Ok, then pick between Dancing Queen and Stayin' Alive.
Perfect Pop Songs
Those with the kind of music, lyrics, performance, arrangement and production that you could easily repeat all day.
How about starting with this one? Somewhat outside of her usual cannon and none the worse for it. Perhaps also a contender for the sexiest vocals ever?
Louie Louie by Julie London
How about starting with this one? Somewhat outside of her usual cannon and none the worse for it. Perhaps also a contender for the sexiest vocals ever?
Louie Louie by Julie London
197 responses Add your response
I would like to take this opportunity to remind folks that the title of this thread is "PERFECT Pop Songs"....... Just sayin'. And yes, I know perfect is in the ear of the beerholder. But come on..... If you just want a list of pop songs, go to the Billboard Hot 100 charts https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/hot-100-songs |
glupson, I think "I Was Made For Loving You" is a little suggestive, "Beth" would be the best example of a perfect Kiss pop song. Yes IMO a perfect pop song is really "about nothing" I'm sure most of these have been mentioned "Walking On Sunshine" "Hold On" "Windy" "Up Up And Away" "Mellow Yellow" "Have You Ever Been Mello" "Carefree Highway" Could some of the late 60's early 70's perfect pop songs have hidden meanings? A great example for 2000's "Bad Day" Daniel Powter |
dayglow, Did you just describe Dancing Queen? Every 4-year-old girl would agree while spinning her tutu. Or, maybe even... Men’s Grande Pink Tutu Costume | Oriental Trading (I just bought ABBA The SIngles - The First Ten Years. It arrived yesterday.) Would I Was Made For Loving You by Kiss qualify for a good pop song? |
What a thread! Some Power Pop, a particularly favorite genre of mine (and apparently a lot of others): "Cruel To Be Kind", Nick Lowe "Girls Talk", Dave Edmunds "Queen Of Hearts", Dave Edmunds (forget about Juice Newton’s pale imitation) "Teacher Teacher", Rockpile "Bad Case Of Loving You", Moon Martin (ignore the terrible cover by Robert Palmer) "Cadillac Walk", Moon Martin (and the great version by Mink DeVille) "Waterloo", ABBA "Trying To Find My Baby", The Dwight Twilley Band "Precious To Me", Phil Seymour "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", The Rubinoos. Great guitar solo by Tommy Dunbar "She’d Rather Be With Me", The Turtles. Incredible drumming by Johnny Barbata! "Love’s Made A Fool Of You", The Bobby Fuller Four "Peggy Sue", "Rave On", "Words Of Love", "It’s So Easy" (Linda Ronstadt’s version may be even better), & a bunch more by Buddy Holly. For scorching Rockabilly, listen to his version of "Down The Line" (Jerry Lee Lewis did a great version of this bitchin’ song as well)
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@dayglow I think Michael Jackson was the biggest pop sound of the early 80s who was not new wave. “Don’t Stop till you get enough” is just a perfectly crafted pop tune that holds up better than anything later except maybe Man in the Mirror.. Unlike her early to mid 80’s stuff, several of Madonna’s 90’s tunes hold up well, as do certain George Michael cuts. I’m a big Prince fan too. But after Hanson’s “mmmBop”, which I still think is a well crafted pop tune that suffered from over exposure, I agree it’s hard to find enduring stuff in the early 2000s. |
I think of the early to mid 1970s as a key time for pop. With the Beatles no more, it opened up the doors for a myriad of artists and influences. Singer songwriters, arrangers, R&B and Soul and gospel influences, so much pop goodness. Heck, Al Green was a one man pop/gospel/soul hurricane (and among my top 5 artists). To the above list of perfect pop I’d include: Baker Street -Gerry Rafferty Treat Her Like a Lady - Cornelius Bros and Sister Rose Pretty much any hit by the Staple Singers She’s Gone - Hall & Oates I’ve Got the Music in Me - Thelma Houston Shining Star - The Manhattans Pretty much any hit by the Temptations Cruisin - Smokey Robinson |
Before someone beats me to it....... Don McLean - "American Pie" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX_TFkut1PM |
"To Love Somebody How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" As good as Bee Gees were, and good they were, these two songs have (to me) even better interpretations. Rod Stewart and To Love Somebody (with Booker T. and you will know it without me saying it). Al Green and How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. Not to go into vinyl/digital debate, but on the record is even more touching. Once my record develops clicks and pops it may become the ultimate version. |
