Perfect Pop Songs


Those with the kind of music, lyrics, performance, arrangement and production that you could easily repeat all day.

How about starting with this one? Somewhat outside of her usual cannon and none the worse for it. Perhaps also a contender for the sexiest vocals ever?

Louie Louie  by Julie London
cd318

ABBA made music considered to be Pop. Their records sold a lot, so were indeed popular. If they DIDN'T sell well, would they therefore not be considered Pop? Of course not. Yes, Pop is short for popular, but the use of the term Pop for a genre of music uses that term in a less-than-literal sense.

The 3 Tenors album sold more copies than most non-Classical albums. Are we to consider well-selling Classical albums Pop music?

Under the "popular" banner, I'll add:

"The Look of Love" - ABC. A brilliant synthesis of new wave, Motown and Bacharach styled orchestral ballad. The Bowie & Ferry styled crooning is the icing on the cake.

"Walk On By" - DIONNE WARWICK. Speaking of Burt Bacharach.....

 
Under the "Pop" genre, I'll add:

I'll Be the One - Badfinger
You Got Me Anyway - Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
Idiot - Robin Lane & The Chartbusters
Tiger Nights - The Bongos
Torn in Two - Shoes
That is Why - Jellyfish

Just because a song doesn't become popular, many of the songs people have mentioned in this thread should've been popular. In the case of the Beach Boys, listed below are the highest chart positions of some of their best songs:

God Only Knows - # 39
Don't Worry Baby - # 24
In My Room - # 23
Surfer Girl - # 7

If you want to know about the taste of an average American popular music fan, I'll rest my case on those numbers cited above.


"I Died in Your Arms" Cutting Crew
"Driver’s Seat" Sniff ’n’ the Tears
"Voices Carry" Til Tuesday
"Long Line of Cars" Cake
"Hey Men" Men Without Hats
"Don’t Mess With Dr. Dream" Thompson Twins
"Be Good Johnny" Men at Work
"California Dreaming" Mamas and Papas
"Monday Monday" Mamas and Papas
"Just Dropped In..." Kenny Rogers and the First Edition's