When making these music lists, it's important to set the ground rules. Too many times I've seen magazines just launch rabidly into their stupid lists with not so much as a sentence of explanation. So, let me clarify what I'm looking for in a pop song that would qualify it as "perfectt".
1. Accessibility
This is not a list of the greatest songs of all time; this is pop music, which means they are easily digestible to your average listeners. We're talkin' McNuggets here, not foie gras For instance, Procol Harum's "Salty Dog" is a masterpiece, but not even close to the strict definition of a POP song.
I can hear it now "Why isn't 'Strawberry Fields' on the list? Are you some kind of retard?" Keep in mind: I'm looking for music that is simply easy and pleasurable to listen to, which has nothing to do with artistic depth.
2. The Right Ingredients
The perfect pop song is nothing more than a joyful auditory nugget. It doesn't need to be "bubblegum", but it can't meander or get carried away either. "Hey Jude" and "My Sweet Lord" may be pinnacles in the history of popular music, but they're hardly tightly constructed with their long symphonic stretches. And Dylan had some historic lyrics, but these ingredients for a pop gem just aren't there:
A. Pleasant non repetitive verseNow, not all my top ten meet these ingredients to the letter, but this is a good guide to cooking the perfect pop nugget.
B. Melodic Chorus (see criteria #3)
C. Bridge - a tightly constructed pop song has a seamless bridge
D. The Middle Eight - the perfect pop gem breaks things up after the second chorus with a 3rd melodic part
E. Key Change - listener's attention span begins to waiver without this pop necessity
F. Coda - you can't just end it abruptly or fade out; that's for the lightweights.
3. Melody
The perfect pop song has a catchy melody without being just a jingle. This is perhaps the most abstract qualification of all because you can't verbalize what makes certain chords, sounds, harmonies resonate with the human mind, while others do not. There's been tens of thousands of pop songs released over the years, but only a select few that literally "strike a chord" in the auditory center of your brain. It's fresh sounding, a slightly novel melody, but at the same time it's by no means 'prog'.
And lastly, this is only a top 40 because - who gives a damn what my 179th greatest pop gem is? This is the type of list that could quickly turn into a boring reproduction of the top forty charts over the years. No - let's keep it to the best of the best. I relish your input - please let me know of any unconscionable oversights.
So, now that we got that out of the way, on with the list!
- I'm a Believer by The Monkees/ Neil Diamond
- Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille/ Neil Sedaka
- Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys
- I Feel Fine by The Beatles
- Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
- We Can Work It Out by The Beatles
- God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
- Dancing Queen by ABBA
- Sugar, Sugar by The Archies/ Neil Diamond
- Don't Go Breakin' My Heart by Elton John & Kiki Dee
- I Love You by The Climax Blues Band
- If I Can't Have You by Yvonne Elliman/ The Bee Gees
- Cuddly Toy by The Monkees/ Harry Nilsson
- Heart of Glass by Blondie
- Lola by The Kinks
- Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Gos
- If You Leave Me Now by Chicago
- The Things We Do Love by 10cc
- Call Me by Petula Clarke/Nancy Wilson
- Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
- Rich Girl by Hall and Oates
- Never My Love by The Association
- Take a Chance on Me by ABBA
- Day After Day by Badfinger
- Day Tripper by The Beatles
- Reminiscing by The Little River Band
- Sail On by The Commodores
- It Don't Matter to Me by Bread
- (Don't You) Forget About Me by Simple Minds
- Shambala by Three Dog Night
- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
- Head Over Heels by The Go Gos
- Call Me by Blondie
- Hello Goodbye by The Beatles
- Thunder Island by Jay Ferguson
- Downtown by Petula Clark
- Happy Together by The Turtles
- I Melt With You by Modern English
- To Sir, With Love by Lulu
NOTES:
Retrospace doesn't touch anything from the 1990s and later; but, if I had to throw a few out there I might choose "There She Goes" by The Las, "Crash" by The Primitives or "Son of Sam" by Elliot Smith
I know there's nothing particularly obscure in this list. Quite frankly, the very nature of being the perfect pop song means you are going to instantly resonate with listeners.... a perfect pop song will not be hidden for long.
I would have swapped "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for "I'm A Believer" but I understand your average Joe will be more likely to start dancing and waving their arms around to "I'm A Believer". "Good Vibrations" succeeds as both an artistic statement and a pop song, as does my own personal choice for the greatest pop song ever recorded: "Eloise" by Barry Ryan. Everything about that song is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list- Love me some Jay Ferguson- shakedown cruise would be on my list too- maybe a little too deep of a cut. Easy by the Commodores comes to mind too but that is picking knits
ReplyDeleteoh and Shannon by Henry Gross- its about his dead dog fer christ sakes!
