp, we did a killer version of it. I still love that song.

 

Love that song, It's Cold Outside

 

Don't forget Start (Taxman ripoff that it might be) & That's Entertainment from Sound Affects
& you gotta include something from the brilliant 3rd LP, All Mod Cons,how bout this explosive B-side

 

Got to interview Mimi Betinis for a local band radio show I did in 2010. Cool guy,not only still loves to play his Pezband songs from the late 70s live,but reunited the band last year for a few shows,including Fitzgeralds in the Chicago Western suburb of Berwyn.