New Wave Outpost Forum

I need some help from the gurus here. Power pop was always a genre I didn't know much about. In speaking to another audiophile (mostly classic/prog rock for him) we got to discussing power pop. To my friend "My Sharona" is about all he knows when it comes to this type of music. He asked me for the "defining" music of power pop. So I'll ask the experts: what are some power pop bands/LPs you would consider "essential" to the understanding of the genre? An added plus is if it relatively easy to get commerically--although I realize that will be tough in some cases..

Thanks[:)]

There was a comp series called "Yellow Pills" (named for a song by the band 20/20) not that far back that was a pretty good power pop 'primer'.

We've done this topic to death but it never gets old, and I'm always amazed by what some people condider 'power pop' (I still will never consider the Jam, who I love, 'power pop'!!!!)


a few bands that I think are pretty universally considered power-pop:

The Shoes (my personal faves)
first couple Nick Lowe solo lps
The Records
20/20

Some maybe more arguable examples:

The Producers (maybe not "power pop", but definitely power pop)
Certainly Dwight Twilley (in light of recent threads)
Pezband
...give me a couple beers and I might try to convince you why Cheap Trick was power pop.

[quote][i]Originally posted by bpdp3[/i]
<br>
...give me a couple beers and I might try to convince you why Cheap Trick was power pop.
[/quote]

I'd have to say that Cheep Trick was a Rock band that turned power pop (don't get any ideas about a thread George[;)]) I can see how you could say their early stuff was power pop sounding but I've always looked on it as rock.

Matbe the beers might sway me though [;)]

I'd say a few good examples of power-pop & easily available are:
Plimsouls,
Romantics,
Beauty & the Beat from the Go-Gos.

There's so many great bands, but I think those 3 give a nice, commercial intro.

Doesn't georgie have several (hundred) posts on powerpop, powerpop drummers, powerpop guitarists, most influential powerpop, pop-up pirates, poptarts, popcorn, horse-power, girl-power, flower-power, etc.?

You should check out http://powerpoplovers.blogspot.com

i'll have to say...........
pezband
shoes
dwight twilley band
great buildings
off broadway
romantics
records
rollers
tremblers
raspberries
fotomaker
plimsouls
phil seymour
knack
quick
20/20
producers
bongos
cheap trick


the list could go on & on etc.......
lets not forget that power pop started to emerge in the early 1970's.
it got named just like every genre of music in the industry by the critics.
power pop was a form of pop music that 1960's influence in it's music.it was much lighter than punk music and more craftier than new wave.
it was a very commercial sounding type of punk and or new wave that was like i said,very commercial and very well produced/slick...that wasnt intimidating to the consumer etc...and something that all the labels could sell and or market to the record buying public,but most of all,to radio !!!!!
if you think about it,if it wasnt for power pop getting played and accepted on radio,the new wave style of music that was emerging would've had a very difficult time to get played on the radio and to sell it's self to the radio programmers.
you could say that power pop broke down those walls etc....
believe me i was in the trenches there with those bands cause i was an A/R guy at a major label...
if you walked into a record store back then they actually had a punk section,a new wave section and a power pop section...


percussionlover

<p align="justify">I've said before and I'll say it again: THE COMSAT ANGELS![8D]

I just got their BBC sessions. Even though it's not an album per se, I'd say it's required listening to those who have not heard their music.

Thanks everyone. I had already put together some plimsouls and romantics for him. I'll track down some of the other music listed by the experts here. Thanks again!

not that they defined it.. but do you think Stiff Little Fingers was kind of a punk/power pop crossover? or am I crazy....listen to 'Suspect Device' again....

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b54/eternalux8/2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

[quote][i]Originally posted by rotator[/i]
<br>not that they defined it.. but do you think Stiff Little Fingers was kind of a punk/power pop crossover? or am I crazy....listen to 'Suspect Device' again....

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b54/eternalux8/2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
[/quote]

No, your not crazy... also I think 999 where a cross-over between punk and power pop, as well as Blondie, their early work was punk, then more power punk to new wavish tunes...



<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l237/vespa_boy_2006/OMD_gen_eng.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>