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

Just about any single released by Katy Perry.

 

New Radicals - You Get What You Give


One of the great one hit wonders of all time.

 

Todd Rundgren "Izzat Love"

 

To me, the criteria for a great pop song are the obvious attributes of a killer hook, danceability and a timelessness. But it should also be able to cross genre boundaries, as well as be commercially successful. Although many have been listed here, and others come to mind as well, this is the one that fulfills my criteria:

 

Dusty Springfield Son of a Preacher Man

 

New Radicals - You get what you give (best pop record gets my vote)

but my favourite single

 

Beat It is a great song, and I'm a big fan of Michael Jackson's 80s work, but I struggle with calling it a great pop song since it's clearly trying to be a hard rock song.

 

"Love or Let Me Be Lonely" - The Friends of Distinction

 

Don't know about "the" perfect pop song but there are many candidates for pop perfection...

Andy Kim "Baby I Love You"

 

The Cure - Just like Heaven

 

Gotye - "Somebody That I Used to Know"

 

Three from each decade:

1950s

Wake Up Little Susie - The Everly Brothers
Don't Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
Fever - Peggy Lee

1960s

I Want To Hold Your Hand - Beatles
Waterloo Sunset - Kinks
Leader of the Pack - Shangri Las

1970s

Ever Fallen In Love - Buzzcocks
You're My Best Friend - Queen
Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet

1980s

New Life - Depeche Mode
Torch - Soft Cell
Borderline - Madonna

1990s

Blur - Girls and Boys
Teenage Fanclub - Ain't That Enough
Pulp - Common People

2000s

White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
Girls Aloud - Biology

2010s

This is where I struggle. I find the indie / guitar pop bland from this decade and the pop scene to be too autotuned, full of token guest rappers or unmelodic. I'm not saying there's been a decline as I don't want to get into that debate. I still hear pop songs I like (Bad Liar - Selena Gomez and Move by Little Mix spring to mind. Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry is good too) but not much that grabs my attention and sticks with me. A lot of it drives me round the bend!

 

SUNNY - Bobby Hebb

 

So why didn't Nez sabotage PVS the way Dolenz did on Mike's video of "What Am I Doing Hanging 'Round"?
That really bothered me. Sure it's obvious they are syncing the song, but to constantly mug and wave while another member is carrying the tune?
Apparently something similar happened with the Lovin' Spoonful on some show. One of the members was goofing off while Sebastian was trying to perform.

 

Too difficult to choose only one, and trying to pick some that have not been listed. A lot of great ones so far. Some of my favourites (in addition to about 30 already listed ):

Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet
I Am Superman - REM
Give Paris One More Chance - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe
Here Comes Your Man - The Pixies
Rollerskate Skinny - Old 97's
Town Called Malice - The Jam
Romeo's Tune - Steve Forbert
You Didn't Have To Be So Nice - The Lovin' Spoonful

 

Crowded House-Don't Dream Its Over
Squeeze-Up the Junction
The Tragically Hip-Ahead by a Century
Cheap Trick-Surrender
Beach Boys-God Only Knows
The Bangles-If She Knew What She Wants
Big Star-September Gurls
Hanson-Mmm Bop
Marshall Crenshaw-Someday, Someway
The Knack-My Sharona
The Kinks-Waterloo Sunset
Sloan-The Other Man

I obviously really like power pop.

 

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles. Heavenly.

 

There She Goes - The La’s

The perfect ‘pop’ song.

 

I see some rock songs in these pop lists, on this page alone "My Sharonna" "Girlfriend" "Ballroom Blitz" are listed. Sure they topped the charts, but they are still rock songs and not pop songs if you ask me.

 

Yep. My generation's perfect pop anthem.

 

A gem from the 90s...

 

"I'm Coming Out", Diana Ross

You don't have to be gay or love disco to get into this one.

 

This Magic Moment - the drifters
All I Want - toad the wet sprocket
Dreams - the cranberries