I had some ideas before I clicked on the thread but I think I'll go with "The Day the Music Died". A second goes to Micheal Jackson's "Beat It". I'll deny it if confronted but I had a Beat It jacket. A Thriller one too. But don't tell anyone. LoL
the greatest pop song ever?
apropos of absolutely nothing, i just listened to the song "five o clock world" by the vogues for the first time in perhaps 20 years. i heard it on a really good lexus (levinson) sound system and have concluded that it's arguably the greatest pop production ever--the damn thing's incredible. in the space of a quick two minutes you get 12 string guitar, marimba, horns, incredible drumming and a really wild honky-tonk piano, all on top of those weird doowop harmonies. add to the mix a really tight melody and sorta meaningful lyrics and you have something that makes phil spector look unambitious and timid.
also from left field, i've been touting a song called "i can see you" by someone or something called june and the exit wounds as the single most beautiful tune ever written. as far as i know, it's only been released on a sampler by parasol records (an indy label out of urban il). this song sounds like some lost brian wilson masterpiece and is well worth finding for those in search of audio nirvana.
also from left field, i've been touting a song called "i can see you" by someone or something called june and the exit wounds as the single most beautiful tune ever written. as far as i know, it's only been released on a sampler by parasol records (an indy label out of urban il). this song sounds like some lost brian wilson masterpiece and is well worth finding for those in search of audio nirvana.
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Billie Jean is up there with the best pop efforts, the minute you here that bass line you tend to turn it up a little. I always liked I ran by "A flock of seagulls" another great beat. "December" by Collective Soul is one pop masterpiece not the best but its simply a great pop work IMO aswell............the list could go on and on. Older efforts would be The Hollies Long cool woman, Marvin Gaye Hear it through the grapevine and Bostons More than a feeling. |
It's my understanding that a pop song is a song that is popular...right. Not just slightly popular but popular in that it draws the attention of many people...I mean millions of people. Based on this qualification Michael Jackson is tops. I'm not a tremendous fan however based on thread initiation...this is a no brainer and answers the question as it pertains to 'song'. This thread is more of a greatest personal pop song of all time. These are opinions...can't be proven...remember fact and opinion...? I teach it in second grade. Now if you want to question artist as a whole...Beatles followed by Elvis...Elvis who? Get real. And third, M. Jackson closely trailed by Abba and Queen. |
I can't believe it, a Vogues song being listed as being one of the greatest pop songs ever. I really loved this group and they had some really good tunes in the early to mid 60's certainly 5 o'clock world would be one of them. Who would have ever though that they would ever be remembered and honored by being considered as having "the greatest pop song ever" 45 years later, a group somewhat similar to the Association if not quite as popular at the time. By the way talk about harmonies no one mentions "Cherish" great harmonies and a pretty good tune as well. Too bad it was quite overplayed none the less it was probably the biggest pop song of 1966. What is conspiciously absent are any of the great pop songs prior to the 60's. Have they been considered or is this list limited to 60's - current? Stardust, Body and Soul, My Funny Valentine, Night and Day, come to mind immediately. What about Fire and Rain, Like a Rolling Stone, Blowin in the Wind. My top nominee is Stardust. Bad Romance is tops for guilty pleasures :) |
duanegoosen, great list--many of my faves. also: replacements--unsatisfied dwight twilley--sincerly posies--dream all day verlaines--death and the maiden chills--pink frost rolling stones--torn and frayed paul mccartney--let me roll it big star--whats going ahn byrds--set you free this time lou reed--legendary hearts robyn hitchcock--madonna of the wasps marinne faithful--broken english neil young--broken arrow/expecting to fly elliott smith--between the bars afghan whigs--what jail is like smiths--how soon is now procol harum--homburg shins--phantom limb shoes--now and then otis redding--these arms of mine foster and lloyd--lie to yourself mekons--memphis egypt tommy keene--back to zero radiohead--karma police jethro tull--with you there to help me badfinger--baby blue aimee mann--i should've known bee gees--to love somebody bob mould--next time you leave george jones--she thinks i still care elvis costello--pidgin english graham parker---discovering japan and on and on........................ |
