Ask 100 totally different individuals to outline power pop and you may most likely get 75 totally different solutions, but when infectious hooks and melodic euphoria are your factor, hold studying. Rising within the late Nineteen Sixties and gaining traction all through the 70s and 80s, energy pop blends the crunchy, guitar-driven power of rock with the polished, radio-friendly sensibilities of pop.
The Beatles are sometimes cited because the scene’s godfathers, producing a style blueprint with the type of melodies and harmonies which can be the mark of the “correct” songwriter. Bands like Badfinger and Big Star took up the mantle because the 70s rolled into view, crafting songs the place guitars jangled, vocals harmonised, and melody was every part.
The 80s noticed bands like Cheap Trick and The Knack bringing the style to mainstream audiences, and all through the many years for the reason that style has endured, from 90s revivalists Jellyfish through previous fingers like Paul Collins, Weezer and Redd Kross, to modern-day flag bearers corresponding to Thomas Walsh, Younger Guv, The Beths and Billy Tibbals.
Raspberries – Aspect 3 (Capitol, 1973)
The fuck-you spirit and reckless abandon of mid-60s Who and Small Faces is gloriously echoed within the grooves of the Raspberries’ third album. But as a substitute of falling prey to mere mimicry, they transcended such influences and created a slew of swaggering energy pop classics.
The Knack – Get The Knack (Capitol, 1979)
Unfairly pegged as Beatle copyists, the worldwide success of The Knack’s 1979 debut helped resuscitate the uncared for musical style. Galvanised by the unbeatable one-two punch of mega hits, My Sharona, which sported energy pop’s biggest guitar solo courtesy of Berton Averre plus a successful batch of Who/Kinks impressed ravers, it’s a milestone in energy pop historical past.
![The Knack - My Sharona (Official Music Video) - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bbr60I0u2Ng/maxresdefault.jpg)
Massive Star – #1 Document (Ardent, 1972)
A jagged synthesis of British Invasion and Memphis raunch, Big Star’s debut providing feels like The Byrds on a foul acid journey. Within the annals of energy pop, the album, marking the candy fruits of the Chris Bell/Alex Chilton songwriting partnership, is taken into account the Holy Grail of energy pop.
![Big Star - The Ballad of El Goodo (Official Lyric Video) - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_9DCwmyVl38/maxresdefault.jpg)
Badfinger – Straight Up (Apple, 1972)
That includes manufacturing by George Harrison together with fellow energy pop icon, Todd Rundgren, Straight Up is the Mona Lisa of energy pop, a meticulously crafted, melodic-rock tour-de-force, marked by stellar songwriting, staggering vocals and instrumental virtuosity
Jellyfish – Spilt Milk (Charisma, 1993)
Wildly formidable, Spilt Milk pressed the proverbial energy pop envelope, its intricate preparations and technicolour manufacturing eschewing the pop formalism of touchstones The Beatles and The Who by diving headfirst into Seashore Boys/Queen territory. However most crucially, a peek beneath the flowery window-dressing lay a wide ranging basis of a few of energy pop’s most brilliantly realised songs penned by Messrs Andy Sturmer and Roger Manning.
![Jellyfish - The Ghost At #1 - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YgKjC2V4xfk/maxresdefault.jpg)