Six Power Pop Albums Turning 20
2003 Was A Great Year For Fans Of Hooky Pop Rock
If you’re the kind of person who paid attention to Billboard charts or otherwise had their finger on the pulse of popular culture back then, it would be easy to believe that pure, hooky guitar pop all but vanished in the early 2000s.
Although indie rock had a moment in the spotlight at the start of the new Millennium and the Warped Tour super-served pop punk fans—two genres that sometimes veer into power pop territory, to varying degrees—they were largely overshadowed by the dominance of mainstream pop and hip-hop.
Meanwhile, more pure forms of power pop in the vein of The Beatles, Big Star, Badfinger and Raspberries, which enjoyed a guitar-driven golden era in the ‘90s, mostly seemed to go underground…with a few exceptions.
In reality, the early ‘00s were a solid era for power pop/power pop-adjacent music—including some stellar, if often overlooked, albums released in 2003.
Twenty years later, these six albums remain standard-bearers for power pop’s enduring legacy; shining examples of the genre in its many glorious forms and often at its very best, even if they mostly went unnoticed by the general public upon release.
Whether these albums are new to you or still in heavy rotation, it’s hard to deny that 2003 was actually a great year for hooky pop rock.
What other albums from 2003 would you add to the list?
Join the conversation in the comments below.
1. Fountains of Wayne—Welcome Interstate Managers
Released by S-Curve/Virgin Records Records on June 10, 2003
“The lyrics explore suburban everyguyism, but the choruses explode like fireworks over a church picnic.”—Spin
“Welcome Interstate Managers is delicious power-pop, unpretentious, loose and perfect for teenagers driving down to Ocean City for the weekend.”—Pitchfork
2. The New Pornographers—Electric Version
Released by Mint/Matador Records on May 6, 2003
“Power pop just doesn't get any more powerful or poppy than this, with all three singers in fine form and the band—all high-strung keyboards and frenetic drums—blazing away at the speed of sound.”—Billboard
“Electric Version is an enjoyable and easy listen, chock-full of hungry hooks and brimming with indie rock's classic humility.”—AllMusic
3. The Exploding Hearts—Guitar Romantic
Released by Dirtnap Records on March 24, 2003
“(T)he Portland four-piece cuts right to the energetic heart of power-pop, evoking vintage Soft Boys, The Only Ones, and—though undoubtedly through sheer coincidence—The Apples in Stereo's first seven-inches.”—Pitchfork
“Guitar Romantic doesn’t have a shred of ironic, detached cool; instead it’s about some kids being completely and totally in love with rock and roll, and isn’t that what it’s really all about?”—Big Takeover
4. The Waking Hours—The Good Way
Released by No Deal Records in 2003
“Had the quintet been making music during the Technicolor '60s or the power pop '70s (or even the new wave '80s), it's a good bet their music would have been camped out up and down the Top 40 charts, considering how melodically robust and unstintingly catchy its songs are.”—AllMusic
“This one’s a solid example of a band doing what they do extremely well and playing up their ample strengths.”—Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide
5. Tim Cullen—Fun Razor
Released by Cutting Edge (Japan) on December 3, 2003
“Fun Razor captures that polished commercial sound, and offers a good forum to display Cullen's vocal and guitar talents, as well as songwriting that begs to be the soundtrack for the lives of troubled teens.”—PopMatters
“…bursting with memorable songs, razor-sharp guitars and Cullen’s steady, up-front vocals.”—Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide
6. Sloan—Action Pact
Released by BMG Music on August 19, 2003
“(Sloan) are here to kick out the jams, crush your square parents' scams, and get the hell out. Nothing more.”—Pitchfork
“Action Pact is riff-heavy, with rhythm guitars constantly dueling it out with the beat against the backdrop of steady bass. Perfect harmonies are right where you expect them, but they never sound trite. Each track is a magnificently, painstakingly created nugget of pure confection.”—PopMatters
I was lucky enough to see The Exploding Hearts live a couple of days before the van crash that killed three band members. They were headed for stardom, no doubt about it, and I'd rank that record in the top five of anything that's come out in the last 20 years.
Great list! I'd add Rooney's debut, Rooney.