One of the things that amuses me more and more as I get older is how almost every conversation between power pop fans devolves into arguments about why certain bands can never be power pop.
Yes. Almost everything is Power Pop. I pretty much hate the gatekeeping that goes on with the genre (Beatles, Badfinger, Raspberries, others). I've tried to stop using the term and started calling catchy, crunchy, hooky and harmony-laced songs "Melodic Rock". That way I can lump in Enuff Z'Nuff, Ratt, Poison, Kiss (how is "Tears Are Falling" not a Power Pop song???), and not scare people off.
When I was a kid in the 80s, I heard Talk Dirty To Me on the radio and thought it was a Cheap Trick song.
I also thought Reelin' in the Years was a Thin Lizzy song because of that guitar lead and the speak/sing style of the verses, so my band identifying skills were poor.
I'll do you one better: the first time I heard "The Boys Are Back in Town," Phil's phrasing/delivery caused me to think it was Randy Newman! Now I can totally hear Thin Lizzy doing "Reelin'."
I’m going with “yes” on this one. Pop is a term used to define music that appeals to a wide audience and is played on mainstream media. Can’t think of two hair metal bands that scream ‘80s pop culture and radio and MTV more than Motley Crüe and Poison. Ahhh, I loved hair metal back in the day. 😎
Oh, I've argued the Poison Power Pop pipeline for years. "Talk Dirty to Me" is one of the most perfect power pop songs ever recorded. It's also pure glam. Half-time it and add in handclaps in place of Rikki Rocket's ridiculously cavernous snare, and you've got a long-lost T. Rex classic.
Side note: Several years back, some friends of mine urged me to go with them to see what was billed as the "Glam Slam Metal Jam:" Quiet Riot, Cinderella, Warrant, and Poison. This was not in the '80s but in 2001, mind you. Opening the entire afternoon was Enuff Z'Nuff. They were by far the best band of the day - somehow still hungry and having a blast, where it looked like the rest of the acts couldn't be bothered.
The Poison song is fun, to be sure; the Candy song is all right; I couldn't make it past the first minute of E'nuff Z'nuff... The only song that still holds my attention is "Photograph," which I first heard as a 10-year-old and it was my gateway to hair metal/power pop. Sonically, musically — the arrangement, the timbral choices, Joe Elliot's voice (way more variety and nuance than Bret Michaels' voice) — it's far more interesting than anything else on tap. But absolutely, the line between power pop and hair/glam metal is quite thin and mostly permeable.
Tastes and opinions will, definitely vary! and I'm old enough to have seen the 'Pyromania' tour as a tween thanks to my hard rocking older brothers. ;)
"Power pop" is an imprecise term, ranging from The Who in the 1960s to the new wave rock of the early 1980s. "Hair metal" is the most precise term when describing the heavy metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s. Great music, regardless of the semantics!
I saw the Ratt Poison tour too!
A mention of E’nuff Z’nuff!!! I’ve written about them a few times. And still love listening to them today
Fun band and they may just be the epitome of hairpowermetalpop.
Yes! What you said. And thank you
Beatles-meet-Slade and the suits wanted Mötley Crüe. Stuck in the middle. too “soft” for head bangers. Too “glam” for critics
This was the first band I thought of when I read the subject of this post.
That seems to be a common response!
Can Hair Metal Be Power Pop? - the answer is yes. With enough Aquanet, anything is possible.
This is the correct response!
One of the things that amuses me more and more as I get older is how almost every conversation between power pop fans devolves into arguments about why certain bands can never be power pop.
I think that's part of the appeal.
That Poison album is most definitely power-pop. It's kind of offensive that they tried to call it Rock n roll.
hahahaha
Absolutely-great examples (minus Duece).
Love the qualifier.
the more I read these the more I'm convinced everything is power pop
That’s what Jon Wurster sometimes says when I post this stuff.
