What would you consider over the years as the perfect pop song?

Dusty Springfield, I Only Want to Be With You:

 

I could add a like to just about every pick on the last 7 pages ,Its about time for some Monkees-Pleasant Valley Sunday

 

OutKast - Hey Ya

 

"You On My Mind" by Swing Out Sister - and their version of "Am I The Same Girl"*
*lyricized version of Young-Holt Unlimited's (and later George Benson's) "Soulful Strut"-I found out this was done by Barbara Acklin and Dusty Springfield and others; I'll have to check out those versions.

Gotta give a shout out to basically the whole ABBA catalog! And did anyone mention "Midnight Train To Georgia" by Gladys Knight and the Pips? And "You Were Always On My Mind"-is that "pop"?

 

The drums also sound great.

 

One of the best songs and performances of all time! Just how sexy those girls are, no need to prance around semi-naked like today's performers. A wink, a gesture, a smile and I'm hooked

 

Knocks the spots off Elvis's own version, and I always wondered why Elvis leaves out the line "it's a more or less situation.."

 

M - Pop Muzik

 

real thread title: I'm old, get off my lawn

 

It's true the 60s & 70s are resplendent with great Pop records but some damned fine stuff came along after like this one.

Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World

 

Todd Rundgren-Hello It's Me

 

Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence"

 

I'm still floored by "Yellow Submarine".

It's so insanely catchy, clever chords in the verse and a chorus that sounds like it always existed.

How did they do it? It's like writing "Happy Birthday To You".

And the lyrics are brilliant, a tale of fame (in the fishbowl) disguised as a children's song. Pure genius.

 

For me, the perfect Pop record should have an element of fun. Debbie Gibson achieved that with this one.

 

Is this really a thread for people to name their favourite songs?

I believe these two are perfect pop songs, and btw they are not my favourite songs.

Penny Lane
Waterloo Sunset.

 

I'll speak for myself when I say "Hello It's Me" isn't even my favorite Todd song. I recognize its brilliance.

 

I'm a journalist. Years ago ... probably the 1980s ... we got something on the wire, a music critic listing what he thought were the 10 most perfect pop records ... i.e., singles ... ever released.

His criteria were performance, songwriting, the overall "sound" of the record, and he had a big emphasis on hooks.

I've never been able to find that piece since, it's pre-Internet and probably lost to history, and I only remember three of the records and I think they're applicable here.

Chattanooga Choo Choo by Glenn Miller ... it ain't rock but that's a hell of a pop record brimming over with hooks.

She Loves You by The Beatles.

Oh Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison.

 

Teenage Kicks - Undertones

 

Normally I'd be the first one to say "just go off the page for great music".

But this a pop music thread. I would think "popular" is kind of a big factor in the question. That Frozen song is hook-laden and definitely grabbed the public consciousness more than any other song in recent memory. Gangnam Style was more of a fad...high rise, quick fall.

 

Perfect pop song: SOS
Perfect pop record: Be My Baby

 

So many great ones to choose from. How about this one? This song just energizes me and makes me all tingly happy inside. LOL!

 

I could list dozens of truly perfect pop songs, but these are the ones that hit me in the gut every time and make me stop what I'm doing and listen:

Anarchy In The UK - Sex Pistols
I Should Be So Lucky - Kylie Minogue
Stop! In The Name Of Love - The Supremes