I play guitar in a band here in NW England, playing covers of Indie / Brit-Pop / Rock songs (Oasis, Blur, Kasabian, Stone Roses, U2 etc). I'm taking a bit of flak from the rest of the band at the moment as I'm desperate to throw a few 'rocked-up pop covers' into the set, which they are dead against. Whenever I mention my love of pure pop music to friends, they all have a little chuckle. Why so? A real good pop song is a joyous thing and the art of writing a real good pop song is actually much more difficult than it seems (and God knows I've tried over recent months...).

Where I'm leading to here is what are your favourite pop songs of all time? I have far too many to list and to summarise is difficult. I believe the greatest 'pure pop' band to be Abba - instantly memorable songs, fantastic melodies, superb vocals and even better musicians. I'm reluctant to include the Beatles in the mix as, to my mind, they were too diverse (especially in the later years) to ever be classed as a pure pop band. The Beach Boys were fantastic and should be considered here, as should the Bee Gees.

When it comes to recent pop I am a big fan of Girls Aloud (who have a fantastic song-writing team behind them) and Take That. Pink and Kelly Clarkson are consistently excellent and anything a song-writer named Guy Chambers is connected with (he wrote the songs for the first 4 Robbie Williams albums) is worth a listen. Back to the 80's / 90's - Duran Duran were phenomenal, as were A-Ha, The Bangles, INXS, The Lightning Seeds and The Beautiful South.

Anyway, a few of my candidates for the accolade:

The Beach Boys - Surfing USA
The Bee Gees - Staying Alive
Abba - Dancing Queen & Mamma Mia
Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know
A-Ha - Take On Me
The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian
The Lightning Seeds - Life of Riley
The Beautiful South - Old Red Eyes Is Back
Girls Aloud - Love Machine
Take That - Shine
Robbie Williams - Feel
Pink - Please Don't Leave Me
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away

What about Human League - Don't you want me?

Regards

Tony :)

Hi Migre,

As an antidote to too-cool-for-school bandmates check out the Radio 1 Live Lounge (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=live+lounge) albums - until you have heard the Arctic Monkeys performing Love Machine, or Pendulum's rendition of Violet Hill you haven't lived.
Probably perfect examples of what you want to try with your band.

Other than that how about these for some perfect pop:
Mika - Lollipop
Blondie - Atomic
Ernie K Doe - Here come the girls
The Police - Roxanne (or any number of others)
Katie Perry - I kissed a girl
They might be giants - Birdhouse in your soul

I look forward to seeing what else is suggested (The Human League from Tony C is an inspired suggestion). I have a feeling my iTunes account is going to take a bashing as I re-remember forgotten classics.

Jimmy

My :2cents:

The The - Uncertain Smile
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
The Smiths - Charming Man
Seal - Crazy
Pretenders - I'll Stand By You
Pretenders - Brass In Pockets
Joan Jett - I Love R & R
Pat Bennetar - Love Is A Battlefield

I could go on.

Some good shouts all round.

Hi Migre,

As an antidote to too-cool-for-school bandmates check out the Radio 1 Live Lounge (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=live+lounge) albums - until you have heard the Arctic Monkeys performing Love Machine, or Pendulum's rendition of Violet Hill you haven't lived.
Probably perfect examples of what you want to try with your band.
Jimmy

I've heard a few of the Live Lounge tracks Jimmy and like what I've heard. I also like the album Radio 1 released celebrating their 40th anniversary, where each of the 40 years saw a track from that year covered by a current artist. Foo Fighters version of Band On The Run? Marvellous!

Some excellent 1-hit (ish!) wonders to consider too, which I originally omitted, plus some other worthy inclusions:

Stan Ridgway - Camoflauge
J Geils Band - Centrefold
Sidney Youngblood - If Only I Could
Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better
Scarlett - Independent Love Song
Sly Fox - Let's Go All The Way

Yazoo - Don't Go
Lionel Richie - Dancing On The Ceiling
Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights
Erasure - A Little Respect
Was Not Was - Walk The Dinosaur
Kylie - Better The Devil You Know
Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama

For pure fun, although I have never heard anyone with the guts to try to cover it...

The End of the World REM

Also Rock Lobster from the B52s

Yeah, I went to school in Athens

OMG Rock Lobster! I enjoyed the B52s

How about Greg Kihn Band - All My Friends That Are Dead

While we are on the subject of Pop . . .
MTV probably had the biggest influence on 1 hit wonders and Pop music.
This is an old trivia question but, does anyone know what the first video shown on MTV was?:thedeal:

Something ...killed the radio. It escapes me.

Also, from the same era, Take Me to the River from the Talking Heads

Same as it ever was

Something ...killed the radio.

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.

I catch MTV while flipping through and I can't believe it's still on the air.