Also dig Friday on my mind. There are so many good poppy flavors available. Can't help thinking how much better radio could have been: See Emily Play/ Pink Floyd (the Bowie one is good too) Yellow Pills/ 20/20 I Can see For Miles/ The Who Go All The Way/ The Raspberries Sister Havana/ Urge Overkill Little Green Bag/ George Baker Selection The Move/ Do Ya She's A Sensation/ The Ramones Here Comes My Baby/ The Tremeloes Sunshine Superman/ Donovan Summer in the City/ Lovin' Spoonful Just What I Needed/ The Cars That Thing You Do/ Dwight Twilley Breakup Song/ Greg Kihn Strangers When We Meet/ Smithereens Modern World/ The Jam You Really Got Me/ Kinks Look Sharp/ Joe Jackson Speedy's Coming/ Scorpions Walk Don't Run/ Ventures Sleepwalk/ Shadows Fleetwood Mac/ Albatross Seven and Seven is/ Love Too Much To Dream Last Night/ Electric Prunes (Like the Stiv Bators one too) Procol Harum/ Whiter Shade Of Pale Jimi Hendrix/ Wind Cries Mary She's a Rainbow/ Rolling Stones Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape/ Be Bop Deluxe Space Oddity/ David Bowie Backwater/ Meat Puppets Where is My Mind (and lots of others)/ Pixies Radiohead/ Creep I Will Follow/ U2 Eddie and the Hot Rods/ Do Anything You Wanna Do Never Say Never/ Romeo Void Gobs of glaring omissions, but gotta stop somewhere |
02-28-10: ShadorneFunny to hear how much of that style was carried over into Seal's work, just updated with better syntehsizers. The really impressive thing is listening to the 1985 studio original and then hearing this 2005/6 live version. Not always easy to do such a highly polished/produced studio dance tune live and catch the essence of it. |
@Jdoris - DSOTM on Billboard top 200 for 741 weeks From wikipedia: "The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine. The two primary charts - the Hot 100 (top 100 singles) and the Top 200 (top 200 albums) factor in airplay, as well as music sales in all relevant formats." Not sure of the OP's constraints for methods of determination, however you get what you get when asking such a question in an audiophile forum - grab some popcorn. |
Reading this list, I'm no longer sure what a "pop" is. It sometimes (especially when spelled out as "popular music") seems to mean "everything but classical," or "everything but classical and (most) jazz," in which case most everything on the thread counts, even things I'd have thought of as rather unlikely, like the B-52s or the Stones. Anyone have a definition? Sales is one possibility,as Tvad notes, but the we get things like Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," which seems a very different animal than, say, Madonna. John |
In the somewhat obscure, yet I definitely love category: Reading about Five-O'Clock World (which I love) reminded me of The Zombies and "Tell Her No". I also like "She's Not There" a whole lot too. Fun thread. Not pop, and not *that* obscure, but, if I could nominate a somewhat obscure rock/blues song, it would be "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". |
02-26-10: TvadI'd also say most covered song would qualify as best pop song. There has to be a reason why it's covered the most. I think for decades, that title was held by "Louie Louie" by Richard Berry circa '55/'57 but made infamous by The Kingsmen in ~1963. There have been something like 1,500 covers/versions of that tune recorded. |
I know 4 songs that aren't the greatest pop song ever: "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Muskrat Love" by Captain & Tennille "Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace |
Ras 422, I always thought that The Showmen were overlooked. Everyone hailed Brian Wilson when he fused vocal music (doo wop) with Chuck Berry, Cal sunny lyrics and his own lunatic production vision. Meanwhile, over on the East Coast, Allen Toussaint was doing something similar with Johnson and The Showmen - but in a low key manner that lacked the production values. Even though the music had IMHO more emotional resonance, no-one seemed to notice. Johnson got his due later with The Chairmen of The Board and a more Motown approach. He also wrote "Patches", my nomination for the best truly bad song ever written. IMHO, Johnson's a great singer and generally cool guy who had a great, largely unappreciated contribution to RnR over its first two decades. |
