POWER POP - THE LIST AND AN ATTEMPT AT A DEFINITION

Here’s a list I found interesting from a book entitled SHAKE SOME ACTION: THE ULTIMATE POWER POP GUIDE by John Borack which lists in the author’s opinion the top 200 power pop records….I think the blogger has added his favorite songs on each album as well….

http://www.soundopinions.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=16206

First off, I would say that the definition of power pop I have is limited….Guys in string ties playing a version of pre-1966 Beatles guitar pop with middle 8’s and nice harmonies….The top 200 list has bands as diverse as Squeeze, Nick Lowe, and XTC (whose music I do love by the way) Cheap Trick, Rick Springfield (!), Jellyfish (who seem as much influenced by Queen as they do The Beatles) as well as traditional 70’s power posters such as The Raspberries, The Shoes, The Knack etc.

But I like the fact that the definition has grown to include bands that don’t necessarily follow the rigid rules….Basically, anybody using the template created by The Beatles could be classified in this way…. The instrumentation doesn’t matter.

As far as music history goes, it is now clear to me that power pop as a genre is separate from all the myriad other musical genres it was sort of lumped in with before (60’s British invasion, late 60’s second wave, punk, new wave, post punk, indy music)….It has a clear beginning with The Beatles….It has an underappreciated before its time group that all the current bands praise – Big Star….Big Star is to the power pop scene as The Velvet Underground is to punk and new wave music….It has different sub genres….Some bands are louder and heavier (The Posies or Teenage Fanclub) others are much more retro in their sound and style (Marshall Crenshaw or The Liverpool Echo)….

You can’t go wrong with The Beatles and you can’t go wrong with clever smart three minutes or less songs….Music like that is much missed today.

Here are five songs diverse yes but all could fit under the power pop heading….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6pUZNfzk3Q


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJsf1Yp5blw&feature=PlayList&p=EE02E1D90F9DB005&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxe-ZXrgRqY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omiv4WmJESE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf6bsn51Fqg