100 Greatest Power Pop Songs
Definition: "Power Pop" refers to straightforward, jangly, guitar-based pop
songs with little pretension or irony. The genre has its roots in the mid-60s
but was not defined as such until the early 70s.

Criteria: These top 100 Power Pop Songs were chosen for best exemplifying
the genre, along with their popularity among genre fans, impact on the
genre, and overall quality.

https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-Power-Pop.html

Edited By: Brett Alan

Last Updated 4-24-09

1. No Matter What - (1970) Badfinger
2. September Gurls - (1974) Big Star
3. Go All The Way - (1972) Raspberries
4. Please Please Me - (1963) Beatles
5. The Kids Are Alright - (1965) Who
6. Starry Eyes - (1978) Records
7. When You Walk In The Room - (1964) Searchers
8. I Am The Cosmos - (1977) Chris Bell
9. I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - (1965) Byrds
10. Cynical Girl - (1982) Marshall Crenshaw
11. Love Grows - (1970) Edison Lighthouse
12. I Wanna Be With You - (1972) Raspberries
13. Dover Beach - (1984) Bangles
14. What I Like About You - (1979) Romantics
15. Lies - (1965) Knickerbockers
16. Girl Don't Tell Me - (1965) Beach Boys
17. Friday On My Mind - (1966) Easybeats
18. Baby Blue - (1971) Badfinger
19. My Sharona - (1979) Knack
20. I've Been Waiting - (1991) Matthew Sweet
21. Cruel To Be Kind - (1979) Nick Lowe
22. There She Goes - (1988) La's
23. Needles And Pins - (1964) Searchers
24. The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) - (1981) Greg Kihn Band
25. Rock And Roll Girl - (1979) Paul Collins Beat
26. What You Do To Me - (1991) Teenage Fanclub
27. If I Needed Someone - (1965) Beatles
28. If We Never Meet Again - (1988) Reckless Sleepers
29. Red Rubber Ball - (1966) Cyrkle
30. Southern Girls - (1977) Cheap Trick
31. The Way - (1998) Fastball
32. Ever Fallen In Love - (1978) Buzzcocks
33. Just A Smile - (1974) Pilot
34. She's Not There - (1964) Zombies
35. Baby's Coming Back - (1990) Jellyfish
36. Another Girl, Another Planet - (1978) Only Ones
37. I Can't Let Go - (1966) Hollies
38. I Only Want To Be With You - (1963) Dusty Springfield
39. We Got The Beat - (1981) Go-Gos
40. Girl Of My Dreams - (1979) Bram Tchaikovsky
41. The Trains - (1986) Nashville Ramblers
42. Ballad Of El Goodo - (1972) Big Star
43. Someday Someway - (1982) Marshall Crenshaw
44. And Your Bird Can Sing - (1966) Beatles
45. Baby It's Cold Outside - (1977) Pezband
46. What Do All The People Know - (1982) Monroes
47. She May Call You Up Tonight - (1967) Left Banke
48. Behind The Wall Of Sleep - (1986) Smithereens
49. Look Through Any Window - (1965) Hollies
50. Live - (1967) Merry-Go-Round
51. A Million Miles Away - (1982) Plimsouls
52. Precious To Me - (1981) Phil Seymour
53. Tonight - (1973) Raspberries
54. Seems So - (1997) Apples In Stereo
55. Making Time - (1966) Creation
56. Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) - (1980) Squeeze
57. Goody Goody Gumdrops - (1968) 1910 Fruitgum Company
58. Shake Some Action - (1976) Flamin' Groovies
59. Solar Sister - (1993) Posies
60. Fresh As A Daisy - (1970) Emitt Rhodes
61. Just A Little - (1964) Beau Brummels
62. That Thing You Do! - (1996) Wonders
63. Hearts In Her Eyes - (1979) Searchers
64. Surrender - (1978) Cheap Trick
65. I Can't Explain - (1965) Who
66. Whenever You're On My Mind - (1983) Marshall Crenshaw
67. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend - (1979) Rubinoos
68. Senses Working Overtime - (1982) XTC
69. Don't Worry Baby - (1964) Beach Boys
70. Rock And Roll Love Letter - (1975) Tim Moore
71. This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide - (1980) Kings
72. I'm On Fire - (1975) Dwight Twilley Band
73. James - (1984) Bangles
74. Saturday Night - (1973) Bay City Rollers
75. Dreaming - (1979) Blondie
76. Alcoholiday - (1991) Teenage Fanclub
77. I Got You - (1980)Split Enz
78. Til I Hear It From You - (1995) Gin Blossoms
79. Couldn't I Just Tell You - (1972) Todd Rundgren
80. Back Of My Hand - (1979) Jags
81. Fox On The Run - (1975) Sweet
82. Girlfriend - (1991) Matthew Sweet
83. She Don't Care About Time - (1965) Byrds
84. Hanging On The Telephone - (1976) Nerves
85. Daydream Believer - (1967) Monkees
86. Little Mascara - (1985) Replacements
87. Teenage Kicks - (1978) Undertones
88. Open My Eyes - (1968) Nazz
89. Big Brown Eyes - (1982) dBs
90. Tomorrow Night - (1979) Shoes
91. Hackensack - (2003) Fountains Of Wayne
92. Outside Chance - (1966) Turtles
93. Yellow Pills - (1979) 20/20
94. Get Your Radio - (1979) Secrets
95. Golden Blunders - (1990) Posies
96. Where Were You When I Needed You - (1966) Herman's Hermits
97. Getting Closer - (1979) Wings
98. (I'd Go The) Whole Wide World - (1977) Wreckless Eric
99. Do Anything You Wanna Do - (1977) Eddie & The Hot Rods
100. Teacher Teacher - (1980) Rockpile

