Perfect Pop Songs

[Neutral Corner]

I remember a time when every garage band needed to be able to play this and "House of the Rising Sun".

 

[Neutral Corner]

Speaking of garage band songs...





Rated 6 for extra ass-shaking value. Rick Derringer.



And the daddy of them all:

 

[Neutral Corner]

Peaked at #63. It's been covered more times than that.

 

[Hooray4snail]

I'll play. Something a little more "recent," lol. I guess it all depends on what you were listening to and when, but this one instantly became a favorite the first time I heard it.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

 

[John]

George Michael's Freedom is pretty damn close to perfect.

 

[misterbc]

Perfect pop songs = catchy= “Do You Believe in Magic” from Lovin’ Spoonful.
Wish I knew how to post a video.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Perfect pop songs = catchy= “Do You Believe in Magic” from Lovin’ Spoonful.
Wish I knew how to post a video.

Pull up a song on Youtube. Highlight the url and ctrl-c. Put it in a window here and ctrl-v. Or R click, copy, then come here and R click, paste.

Profit.

 

[Neutral Corner]

 

[Neutral Corner]

"The Wrecking Crew". Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Lehkou2Do

 

[I Should Coco]

Could put quite a few Mamas and Papas songs on this thread.

If I had to pick one, just one, it would be this:



EDIT: This song even has a famous mistake in it! Doesn't matter. Great pop song.

 

[Neutral Corner]

More Wrecking Crew. Classic Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" arrangement.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Glen Campbell broke out after playing guitar in the Wrecking Crew.

 

[Neutral Corner]

Wrecking Crew.

 

[DanOregon]

I love this version with Earl Scruggs. Never heard Elton's countryfied before. This is as good as anything Nashville has put out and it was first recorded in 1970.

I know David Foster takes a lot of crud, but it's boggling the songs he's been a part of (EWF, Chicago) he's said his job as a producer is getting every ounce of potential out of a song through the arrangement and the performance - I'd never thought of music producing that way. I had no idea that he produced Un-break My Heart by Toni Braxton, but it definitely fits here. That sob? That growl?

 

[Starman]

 

[Starman]

 

[Huggy]

I regard this as a near perfect pop song. I prefer Dave's upbeat, 4/4 version to Nick Lowe's swingier one, but I flat love the song.

Best Chuck Berry song that Chuck never wrote.

 

[DanOregon]

I know we're talking sacriledge here - but scroll through the Partridge Family archives. A big early part was the Wrecking Crew and the singing group (Ron Hinklin Singers) that did a ton of work (Wonder Woman, Happy Days etc).

 

[Captain_Kirk]

First song that popped to mind for me was Marshall Crenshaw's "Someday, Someway". A few more:

With all due respect to Sir Coco, I think the Association's representative would be "Windy":



And if we have "Windy", it leads to "Brandy:



A couple cover versions that elevated the originals:

Ronstadt with an Everly Brothers tune:



REM running through a number by The Clique:



For the 90s, we'll pick out a Matthew Sweet number:



And for the 00s, let's ride with Weezer to Beverly Hills:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL_WvOly7mY

Will stop there for now to figure out what makes my second cut.