@davehg - I was just listening to "Nilsson Schmilsson" and was going to post the same. So here it is...... The 1973 Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal, Male...... Harry Nilsson - "Without You" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dnUv3DUP4E |
Pre disco BeeGees released some pretty iconic pop songs, any of which would fall into the category of perfect pop: To Love Somebody How Can You Mend a Broken Heart Lonely Days Other of my fav 60s/ 70s pop songs that get close to perfect pop: Diamond Girl - Seals and Croft Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot One - Nilsson Living without You - Nilsson Rock On - David Essex And who could leave out: Brandy (You’re a fine girl) - Looking Glass |
What great suggestions so far. Bridge Over Troubled Water. Paul Simon could have several other entries (including Red Rubber Ball, recorded by the Cyrkle, mentioned earlier). Alternate, America. 25 or 6 to 4, Chicago. They could have a half dozen here, too. Alternate, Saturday in the Park. Fire and Rain, James Taylor. Alternate, Country Road. Taxi, Harry Chapin. Alternate, Mr. Tanner. Angry Eyes (album version), Loggins and Messina...alternate, Till the Ends Meet. Spinnin' Wheel, B,S&T. Alternate, You've Made Me So Very Happy. Odorono, the Who...the definition of pop! |
@woofman74, "Also, any song from 1967." Could not agree more. Any UK or US chart in any week of that year had more than its fair share of great pop songs. A few obvious examples The Association Windy (live)https://youtu.be/F_asDtq__d8 Procul Harum’s tremendously hypnotic A Whiter Shade of Pale was the big hit of the summer over here. https://youtu.be/1TQuvfTE8Ro The Doors Light My Fire which oddly wasn’t a hit in the UK upon release but that anomaly was fixed upon a subsequent release. https://youtu.be/tEXlWgMOtqc The Beatles had 3 stunning pop records in the same year as pop’s most famous album. All You Need is Love and Hello Goodbye were guaranteed number 1 hits. https://youtu.be/rblYSKz_VnI Whilst perhaps the most perfect pop record of the 3, Penny Lane only reached no 2 here in the UK. https://youtu.be/S-rB0pHI9fU It must have been a very difficult year to have to decide just which records to buy. |
And now, one of the most perfect of all...... The Association - "Never My Love" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzgpB9xpyT8 |
Stereophonics - Innocent
Brilliant Pop song I couldn't get outa my head after the first listen. Very ominous message also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5VRtNeVIgA&list=OLAK5uy_k7vb_IINI78tCPTo2X1w3ww5VzZE81n-4&i... |
IMO a perfect pop song has to be seamless. The genre is irrelevant whether its rock/country or R&B biased. 1960’s California Dreaming 1970’s Dancing Queen 1980’s Billie Jean 1990’s The Thunder Rolls I would have to do some more research to give my best examples from 2000’s 2010’s, completely stopped listening to Top 40 music when the Boy Band craze hit. Only new music I listened to after that was Metal/ Alternative Metal and later Indie Rock. |
fmpnd, I sheepishly admit that I had never heard Disco Duck before. Music may not be my ultimate pop song, but I truly admire the presentation. Another puzzling bit of pop history is the video for ABBA’s Super Trouper song. It starts, and intermittently continues, with Silhouette and not Super Trouper itself. There is no Super Trouper in sight, I think. I really wish I knew the reason for it. It is, sort of, like Leave Your Hat On without the hat. |
Regarding Stayin' Alive, from the American Heart Association website... Helping people 'Stay Alive' is easy with Hands-Only™ CPR | American Heart Association |
glupson6,836 posts01-17-2021 5:41pmPop Corn by Hot Butter! Pop it. Great song. Almost a bookend set with Wipe Out .. but it has to be (for me), the Surfaris. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR5XjdLm4T4 |
+1 on glupson’s admission and comment about the irony of the lyrics and the falsetto! I’d love to hear Lee Marvin try it. BTW, gluopson, I’m sure you know I was kidding about Disco Duck as the greatest pop song - but I laugh my a$@ off every time I hear that song on the 70s station on XM and can picture Rick Dees laughing his off on the way to the bank thinking about just what you can sell to people during a fad. |