My twenty favorites on the list:

1 - I Can't Explain - (1965) Who
2 - When You Walk In The Room - (1964) Searchers
3 - She's Not There - (1964) Zombies
4 - Please Please Me - (1963) Beatles
5 - Love Grows - (1970) Edison Lighthouse
6 - What I Like About You - (1979) Romantics
7 - Needles And Pins - (1964) Searchers
8 - The Kids Are Alright - (1965) Who
9 - I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - (1965) Byrds
10 - No Matter What - (1970) Badfinger
11 - Don't Worry Baby - (1964) Beach Boys
12 - I Can't Let Go - (1966) Hollies
13 - Go All The Way - (1972) Raspberries
14 - Lies - (1965) Knickerbockers
15 - Friday On My Mind - (1966) Easybeats
16 - Open My Eyes - (1968) Nazz
17 - Fox On The Run - (1975) Sweet
18 - The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) - (1981) Greg Kihn Band
19 - This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide - (1980) Kings
20 - And Your Bird Can Sing - (1966) Beatles

Brett, "Fox On The Run" is from 1974. It was first issued on this album in November 1974.

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/ ... boulevard/

Yeah, but the album version is a completely different recording to the hit single from the following year. It makes it kind of an oddball case.

I'd probably put almost half of your favorites in my own top 20, although it's tough because there are so many on the list I love. The only ones I really don't like are "What I Like About You" (just heard it too many times) and "Teenage Kicks" (never liked them).

Thanks, I thought it was the same recording.

Is there somewhere I can hear the one from the album?

Hmmm...I don't have an mp3 of it. I'll do some checking and see if I can find it.

I considered them. I tended to give priority to artists where most of their catalog fits the genre (although there are exceptions), and there's a lot of stuff by them that doesn't, really. I don't know if they'd seem so important if we only considered their power-pop stuff.

But I'm open to changing my mind. What would you consider their most important power pop song--"Buddy Holly" or "Island In The Sun"? (Or something else?) Why should that song be here?

This can be considered the standard questions...if anyone wants to suggest a change in the list, be sure to tell me why.

"1985" is barely related to power pop. It's pop punk, if anything.

Yeah, Bowling for Soup are a pop punk (and even then, i'd dispute the "punk" part) group and whereas some pop punk can be power pop, a large chunk of it is not.

"Stacy's Mom" is a good pick, though. Fountain of Wayne were one of the more acclaimed pure power pop bands of the last 15 years, and another song by them, "Radiation Vibe" could also be added to this list.

From the DDD facebook page:
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Raspberries shared a link on DigitalDreamDoor's Wall.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DigitalDreamDoor/132026654311

Hey DDD-Great website and FB page-we already "Liked" it! We were told our band was in a few of your lists-thanks for the mentions. For those who are fans, since 2004 the original band reunited, played a handful of sold-out shows, released its first ever live CD / DVD, the acclaimed "Live On Sunset Strip", built an official band website and started a Facebook page! Check it out and if you like it, then "Like" us!

http://www.facebook.com/raspberriesrock

Hey DDD - if you ever want first hand access, info, etc. on the band just contact the FB page owner who will do whatever he can...we love what you're doing and want to support it!

Raspberries - Official Web Site
http://www.raspberriesonline.com

Thanks
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Brett,

Are you planning to revise this soon? This could definitely use expansion & additions (maybe to 200 like some of our lists?), and some more recent songs.