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

I noticed some ska mentioned early on, but no reggae or rocksteady.  My nominations are:

Desmond Dekker - Israelites

Toots and the Maytals - 54-46 That’s My Number

I know the understanding is only English-language pop songs will be mentioned, BUT if anyone is curious about pop music in other languages may I humbly suggest:

Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye.  (English and Italian)

Indochine - Dizzidence Politik (French New Wave)

Elba Ramalho - Coração Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese, anything from this same album is a pop song winner)


And an old favorite from way back:

The Singing Nun - Dominique (French)
I tried to stay away from non-English ones, but there may be more pop there than imagined.

Lambada

Macarena

99 Luftbalons

Falco output
A sincere thanks to all taking the time to respond to this. I can almost see the smile on some of your faces as I read your posts.

I'll add a song that stuck in my head as a kid.

Winchester Cathedral - The New Vaudeville Band

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cT0Jh9lUhrc


Somehow, we've managed to forget two very obvious choices:

Be My Baby - The Ronettes
When My Baby's Beside Me - Big Star

Here's a few more less obvious songs from the "new wave" era:

How She Threw It All Away - The Style Council
Gang of One - Bradford
Dig For Fire - The Pixies
The Sound of Crying - Prefab Sprout
Don't Run Wild - The Del Fuegos