"...Staying Alive which was disco .. and pop, and you know everyone likes it even if they won’t admit it :-)" I admit it. Proudly. The only strange thing, or that may be deeply premeditated, is that falsetto of "you can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk". I do not know if Lee Marvin could sing it, but his voice may suit those lyrics better. (Lee Marvin I was born under a Wandering Star remastered - YouTube) |
emrofsemanon38 posts01-12-2021 10:58pm"don't touch me there" by The Tubes, perfect mix of stereophonic sound and "wall of sound" production technique. And let's not forget "I touch myself" by the Diviynls But I would go with "Joy to the World", by 3 Dog Night, followed closely by Staying Alive which was disco .. and pop, and you know everyone likes it even if they won't admit it :-) ... and probably almost anything by Shania Twain even if labelled country. |
Thank you CD318, I have been enjoying this thread in spite of those wishing to debate what is and isn't Pop. Puh-leeze! - I think you know it when you hear it. Kudos to all of you who submitted some less obvious, but still worthy buried treasures: Pretty Lady, Oooh, Oooh Child, Don't Touch Me There, Nothin' But A Heartache, and Walk Away Renee. Here are a few of my faves: Nice, Nice, Very Nice Ambrosia Sweet Suzanne Buzzin' Cousins (Falling From Grace soundtrack) Trampoline or I Went Electric (both perfect examples) Bill Lloyd Slip Away Clarence Carter Don't Be Cruel Elvis Baby, Now That I Found You The Foundations Save It For A Rainy Day The Jayhawks Hold On, Hold On Neko Case Radio Song R.E.M. Love Is The Drug Roxy Music Send Me On My Way Rusted Root A Higher Place Tom Petty Also, any song from 1967. Gotta run. Time to clean some old records... |
A few years ago I was listening to a radio program, and they were asking people to call in for suggestions for inappropriate songs to play at wedding receptions. A couple of the songs mentioned: The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women; never heard of it before, but it’s been in rotation ever since Chumbawumba - Tubthumping; this was actually played at our wedding, but we were both previously divorced from horrible marriages so chose it as a triumphant anthem. It was also the Number One song in the UK that week. Every radio station on London was playing it. |
On the flip side of the brilliant "Walk Away Renee" 45 is the also wonderful "Pretty Ballerina". Both are sterling examples of Baroque Pop, a sub-genre. ;-) We tend to take The Beatles for granted (I perhaps more than most); they had more excellent Pop-type songs than any other Rock Group you can name, from "I Saw Her Standing There", "Please Please Me", "Love Me Do", "She Loves You", and "I Want To Hold Your Hand", to "Come Together", "Because", "Something" (gorgeous), and "Here Comes The Sun", the last two written by George Harrison, who by ’69 had caught up with Lennon & McCartney. McCartney credits Buddy Holly with giving him his sense of melody. Buddy was just getting started when his plane went down, a real tragedy. A Pop song can be performed in just about any style, and many have been. What is now considered Country, for example, is largely Pop music. A far cry from it’s Hillbilly beginnings. |
Bay City Rollers Saturday Night. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bay+city+rollers&&view=detail&mid=7D4F320FFF91F0B92... |
@bdp24 , "Are we to consider well-selling Classical albums Pop music?" I would. At least certain variants. Here in the UK Classic FM chart often has themes from, wait for it, computer games and films in it. Even their top 300 Hall of Fame features some very well known music. Often much to the purists disdain. Everyone here in the UK will remember Nessun Dorma (World Cup theme 1990) and Freddie Mercury's collaboration with Montserrat Caballe Barcelona (1992 Olympic Games theme). https://halloffame.classicfm.com/2020/ @desktopguy, "Every time I hear this, I fall into a spell (song-as-drug):" That’s a great point about the trance effect. I think the average music listener is drawn to pop before all else just for this reason. They want to move and they want to escape their immediate reality, of only for 3 minutes or so. Certain records with this quality seemed destined to be instant worldwide hits upon release. The obvious 2 ones that I can think of were the following. The Police : Every Breath You TakeThe Bangles : Eternal Flame @slaw, The hypnotic Walk Away Renee" by The Left Banke has somehow achieved the near impossible by replacing the also brilliant Four Tops version as my favourite. The Left Banke Walk Away Renee https://youtu.be/9_QVUfZv92U |