DeleteIt's actually about the dead dog of Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys. But that is picking knits.... or fleas in this case.
DeleteAnd it makes me sad every time I hear it, thinking of that poor doggie swimming away, then getting lost at sea or eaten by a goddamn shark.
DeleteI once read a sentence that part of it said "...that cheap thrill you get when your favorite song comes on the radio." That's where I thought you were going. But, I have to admit to being a bit confused. From your description of what qualifies and then from the Beach Boys you pick from the more arty Pet Sounds, not the more accessible earlier stuff. Good Vibrations is the one Beach Boys song guaranteed I'll change the station. It never goes anywhere and it never ends. But, there are some great songs here that get stuck in your head.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my list would lean earlier. But I love, love, love If I Can't Have You by Yvonne Elliman.
Paul McCartney has said "God Only Knows" is the greatest pop song ever recorded. And I think "Good Vibrations" fits my ingredients criteria better than perhaps any song ever written. It's more artsy than "Help Me Rhonda" to be sure, but that's the genius of it - it has artistic merit and it's a candy coated pop song.
DeleteI agree with you about "Good Vibrations." A similar tune, though more obscure, is "Tell Her She's Lovely" by El Chicano (1973). Honorable mention perhaps?
DeleteJust because Paul McCartney says so don't make it so. ;-}
DeleteOne song I would have included is "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" (1967 or '68?) by Spiral Staircase. IMHO, that's one of the most perfect pop songs ever. Very catchy tune, too.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree. Good recommendation.
Deletehttp://youtu.be/YuqHlv1YPe0
Pretty good list. Of course it's always going to be subjective, and reflective of each listener. I don't know if they fit all your rules but for me, I've always been partial to "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. That's a fun, weird, catchy pop gem. "My Sharona" by the Kinks would be there, too, so accessible. "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison.
DeleteI know it's from after the 90's and therefore forbidden but Cake's "the Distance" would be on my list, too. Weird instrumental mix for a pop gem but it succeeds despite itself.
Oops, that was supposed to be a post, not a reply. Damn internets!!
DeleteSurely you must mean "My Sharona" by the Knack, right?
DeleteI thought about "My Sharona" but it's a little long and its riff is a little too jarring to be a perfect pop song.
Delete"My Sharona" is pure pop perfection. I get where you're coming from and why you didn't put it on the list, but it is, in my humble opinion, the most perfect pop song that was ever written. Again, I get where you're coming from and I can't complain if you put "I'm A Believer" at the top spot. After all, Micky D is my boss.
Delete1969 for the Spiral Staircase
DeleteDo You Believe in Magic- The Lovin' Spoonful
ReplyDeleteCome and Get Your Love- Redbone
I Can Hear Music- The Beach Boys
I'd have to agree that "Do You Believe in Magic" should be on here somewhere. Not sure where, but it's a definite oversight.
DeleteI have to agree with 99.999% of your choices.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure "Lola" should be considered a "pop" song,
but that is as far as I go disagreeing with you.
Great list.
I'd replace it with I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine or Ticket to Ride in pace of the other Beatles tunes. A post like this makes it meaningless to even bother to make a reply...
DeleteI almost disqualified Lola because of its "troubling" content, but then I don't think most listeners caught on. Otherwise, it's about as catchy and "by the book" as a pop song gets.
DeleteBack in the day they were more troubled about "Lola" mentioning Coca-Cola, so the Kinks had to rerecord that line.
DeleteSounds like a darn fine iPod playlist to me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNice one
ReplyDeleteGreat list, thanks.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth,
1. Peg - Steely Dan
2. Is That Love - Squeeze
3. Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis) - Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
(a bit more obscure, but a lovely, lovely pop song)
Hang on sloopy by the McCoys I think is somewhat underrated as pure pop
ReplyDeleteI could go on forever,however I feel that there's a lot of unsung acts,groups and records that haven't been mentioned. All kinds of pop genres have given us listeners some great enjoyment. What happened to Motown? The Four Tops,Temptations,Supremes,Stevie Wonder,Jackson Five,Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye all made superior pop songs. I think that the under-rated Power pop movement brought a lot of great gems by bands like;The Raspberries,Big Star,Dwight Twilley,Flamin' Groovies,The Nazz,and others. Also don't forget the Byrds,Creedence Clearwater Revival,and the British invaders like the Dave Clark Five,Hollies,Zombies and the Who. Budd
ReplyDeleteI think you're very brave to even try compiling such a list!
ReplyDeleteI'd put 'Echo Beach' by Martha and the Muffins and Herman Hermits version of 'I'm Into Something Good' forward for consideration but I'm going to stop now before I start compiling my own list of annoying ear-worms.
