This is a guest post series about power pop featuring some of my favorite music writers. We’ll be sharing a new installment every few weeks or so (while supplies last). Full series here.
Is It Power Pop?
By Stephen Schnee
Hey, Pop Kids! Here I am…trying to figure out how to describe power pop. Again.
Have you ever experienced pure joy whenever a Rickenbacker jangles? Have you ever been emotionally moved when you hear vocal harmonies ascend towards the heavens? Have you ever fallen in love with a melodic chorus…or a great guitar hook?
If you’ve answered “Yes!” to those questions and experienced all those emotions at the same time during one song, you’re listening to power pop. (OK, I admit that you could be listening to something off Dio’s Holy Diver album…but I kinda doubt it.)
For many of us, music is an emotional experience and not just something that plays in the background as you heat up a can of SpaghettiOs and scroll through various social media accounts. When you connect with music, it hits hard. Regardless of the genre, music is powerful. However, I’m talking about power pop here so I must remain focused.
I discovered power pop in 1978, although I’d been listening to it for years and didn’t realize it.
My connection with power pop is a long story, but it started with The Jam (who weren’t necessarily power pop). This British trio showed me that young bands were playing music similar to The Beatles. That kicked open the doors for me and I began searching for like-minded melodic guitar bands: 20/20, The Beat, The Records, The Rubinoos, Bram Tchaikovsky, Squeeze, etc. My search for the ‘lost pop chord’ continues to this very day!
So, now, I’m going to attempt to give a brief history of power pop while also naming many of the artists responsible for this glorious music. It all started in the 1950s with Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers. In the 1960s, those two influences were combined to help create The Beatles’ sound. Inspired by the success of the Fab Four, groups like The Kinks, The Hollies, and The Who added more accessible melodic hooks into their signature sounds and even toughened it up a bit.
This led to Badfinger, Raspberries, and other bands of the 1970s who were unafraid to add melodic, catchy hooks to their musical arsenal.
Then, just when this melodic pop movement began to slip away from the charts, the energy of punk took over and power pop became a thing again. I listened to every band with a skinny tie on the single or album cover.
Power pop is still alive and well, thank goodness.
Here are five songs that I think define what power pop is all about. Give these five tracks a spin and I think that you’ll ‘get’ it. These are in no particular order, but they are essential to any power pop collection.
“Now” by The Plimsouls
First off, I don’t consider The Plimsouls to be a bonafide power pop band. They happen to be an amazing rock and roll/R&B band who just happen to have some great power pop songs. “Now” is the best of the bunch…and one of the greatest power pop songs of all time. The great guitar hook, melodic verse melodies, and soul-stirring choruses are exciting from start to finish. Ya know, I not only think this is an incredible example of power pop, I think it is one of the greatest singles of all time! And I say that with confidence.
“Nothing a Little Love Won’t Cure” by The Rubinoos
Most power pop artists are much more than just that genre…The Rubinoos included. There’s soul, bubblegum, rock and roll, and other influences. While some may choose something a little chunkier like “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” I chose this one. The melody is sweet, the vocals—from Jon’s lead to the harmonies—are heavenly and the song feels honest and pure. If music is magic and love, then this song lives up to its title. This is so soothing, so magical, and so uplifting that it deserves a spot on my list of absolute favorite bubblegum/power pop songs. I’m fairly certain that the angels in heaven have this on constant rotation.
“Starry Eyes” by The Records
Yeah, I’ve gone for something obvious. This is a song that probably ends up on every power pop list…and for good reason! “Starry Eyes” is a perfect song: great lyrics, great melody, and a tight, bouncy, and energetic band that understands what makes a great song. The single version is the better-known version, although the UK album version is classic as well. Here in the US, they replaced the UK album version with the single version, which is why most people are familiar with that superior version of the song. And lookie here, I’ve gone off-topic. But yeah, this is a phenomenal song and should never be taken for granted. Ever.
“Forever” by Splitsville
Dang it! Splitsville ruins everything…but not in a bad way. Picking favorite songs from most artists’ repertoire is fairly easy, but not Splitsville. Not since the late ‘70s heyday of power pop has a band best defined what the genre was all about. Splitsville has the chops. They know how to write gloriously melodic songs and perform them with gusto. I never hesitated on adding Splitsville to this list—I just couldn’t decide which song to choose! I know this song is perfect, but so is “I Concentrate on You,” “Sunshine Daydream,” “Dotcom,” “Headache,” “Big Red Sun,” and so many others. And there, I just beat the system and added more than one song by Splitsville. That’s how you do it, bro!
TIE: “Let Me into Your Life” by The Beat and “Yellow Pills” by 20/20
This is where real rebellion begins! I’m standing up to ‘The Man’ and making my fifth choice a tie between two of the greatest—and most iconic—power pop bands of all time! Their debut albums came out around the same time, and they’ve become the best gateways into the world of power pop. If, for some gosh-forsaken reason, you decide that you only need two power pop albums in your collection, then go see a doctor. If that doesn’t work, then the debut albums from The Beat and 20/20 are your best bet.
The songs I’ve chosen are, in my opinion, the essential songs to listen to first. They are perfect songs. Personally, “Let Me Into Your Life” is the best song off The Beat album while I would choose “Tell Me Why” as my favorite from 20/20’s debut. But I chose “Yellow Pills” because it is the most immediately accessible…
And that’s power pop in a nutshell.
Maybe.
Give the algorithm a piece of your mind!
Stephen Schnee—also referred to as Spaz by older power pop fans—has been writing about music since 1980 while still in high school. His work has been featured in The Big Takeover, All Music Guide, and on the pages of POPsided, the late 1990s fanzine (where he was also the co-editor). He has also written liner notes for over 40 CD releases (including compilations from 20/20 and Shoes). Apart from his dedication to the power pop genre, he has also conducted over 400 interviews with musicians/actors for Alliance Entertainment’s Discussions Magazine. He can also be seen talking about power pop, new wave, and other genres on his YouTube channel.
Previously On “Is It Power Pop?!”
Is It Power Pop?!
This is a guest post series about power pop featuring some of my favorite music writers. We’ll be sharing a new installment every few weeks or so (while supplies last). Full series here.
I resisted the urge to make some pun about listening forever but I love this song to much and it deserves better than that.
I could listen to Forever by Splitsville every single day.