Best Ever Albums

Re: Power Pop Albums

baystateoftheart — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 22:48:25 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 11/15/2017 03:48

Haven't seen Teenage Fanclub, Go-Go's, or Ex Hex mentioned yet or in the chart. They all have strong power pop albums as well.

Re: Power Pop Albums

rkm — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 22:41:07 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 11/15/2017 03:41

Mars Needs Guitars! by Hoodoo Gurus

Re: Power Pop Albums

paladisiac — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:02:11 GMT

Author: paladisiac

Posted: 11/14/2017 20:02

StreetSpirit wrote:

Elvis Costello, never thought of him as Power Pop but sure he fits the definition. I forgot to mention Ben Folds, but yeah Whatever and Ever Amen is a nice cross of power pop and piano rock. I love your #1 and that you included Fastball. I also saw Pixies on your chart. I don't know, they seem a little too indie alternative. However I haven't heard Come on Pilgrim, only their later stuff. Maybe that first album fits the definition. I'm not sure about Paramore either, are they catchy enough to earn the label? If you haven't already, give So Much For the Afterglow by Everclear a listen. Great album and totally Power Pop.

I've added Everclear's "afterglow" to my list of power pop albums to try, along with:

more Emitt Rhodes
Raspberries - starting over
Artful Dodger (US) (3 more albums to hear after their debut)
The Dwight Twilley Band
Shoes
20/20
The Beat
Spongetones
Plimsouls
Tommy Keene
Smithereens - green thoughts
The Knack - serious fun
Velvet Crush
Posies
Gigolo Aunts
Sloan - one chord to another
fountains of wayne - utopian parkway
and a couple Ok Go albums

Re: Power Pop Albums

CA Dreamin — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:54:21 GMT

Author: CA Dreamin

Posted: 11/14/2017 19:54

Michael1981 wrote:

Kudos to street spirit for mentioning Fountains of Wayne, Soul Asylum and Weezer in the same thread. I'm in 90s power pop heaven! Personally I would go for Utopia Parkway, Let your dim light shine and Weezer (green album) though, but still great choices.

Fountains of Wayne exemplify the genre perfectly for me, but then again I grew up in the 90s so am biased towards this era.

I also like Utopia Parkway; Senator's Daughter and Red Dragon Tattoo are really great tracks. As an album, I don't think it's up to their first one, but certainly better than Welcome Interstate Managers. I'm not a big fan of that one. In hindsight, I should've mentioned Green Album instead of Pinkerton. I think Pinkerton is better, but Green Album better exemplifies the Power Pop genre (Green Album is arguably a better example of Power Pop than Blue Album).

I'm in '90s Power Pop heaven as well! Again, I'd say Goo Goo Dolls best represent the genre.

rkm wrote:

Power Pop definition: descending from the Beatles and the Byrds, with an emphasis on melody and harmony, with guitars that jangle and crunch.

Michael1981 wrote:

I find power-pop pretty recognisable but I suppose some bands are more exemplary than others. I think: up-tempo rock beat +big guitar sound (but not heavy)+big emphasis on catchy pop hooks + very little deviation from this= power pop.

dihansse wrote:

Powerful but not hardrock or punk
Guitar based but not focused on guitar solo’s
Independent minded but not indie
Commercial but not simple pop
Not too difficult but based on hooks but nevertheless based on an original twist (cf the stop go moment in in My Sharona which I suppose must be one of the quintessential powerpop songs).

^^^All great definitions

paladisiac wrote:

i've been building a chart on this genre recently. I have about 20+ more albums to listen to, but here's what I have so far for power pop.

Re: Power Pop Albums

paladisiac — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 13:53:11 GMT

Author: paladisiac

Posted: 11/14/2017 18:53

i've been building a chart on this genre recently. I have about 20+ more albums to listen to, but here's what I have so far for power pop.

Re: Power Pop Albums

dihansse — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 13:42:45 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 11/14/2017 18:42

I’d say (apart indeed from the already mentioned Big Star an the Knack):

Frosting On The Beater by The Posies

Against Perfection by Adorable

Blind Love by Ratcat

Smeared by Sloan

The Romantics by The Romantics

My general feeling is that the definition of powerpop is mainly focused on what it isn’t:
Powerful but not hardrock or punk
Guitar based but not focused on guitar solo’s
Independent minded but not indie
Commercial but not simple pop
Not too difficult but based on hooks but nevertheless based on an original twist (cf the stop go moment in in My Sharona which I suppose must be one of the quintessential powerpop songs).

Re: Power Pop Albums

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 04:31:19 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 11/14/2017 09:31

Kudos to street spirit for mentioning Fountains of Wayne, Soul Asylum and Weezer in the same thread. I'm in 90s power pop heaven! Personally I would go for Utopia Parkway, Let your dim light shine and Weezer (green album) though, but still great choices.