Yes. Almost everything is Power Pop. I pretty much hate the gatekeeping that goes on with the genre (Beatles, Badfinger, Raspberries, others). I've tried to stop using the term and started calling catchy, crunchy, hooky and harmony-laced songs "Melodic Rock". That way I can lump in Enuff Z'Nuff, Ratt, Poison, Kiss (how is "Tears Are Falling" not a Power Pop song???), and not scare people off.
I get where you're coming from...you'll see me use Guitar Pop as my catchall more often than not for similar reasons. But not this time!
Tears Are Falling is a gem.
That’s the premise behind the box set I just put together for Cherry Red. Out this Friday! https://www.cherryred.co.uk/young-and-wild-a-decade-of-american-glam-metal-1982-1992-various-artists-3cd-box-set
Gadzooks! That looks awesome. Congrats. 🎊
First time I saw Poison in 1986, I was 100% sure they were ripping off Redd Kross. I’ve been planning this since then.
Ha! I’m pretty sure Redd Kross pokes fun at Poison in the book Dan Epstein co-wrote with the McDonald brothers.
When they were signed to Big Time, Jeff and Steve were obsessed with Michael Sweet and Stryper.
When I was a kid in the 80s, I heard Talk Dirty To Me on the radio and thought it was a Cheap Trick song.
I also thought Reelin' in the Years was a Thin Lizzy song because of that guitar lead and the speak/sing style of the verses, so my band identifying skills were poor.
The Cheap Trick to early Poison pipeline is real.
The first time I heard Talk Dirty to Me I thought they had swiped the riff from She's Tight.
I'll do you one better: the first time I heard "The Boys Are Back in Town," Phil's phrasing/delivery caused me to think it was Randy Newman! Now I can totally hear Thin Lizzy doing "Reelin'."
Not hair metal, but I have asked myself many times if The Sweet could be Power Pop. I welcome other peoples input.
I know many power poppers love them!
That Candy record is as good as pop music gets, if a little bit mid in the hair department.
Legendary!
I’m going with “yes” on this one. Pop is a term used to define music that appeals to a wide audience and is played on mainstream media. Can’t think of two hair metal bands that scream ‘80s pop culture and radio and MTV more than Motley Crüe and Poison. Ahhh, I loved hair metal back in the day. 😎
There was a lot to lüv! 🤘
Oh, I've argued the Poison Power Pop pipeline for years. "Talk Dirty to Me" is one of the most perfect power pop songs ever recorded. It's also pure glam. Half-time it and add in handclaps in place of Rikki Rocket's ridiculously cavernous snare, and you've got a long-lost T. Rex classic.
Side note: Several years back, some friends of mine urged me to go with them to see what was billed as the "Glam Slam Metal Jam:" Quiet Riot, Cinderella, Warrant, and Poison. This was not in the '80s but in 2001, mind you. Opening the entire afternoon was Enuff Z'Nuff. They were by far the best band of the day - somehow still hungry and having a blast, where it looked like the rest of the acts couldn't be bothered.
Anyway...Great post!
Glad you dug it, and thanks for the great comments! People who love Enuff Z'Nuff can't seem to get enough of them.
The Poison song is fun, to be sure; the Candy song is all right; I couldn't make it past the first minute of E'nuff Z'nuff... The only song that still holds my attention is "Photograph," which I first heard as a 10-year-old and it was my gateway to hair metal/power pop. Sonically, musically — the arrangement, the timbral choices, Joe Elliot's voice (way more variety and nuance than Bret Michaels' voice) — it's far more interesting than anything else on tap. But absolutely, the line between power pop and hair/glam metal is quite thin and mostly permeable.
Tastes and opinions will, definitely vary! and I'm old enough to have seen the 'Pyromania' tour as a tween thanks to my hard rocking older brothers. ;)
"Power pop" is an imprecise term, ranging from The Who in the 1960s to the new wave rock of the early 1980s. "Hair metal" is the most precise term when describing the heavy metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s. Great music, regardless of the semantics!
True!