I've wanted to make this list for a long time, and I'm sure I have forgotten some. But this is the term that actually defines the kind of Rock that I like: "Power Pop". Pete Townsend actually coined the phrase first in the `60's when he was asked what to call their (mod-era) music. Power Pop's roots are definitely in the early `60's British Invasion music, and this is how it's been described:
"Please Please Me" - The Beatles
"I Feel Fine" - The Beatles
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
"I Can't Explain" - The Who
"The Kids Are Alright" - The Who
"I'm A Boy" - The Who
"Fun Fun Fun" - The Beach Boys
"Girl Don't Tell Me" - The Beach Boys
"Sugar and Spice" - The Searchers or The Cryan' Shames
"In the Street" - Big Star
"September Gurls" - Big Star
"Red Rubber Ball" - The Cyrkle
"You're The One" - The Vogues
"She's Not There" - The Zombies
"Starry Eyes" - The Records
"Go All The Way" - The Raspberries
"I Wanna Be With You" - The Raspberries
"My Sharona" - The Knack
"Heartbeat" - The Knack
"Good Girls Don't" - The Knack
"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"Teacher Teacher" - Rockpile
"And Your Bird Can Sing" - The Beatles
"No Matter What" - Badfinger
"I Can't Let Go" - The Hollies
"What I Like About You" - The Romantics
"Friday On My Mind" - The Easybeats
"I Want You To Want Me" - Cheap Trick
"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
"Southern Girls" - Cheap Trick
"California Man" - Cheap Trick
"The Breakup Song" - Greg Kihn Band
"Fox On The Run" - Sweet
"Saturday Night" - The Bay City Rollers
"You Might Think" - The Cars
"My Best Friend's Girlfriend" - The Cars
"You're All I've Got Tonight" - The Cars
"Eight Miles High" - The Byrds
"I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" - The Byrds
"You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
"Lies" - The Knickerbockers
"Could You Be The One" - Hüsker Dü
"Are You Receiving Me?" - XTC
"Senses Working Overtime" - XTC
"Something So Strong" - Crowded House
"Someday Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw
"Baby's Coming Back" - Jellyfish
"Head On" - The Jesus & Mary Chain
"This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" - The Kings
"Ever Fallen In Love?" - The Buzzcocks
"Starsign" - Teenage Fanclub
"There's No Other Way" - Blur
"There She Goes" - The La's
"Pulling Mussels From the Shell" - Squeeze
"I See Red" - Split Enz
"I've Been Waiting" - Matthew Sweet
"Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
"Valerie Loves Me " - Material Issue
"Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne
"That Thing You Do" - The Wonders
"Here It Goes Again" - OK Go
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eats World
"Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett
"All The Small Things" - blink-182
"It's The End of the World As We Know It" - R.E.M.
"Swing Swing" - All-American Rejects
"Dirty Little Secret" - All-American Rejects
"Buddy Holly" - Weezer
I'm sure I've forgotten a few.
"Power Pop typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are usually kept to a minimum, and blues elements are largely downplayed. Recordings tend to display production values that lean toward compression and a forceful drum beat. Instruments usually include one or more electric guitars, an electric bass guitar, a drum kit, and sometimes electric keyboards or synthesizers."So here's my list...some of them are standards, some of them might be argued, and some are my own choices. I tried to keep it to songs that were hits or cult hits. Feel free to reply with any you feel I missed. These are in no particular order other than the way I thought of them:
"Please Please Me" - The Beatles
"I Feel Fine" - The Beatles
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
"I Can't Explain" - The Who
"The Kids Are Alright" - The Who
"I'm A Boy" - The Who
"Fun Fun Fun" - The Beach Boys
"Girl Don't Tell Me" - The Beach Boys
"Sugar and Spice" - The Searchers or The Cryan' Shames
"In the Street" - Big Star
"September Gurls" - Big Star
"Red Rubber Ball" - The Cyrkle
"You're The One" - The Vogues
"She's Not There" - The Zombies
"Starry Eyes" - The Records
"Go All The Way" - The Raspberries
"I Wanna Be With You" - The Raspberries
"My Sharona" - The Knack
"Heartbeat" - The Knack
"Good Girls Don't" - The Knack
"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"Teacher Teacher" - Rockpile
"And Your Bird Can Sing" - The Beatles
"No Matter What" - Badfinger
"I Can't Let Go" - The Hollies
"What I Like About You" - The Romantics
"Friday On My Mind" - The Easybeats
"I Want You To Want Me" - Cheap Trick
"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
"Southern Girls" - Cheap Trick
"California Man" - Cheap Trick
"The Breakup Song" - Greg Kihn Band
"Fox On The Run" - Sweet
"Saturday Night" - The Bay City Rollers
"You Might Think" - The Cars
"My Best Friend's Girlfriend" - The Cars
"You're All I've Got Tonight" - The Cars
"Eight Miles High" - The Byrds
"I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" - The Byrds
"You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
"Lies" - The Knickerbockers
"Could You Be The One" - Hüsker Dü
"Are You Receiving Me?" - XTC
"Senses Working Overtime" - XTC
"Something So Strong" - Crowded House
"Someday Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw
"Baby's Coming Back" - Jellyfish
"Head On" - The Jesus & Mary Chain
"This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" - The Kings
"Ever Fallen In Love?" - The Buzzcocks
"Starsign" - Teenage Fanclub
"There's No Other Way" - Blur
"There She Goes" - The La's
"Pulling Mussels From the Shell" - Squeeze
"I See Red" - Split Enz
"I've Been Waiting" - Matthew Sweet
"Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
"Valerie Loves Me " - Material Issue
"Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne
"That Thing You Do" - The Wonders
"Here It Goes Again" - OK Go
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eats World
"Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett
"All The Small Things" - blink-182
"It's The End of the World As We Know It" - R.E.M.
"Swing Swing" - All-American Rejects
"Dirty Little Secret" - All-American Rejects
"Buddy Holly" - Weezer
I'm sure I've forgotten a few.
