Power Pop Radio

New 40-Song Playlist Featuring "Radio" Songs

Photo by Nahla Mahgoub.

Do power poppers dream of millions of streams?

That was the odd question running through my head as I assembled this 40-song playlist. I’m sure many of them do since that’s how mainstream musical success—along with YouTube views and TikTok virality—is often measured these days. Radio (in it’s various forms) hasn’t gone anywhere, but digital metrics get all the attention.

Except maybe in power pop, a nostalgia-fueled musical universe populated by hook loving nerds with hearts pumping to a British Invasion backbeat. When we talk about all of the shoulda-been-hits and devastating commercial failures this sub-genre has delivered since the early ‘70s, we’re most often talking about illusive radio hits.

So it would make sense that these ‘60s-influenced artists would still be dreaming and singing about hearing their song on the radio, the way Dwight Twilley did in his 1986 track “Radio”:

On the radio, the radio
We’re gonna be on the radio
Tell everybody that you’ve ever known
That you’re gonna be on the radio

At least that’s what I assumed.

I had a lot of momentum in the early stages thanks to a sturdy foundation of Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick, Teenage Fanclub, Sloan and Ramones, but getting to my self-imposed goal of 40 songs was tricky—especially when trying to weave in artists from the past decade.

Even with my loose genre definitions, there weren’t as many modern options as anticipated (a different story if this was a country or hip hop playlist). Somehow The freakin’ Guess Who was an unexpected exception with their excellent 2018 song “Playin’ on the Radio,” as well as “This Ain’t A Radio Sound” by The Speedways and, of course, “Radio Punk” by Bad Nerves.

My faulty memory was another challenge.

There are plenty of power pop pop/adjacent songs from the ‘70s/‘80s and ‘90s golden eras that mention radio, but not as many with that specific word in the title (self-inflicted problem, I know). The Modern Lovers “Roadrunner” is probably one of the greatest proto-punk odes to radio that doesn’t mention that medium in the title.

I happily clawed my way to 40 songs, and even left off a couple of pretty obvious tracks that I’m guessing some of you will point out in the comments. In the end, this might be one of my favorite themed playlists simply because it forced me to explore artists and deep album cuts I haven’t spent as much time with. I hope you dig it too.

So…turn on, tune in, and pop out.

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What “Radio” Power Pop Songs Would You Add To The List?

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If Spotify Is Your Thing, Please Give This Playlist A Like, Save, Share…

Hate Spotify? Here’s A YouTube Version Of The Same Playlist…

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Previous Themed Playlists

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My Collage Store On Etsy

I’m not going to claim that a lot of people have asked how to purchase my collages outside of LA…but a few people have. For them and anybody else who might be interested, I have opened an Etsy store. Currently only shipping in the U.S. until I get my head around all of this. Greeting card packs featuring select collage images will be posted in the next few weeks. —> Coulter Collage Etc.

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