I find power-pop pretty recognisable but I suppose some bands are more exemplary than others. I think: up-tempo rock beat +big guitar sound (but not heavy)+big emphasis on catchy pop hooks + very little deviation from this= power pop.

Fountains of Wayne exemplify the genre perfectly for me, but then again I grew up in the 90s so am biased towards this era.

Re: Power Pop Albums

CA Dreamin — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 03:37:08 GMT

Author: CA Dreamin

Posted: 11/14/2017 08:37

rkm wrote:

But arguing about what it is and isn't makes for a good thread, no?

Actually debate does make for a good thread. It's much more interesting than a list thread. List threads are fucking boring.

rkm wrote:

Power Pop definition: descending from the Beatles and the Byrds, with an emphasis on melody and harmony, with guitars that jangle and crunch.

I totally agree with the emphasis on harmony with the rocking guitars, but I don't agree with the decending from The Beatles and Byrds part. As bobbyb5 put it, how do you can claim which artists descended from The Beatles? I don't think they rocked that hard anyway. I think of Big Star as an accurate starting point. And rkm has already listed them with Radio City. Personally I prefer #1 Record; I mean it has the theme song of That '70s Show.

But anyway, I love The Cars and I'd classify their early music as Power Pop before they became more New Wave. When did they stop being Power Pop and start being New Wave? I don't know; it was a gradual shift, and their music was often both. Another band that crossed genres was The Replacements, whom I consider a mix of Power Pop and punk.

I could go on, but if you want a list, then here are some albums I really like and associate with the term "Power Pop." Feel free to disagree:

Aforementioned #1 Record by Big Star
Third Eye Blind by Third Eye Blind
So Much for the Afterglow by Everclear
Pleased to Meet Me by The Replacements
The Cars by The Cars
Grave Dancers Union by Soul Asylum
New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms
The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers
It's a Shame About Ray, The Lemonheads
Sports by Huey Lewis
Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World
Fountains of Wayne by Fountains of Wayne
Weezer (Blue) and Pinkerton by Weezer

And finally A Boy Named Goo by The Goo Goo Dolls:

A Boy Named Goo by Goo Goo Dolls

This may not be the best album I listed, but it's pretty fucking awesome, and is in my opinion the album that best defines the genre. If you like Power Pop but somehow haven't heard this album, listen to it now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK6PiJCw_Jg&list=PL6Gxit6EwIq_BItcgM6U7-g3-ik4gCNkx

Re: Power Pop Albums

Fischman — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 00:39:06 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 11/14/2017 05:39

Re: Power Pop Albums

Tha1ChiefRocka — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 22:33:19 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 11/14/2017 03:33

Apparently The Knack are a power pop band.

Link

If they are considered one then I would like to nominate Setting Sons by The Jam as well.

Link

Re: Power Pop Albums

rkm — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 21:10:44 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 11/14/2017 02:10

I mean, we could at least throw up some albums that come to mind when we hear the term, before we declare it utterly meaningless.

Re: Power Pop Albums

rkm — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 21:04:47 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 11/14/2017 02:04

bobbyb5 wrote:

Power Pop is one of those genres that people squeeze everything into. I've heard absolutely everything squeezed into it . Until it's absolutely meaningless.. Even the definition is utterly useless. How can you possibly tell what is and what isnt descended from the Beatles ? Unless you ask the person who made the record if that's what they were thinking when they made it. And if they weren't ,can you no longer call that song power pop? Or is it still power-pop even though the person who made it says that it's not? it's a pointless exercise in futility.

But arguing about what it is and isn't makes for a good thread, no?

Re: Power Pop Albums

bobbyb5 — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 20:42:13 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 11/14/2017 01:42

Power Pop is one of those genres that people squeeze everything into. I've heard absolutely everything squeezed into it . Until it's absolutely meaningless.. Even the definition is utterly useless. How can you possibly tell what is and what isnt descended from the Beatles ? Unless you ask the person who made the record if that's what they were thinking when they made it. And if they weren't ,can you no longer call that song power pop? Or is it still power-pop even though the person who made it says that it's not? it's a pointless exercise in futility.

Re: Power Pop Albums

rkm — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 18:28:29 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 11/13/2017 23:28

I'll start here

Radio City by Big Star

Power Pop Albums

rkm — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 18:24:47 GMT

Author: rkm

Posted: 11/13/2017 23:24

What are your favourite power pop albums?

Power Pop definition: descending from the Beatles and the Byrds, with an emphasis on melody and harmony, with guitars that jangle and crunch.