What Is YOUR Perfect Pop Song? (1 Viewer)

[Thomas Newton]

"Hey Now Baby", Professor Longhair, Rock 'n Roll Gumbo (Dancing Cat Records) Excellent piano playing, wild singing, and a guitar solo by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

"Count the Days", Marcia Ball, Presumed Innocent (Alligator) "If you don't believe I'm leaving, you can count the days I'm gone (1 2 3 4 5 6 7)"

"Red Beans", Marcia Ball, Blue House (Alligator)

 

[Thomas Newton]

"I Say A Little Prayer For You", Aretha Franklin

"America", Simon and Garfunkel, The Concert in Central Park (Columbia)

"Tangled up in Blue", Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks (Columbia)

"Scenes From An Italian Restaurant", Billy Joel, The Stranger (Columbia)

"The Nightfly", Donald Fagen, The Nightfly

"Forget About It", Alison Krauss, Forget About It (Rounder)

"Never Got Off The Ground", Alison Krauss, Forget About It (Rounder)

"Dreaming My Dreams With You", Alison Krauss, Forget About It (Rounder)

 

[Thomas Newton]

"What a Wonderful World", Louis Armstrong, (album title to be supplied)

There may be multiple recordings of this, and I'm not sure if all of them are as good as the one I heard. The song is one that could easily be too "sugary" in the wrong hands -- but Armstrong makes it sound natural and convincing.


EDIT: The album is Louis Armstrong's All-Time Greatest Hits (MCA). (I pulled the CD from the shelf earlier today to check.)

 

[John Watson]

I see the ONE, PERFECT song barrier has been broken on several of the posts

So I can also say I hear "Dancing Queen" in my head a lot;

Honorable mention to "Tan Shoes and Pink Shoe Laces"

First prize (today, anyway) to

I'M ALIVE - The Hollies - about 1965 - all the joy and exuberance of the Brit Invasion

 

[Darren H]

"I Only Have Eyes for You" by The Flamingoes

If you don't get chills from that first "Shoo Wop Sha-Bop" then you ain't breathin'.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

She Loves You - Beatles
I Want You Back - Jackson 5
No Matter What - Badfinger
September Gurls - Big Star
Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet

...I could go on and on.

Regards,

 

[RobertW]

bittersweet- hoodoo gurus

 

[Frank_S]

"Without you" written by Badfinger off the No Dice album. If any of you watched American Idol(ok so I watched it)you would remember Kelly(the girl who won it)sang that song pretty well.
Harry Nilsson also did a version of the song that topped the charts. The very Best of Badfinger is a nice CD to own if you are a fan of the band, or better yet, the vinyl pressing of No Dice, or the DCC CD, I own all 3.

 

[Thomas Newton]

"Southland in the Springtime", Indigo Girls

"St. Louis Blues", Louis Armstrong (it's hard to forget the trumpet playing on this!)

"Maybelline", Chuck Berry

 

[MickeS]

"Dancing in the dark" - Bruce Springsteen

 

[Thomas Newton]

(accidental duplicate post)

 

[Marty M]

A great topic with some great responses. We will see where everybody's musical tastes lie. Here goes some suggestions.

The "classiest" song IMO is "It Was a Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra that has been revitalized by Sopranos.

Best Pop Song of the 60s -- I Want to Hold Your Hand. This might not be the really the best song of the 60s but the importance of this song and the group that recorded to Rock History is overwhelming.

Best Pop song of the 70s -- Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen who ensured that Rock would carry on after the Beatles and has one of the greatest intro's of a rock song.

 

[Stacey]

"Voices Carry" by Till Tuesday
"Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo

 

[Philip Hamm]

"Here's Where The Story Ends" The Sundays
"Starless Summer Sky" Marshall Crenshaw
"Someday, Someway" Marshall Crenshaw
"Whenver You're On My Mind" Marshall Crenshaw
"What DO You Dream Of" Marshall Crenshaw
"Theme From Flaregun" Marhsll Crenshaw
"T.M.D." Marshall Crenshaw
"Take On Me" A-Ha
"I Saw Her Standing There" The Beatles
"Silly Love Songs" Paul McCartney
"Ticket To Ride" The Beatles
"Steppin' Out" Joe Jackson
"Is She Really Going Out With Him" Joe Jackson
"Ninteen Forever" Joe Jackson

Marshall Crenshaw is one of the most underappreciated musical talents of the last 25 years. He co-wrote a huge Gin Blossoms song a few years ago and got some recognition for that.

 

[Bob Turnbull]

Though I'm in danger of creating a meta-thread here, my faves of those already mentioned are:
"Starry Eyes" The Records
"There She Goes" - The La's
"Someday Someway" - Marshall Creenshaw
"Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
"Bittersweet" - Hoodoo Gurus
Great picks all! Head bopping, put a smile on your face stuff.
Others that spring to mind:
"Only Wanna Be With You" - The Tourists
"Christmas Wrapping" - The Waitresses
Anything off Songs From Northern Britain by Teenage Fanclub
"That's Just What You Are" - Aimee Mann
"Dream All Day" - The Posies
"Pretend To Be Nice" - Josie And The Pussycats (really Letters To Cleo)

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield

Runners Up:
I am a rock - Simon & Garfunkel
Van Morrison - Crazy Love (the Bob Dylan version, it's rawer and far more powerful to me, though by no means a perfect recording)
Under Pressure - David Bowie (/w Queen)
Out of My Head - Fastball

 

[RobertW]

i go with "fire escape" from fastball before that one.

but i love that one too-a slow, ballad song that doesn't come out wimpy.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

"Up The Junction" by Squeeze.

I love that song, really catchy but not banal and quite poignant. Even though The Beatles are my favorite band, when I think "pop" I think "Squeeze" and I think of this song or "Tempted".

 

[BrianB]

Indeed, Jack. Ever seen the 60's film by the same name? A very good example of what's called "kitchen sink drama".

Christmas Wrapping" - The Waitresses

I *love* this song. It's easily my favourite Christmas "pop" song - so much so, I never feel very Christmassy until I hear it in the run up to Christmas.

 

[MichaelGH]

I second Badfinger's _Without You_. There's no WAY you could hear this song and not get it stuck in your head.

My personal selection however is Boa's song "Duvet" This song is beautiful and timeless. I'm sure there could be songs AS GOOD as this but none better. Off the album _Twilight_, also heard in the anime Lain

Michael