Talking Heads and the giant suit
Tom Petty, The Cars, The Police, John Cougar, etc. Then came the hair bands and the bad boy ballads.

I catch MTV while flipping through and I can't believe it's still on the air.

No kidding, they started the ugly trend of dumping "shows" into the music video format until there were no videos left. Then they started MTV2 for videos, then polluted it the same way. HLN started polluting their 24 hour news with "shows", the weather channel started polluting their weather info with "shows' (storm chasing ad nauseum). It is not pretty.

Remember when paying for cable was so you wouldn't have advertising?:confused:

I just stumbled on a guy that is new to the music industry and he is realy worth a listen to.:notme:
His name is Brian Vardigans and can be found on the internet. Listen especially to "soldier" or "tell her".:agree1:

No kidding, they started the ugly trend of dumping "shows" into the music video format until there were no videos left. Then they started MTV2 for videos, then polluted it the same way. HLN started polluting their 24 hour news with "shows", the weather channel started polluting their weather info with "shows' (storm chasing ad nauseum). It is not pretty.

Remember when paying for cable was so you wouldn't have advertising?:confused:

Really frustrates me how MTV(1) over here is nothing but awful 'shows' at the moment. What the hell happened there? Play the music, for crying out loud. That's actually what I look for from the music channels...

I play guitar in a band here in NW England, playing covers of Indie / Brit-Pop / Rock songs (Oasis, Blur, Kasabian, Stone Roses, U2 etc). I'm taking a bit of flak from the rest of the band at the moment as I'm desperate to throw a few 'rocked-up pop covers' into the set, which they are dead against. Whenever I mention my love of pure pop music to friends, they all have a little chuckle. Why so? A real good pop song is a joyous thing and the art of writing a real good pop song is actually much more difficult than it seems (and God knows I've tried over recent months...).



Great Idea. If you can pull it off it can be a big hit with the crowd. Take Fallout Boy's rocked up version of Michael Jackson's "Beat It".

hI-0Hgu8mUk


How about:

Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Asia - Don't Cry
Madness - Our House
Carl Douglas - Kung-Fu Fighting
Talk Talk - It's My Life
EMF - Your Unbelievable
Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
Big Country - In A Big Country
Depeche Mode - Strangelove, Tainted Love or even Personal Jesus
ELO - Blinded By The Light
Escape Club - Wild Wild West
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
Mike and the Mechanics - All I Need is a Miracle
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party ( I would love to hear this) :rar:
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love
REM - Orange Crush and Shiny Happy People
Duran Duran - Rio
WHAM - Wake Me Up (:yuk:)

Wayne

I think I will break out my K-TEL Records tonight! :agree1:

A few to add to the list:
Bow Wow Wow - I want candy
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen
Starship - Built this city
Anamation - Obsession

Starship - Built this city



That could make for a great re-mix.

Wayne

Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party ( I would love to hear this)

I have it on my computer at home.
"It's a dead man's party, who could ask for more? Every body's coming, leave your body at the door. Leave your body and soul at the door."

The Cure, I like Love Song or Spiderman better. But for the topic it was their biggest hit.

Walk on the Ocean - Toad the wet Sprocket
Living Years - Mike and the Mechanics

Les Paul is dead. ALL of the bands and songs listed here owe him a nod. His music was pretty good, even great, but his axe was, and is, awesome. Forget windows, the PC, even, on some nights, the wheel. His invention was, and remains, one of the best ever known to man. My guitar gently weeps.

Friends,

Les Paul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul).

Stijloor.

You could just get really silly and suggest a remake of a song by N'Sync or the Backstreet Boys. Then your band will know that you've gone over to the darkside. :mg:

Wayne

hehe..i cant relate to some of your songs...but nothin can bit MJ..king of pop..i like his song Man in the mirror, ill be there..She's out of my life..i cant stop loving you..many more...
im actually on the R & B era..beyonce, kelly clarkson, britney spears..lolz..Neyo.a lot more...:P meaning..im so in in todays latest songs & trends..:P and not mention im a part time wedding singer as well..lolz

what about song to describe how you feel right now? :D

You could just get really silly and suggest a remake of a song by N'Sync or the Backstreet Boys. Then your band will know that you've gone over to the darkside. :mg:

Wayne

I could give 'Larger Than Life' some real oomph! :cool:

remake of a song by N'Sync or the Backstreet Boys

A few cold burritos and a few warm stale beers and anyone can do a remake of their songs when they make it to the bathroom!:lol:

A few cold burritos and a few warm stale beers and anyone can do a remake of their songs when they make it to the bathroom!
You really need a traditional British ale to produce that authentic B-S-B sound.

You really need a traditional British ale to produce that authentic B-S-B sound.

...in a traditional British pub to get the authentic harmony from adjoining porcelain echo chambers.