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"Perfect " Pop Song


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Ok. Show & tell time. What is your perfect pop/rock song given this criteria

 

3:00 minutes or less

Memorable hook (stuck in your head for days)

Says what it has to and very little more.

 

My thread, so I will go first!

 

In no particular order:

 

Hole - Celebrity Skin

 

 

Ultravox! - Satday Night in The City of The Dead

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xit7VLwJdCk

 

Blondie- Hanging on The Telephone

 

 

Your Turn!

(if this has been done before, link the thread and I will piss off & post there!)

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The Ronettes - 'Be My Baby'

 

Sam Cooke - 'Wonderful World'

 

I think my idea of perfect pop might be older and quainter than I am. I was going to mention 'I Only Have Eyes For You' by The Flamingoes but it's 3:19.

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This has all the essential ingredients.Probably not perfect though.

Frank Zappa's favourite band -so the story goes!

It will get stuck in your brain and it is under 3 minutes-

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyN9UT2zF8c8&ei=oZW6U52xBYbKkwWejYGwDA&usg=AFQjCNGBlyoLGVRoPQOGy7xoZuYq5g7X0w&sig2=8r-UhUkOR_9_gH_eRNUA3g

Edited by THOMO
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Abba Knowing me knowing you

instantly recognisable intro

chorus invites singing along

not one but two hooks

light poppy confection until you get to the verses

verses by contrast are full of despair and people still sing along brightly - it's a ( musical) trap

drawback - not an automatic you have to get up and dance song

personal favourites:

Brian eno Wimoweh The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Swingers - counting the beat

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Let me say first that I don't think 'perfect' is a good description of any pop song.

However, I do think the following satisfies the specification of the OP. 

 

 

Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles

 

Actually, I would categorise this as an 'earworm'.

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A  few old Australian ones:

 

Wild One - Johnny O'keefe

Everlovin' man - The Loved Ones

Undecided - Masters Apprentices

Eagle rock/Come back again - Daddy Cool

Girls on the Avenue - Richard Clapton

Help is on its way -LRB

 

Cheers

 

Mick

Edited by mickj1
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Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones.

Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes

Olivers Army - Elvis Costello & The Attractions. (The Attractions must get mentioned because Steve Nieve and Bruce Thomas make this song special)

Spring Rain - Go Betweens

Roar of Wild Torpedoes - Russell Morris & The Rubes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBWZQK15WbY

 

 

All the others I thought of exceed the 3 minute limit.

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The Turtles-Happy Together

The Beatles-Penny Lane

The Beatles-Eleanor Rigby

The Beach Boys-Here Today

Irving Berlin-Puttin' On The Ritz

Mary Wells-My Guy

Bacharach/David-Do You Know The Way To San Jose

Glen Campbell-Wichita Lineman.

...and one more vote for Monty's I Only Have Eyes For You.

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I was on another music forum last night (a theme related competition of sorts) and the subject was No.1's on the charts.I went through the Oz charts from 1960 -1999 and I was struck by the decline in the quality of the songwriting from 1970 on.Decline's probably not the right word,plummet seems more apt. So what happened?Was it me just getting older?Was it in fact a decline in quality songwriting or was the public's taste in music a lot worse.Coincidentally 1970 was the time the Beatles disbanded.Were they along with the likes of Brian Wilson,Bacharach and David,Ray Davies Holland,Dozier and Holland etc responsible for keeping the standard high?I could pick more great songs in one year in that period than I could for the entire decade(s) following.Maybe a philosophical discussion on pop music thread is required.

Edited by mrbuzzardstubble
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I was on another music forum last night (a theme related competition of sorts) and the subject was No.1's on the charts.I went through the Oz charts from 1960 -1999 and I was struck by the decline in the quality of the songwriting from 1970 on.Decline's probably not the right word,plummet seems more apt. So what happened?Was it me just getting older?Was it in fact a decline in quality songwriting or was the public's taste in music a lot worse.Coincidentally 1970 was the time the Beatles disbanded.Were they along with the likes of Brian Wilson,Bacharach and David,Ray Davies Holland,Dozier and Holland etc responsible for keeping the standard high?I could pick more great songs in one year in that period than I could for the entire decade(s) following.Maybe a philosophical discussion on pop music thread is required.

 

I don't think the quality of song writing declined, I can't point to any decade in my collection where I consider the quality of song writing was lacking.  But the key term there is "my collection".

As for what made the charts.  I think the quality of the fodder promoted to the masses certainly did decline, and that will be reflected in the charts.

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Abba Knowing me knowing you

instantly recognisable intro

chorus invites singing along

Same goes for just about everything they put out for the first couple of years of their career.

ABBA are constantly mocked, but the reason they did so well is because of the pure genius of the music and vocal arrangement.

The combination of the composers, Björn and Benny, and the two female vocalists, Agneta and Anni-Frid, made for some truly unique music.

Björn and Benny are still active to this day and have been involved in everything from musicals to traditional Swedish folk music.

ABBA had a pretty short lifespan, but are loved by generations and have spawned an unknown amount of tribute bands.

Just about everyone knows something by them and remember the dodgy jumpsuits and hairstyles.

Definitely icons in the music world, and rightfully so.

:)

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I was on another music forum last night (a theme related competition of sorts) and the subject was No.1's on the charts.I went through the Oz charts from 1960 -1999 and I was struck by the decline in the quality of the songwriting from 1970 on.Decline's probably not the right word,plummet seems more apt. So what happened?Was it me just getting older?Was it in fact a decline in quality songwriting or was the public's taste in music a lot worse.Coincidentally 1970 was the time the Beatles disbanded.Were they along with the likes of Brian Wilson,Bacharach and David,Ray Davies Holland,Dozier and Holland etc responsible for keeping the standard high?I could pick more great songs in one year in that period than I could for the entire decade(s) following.Maybe a philosophical discussion on pop music thread is required.

I blame the radio

They simply stopped playing the great music of the mid seventies on and stuck with formulas

At some point dj's with their personalities and music obsessions disappeared

Tom Petty wrote a song about but not sure what year it was

Every know and then a band like The Sex Pistols or Nirvana blows it all up for a while and then the clones come along and boredom prevails and for fanatics it's back to the byways and side roads off the highway to find out the great music that is hidden their

Edited by keyse1
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I blame the radio

They simply stopped playing the great music of the mid seventies on and stuck with formulas

At some point dj's with their personalities and music obsessions disappeared

Tom Petty wrote a song about but not sure what year it was

Every know and then a band like The Sex Pistols or Nirvana blows it all up for a while and then the clones come along and boredom prevails and for fanatics it's back to the byways and side roads off the highway to find out the great music that is hidden their

Bring back Stock, Aitken and Waterman

^_^

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Pretty Flamingo

Might have said this before but there would not be a male anywhere in the world that hasn't experienced this song

And another inescapable song from the 60's for anyone owning a transistor radio

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post-141610-0-78813200-1404796796_thumb.

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