OSM
I agree with a good chunk of what's on your list. This is the sort of discussion that could go on for days.
ReplyDeleteI just started looking through my 60's and 70's iPod playlists and I could drop about 200 for all to ponder but a few jumped out that have to be Submitted for your approval (In no particular order)
Nothin' from Nothin' - Billy Preston
Will It Go Round in Circles - Billy Preston
Superstition - Stevie Wonder
Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Swede
More Than A Feeling - Boston
I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King
Close to You - Carpenters
Fame - David Bowie
American Pie - Don McLean
Yikes - I'm only through the first 40 songs of my 772 song 70's Pop list and haven't got to Eagles, ELO, Elton John (Bennie and the Jets?, Crocodile Rock?) Fleetwood Mac - skipped John Denver - yeah - this could go on for days
May I recommend...
ReplyDelete"Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" - Edison Lighthouse
"Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys
"Goodbye" - Mary Hopkin
"It's Not Unusual" - Tom Jones
"True Love" - Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly
"Long Live Love" - Sandie Shaw
"I'll Never Find Another You" - The Seekers
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" - The Beatles
"Elenore" - The Turtles
Though it really is 2 songs "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature" (The Guess Who)would maybe be too rock, too FM, to be considered Pop, but it is the soul of cool to me and deserves a place on any list.
ReplyDeleteI wish there were at least one by Earth Wind and Fire: Reasons, or That's the Way Of The World. This is a very intelligent list though.
ReplyDelete"September" by Earth, Wind, & Fire could also qualify, IMHO.
DeleteAnd Burt Bacharach! Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head is a perfect pop song. What The World Needs Now seems perfect too.
ReplyDeleteArrrrrgggg!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've become infected!!!
Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree
Knock Three Times On the Ceiling if You Want Me
Hi Ho Sliver Lining
Y Viva Espana
Pretend (the Alvin Stardust Version)
NURSE! quickly, the screens!
OSM
If you want to include instrumentals, the song you celebrate--"Outa-Space" by Billy Preston would qualify.
DeleteYour list of basic ingredients applies equally well to classical works, or to literary stuff like novels and movies.
ReplyDeletePretty much the necessities for any piece of art that extends over a time interval. (i.e. not a painting or sculpture.)
You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac. Those cascading harmonies at the end are like heroin.
ReplyDelete...Can't believe no one commented on the "album cover" used for this post... Nice. :)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly features a right hand in the "I have no idea how to play guitar" position.
DeleteOSM
I guess he heard you're supposed to slap a bass, but that's for the stand-up type.
Delete"Build Me Up Buttercup"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXJL5B3Lb3s) by the Foundations.
ReplyDelete"The Letter"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQaUs5J2wdI) by the Boxtops.
I Think We're Alone Now" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMFLUXTEwM) by Tommy James and the Shondells.
When I first saw the title of this post the songs that immediately came to mind were "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees and "To Sir With Love" by Lulu.
ReplyDeleteWhile you missed "my" Monkees song, you did include 2 others; and Lulu made it at #40.
Great list!! While it is easy to offer additions it is very difficult to pick anything that obviously deserves deletion.
I cam agree with a lot on your list...but I vote for the original Chris Montez version of "Call Me" over the Clark or Wilson takes. I think you may not like the somewhat tuneless chorus going "La la la, la la" but in my opinion that makes the song.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget "Cruel To Be Kind" by Nick Lowe...after all, he is a purveyor of Pure Pop for Now People.
My contender for the best pop song ever:
ReplyDeleteTeenage Dream -The Undertones
Another good one:
Ever fallen in Love -Buzzcocks
As a general rule, for these criteria, you can never go wrong with anything by the Turtles or Boyce and Hart. For those who never heard it, "Alice Long" is a pop masterpiece. Although it does have a fade-out and not a firm conclusion.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZLg4BDFlgI
How did September by Earth, Wind and Fire miss your list?... seems to meet all your elements, except the verse is a bit repetitive towards the end.
ReplyDeleteMoon River by Jerry Butler may not have all the elements you suggest but has a beautiful melody, perfectly timed vocal and a guitar intro and fade out that sticks with you for ever. Two other favs that may fit better: Chad&Jerremy's Summer Song and Yesterday's gone.
ReplyDeleteArt thou mad?
ReplyDeleteThe Dream Police by Cheap Trick certainly belongs in there. What about FM, or Reeling In The Years by Steely Dan? How about Saturday In The Park by Chicago?
Build Me Up Buttercup, The Foundations. Offensively perfect.
ReplyDeleteThere was plenty of Perfect Pop that came out of Punk, as Anonymous' April 28th 2012 post showed.
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents:
Wire - Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
The Who - I Can See For Miles
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ReplyDelete