Pete Townshend unwittingly named power pop. In the '60s, the Who guitarist used the term to describe the style of his group as a way to link them to groups such as the Beach Boys and other smart, melodic pop acts Townshend admired. Power pop, as it grew, became a lean sister to punk rock’s “burn everything down” ethos yet its musical conservatism gives it a rather nerdy air. The Weezer video for Buddy Holly where the band performed in suits and glasses was not far off from the truth.
Power pop is somewhat easy to define yet it is a sound that is easily malleable. After acts like Big Star and Cheap Trick defined the foundation in the '70s, a lot of acts began incorporating different aspects of the sound with varying degrees of success. It made a resurgence in the '80s with bands like The Knack and the dBs giving it a new wave spin. The 1990s alternative rock boom introduced a new guidebook - Kurt Cobain described Nirvana as the '90s version of Cheap Trick and the paradigm shift they inspired with Nevermind created a fertile ground for pop-minded songwriters and musicians to hit the charts running. With that in mind, here’s an exploration of ten releases that are essential for the power pop genre and also important for your rock/pop collection.
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\n \n Big Star: Radio City
\nBig Star har fået betegnelsen \"kultband\" til at følge dem hvor end de går. Det er trist at tænke på deres verdensomspændende ambitioner — indlejret i deres albummikler som #1 Record — og hvordan de ønskede at være det første og sidste ord inden for Beatlesque pop. Udfordringen med Radio City var at se, om guitarist/vokalist/sangskriver Alex Chilton kunne bevise, at han kunne fortsætte uden lånepartner Chris Bell, som forlod efter den kommercielle fiasko med #1 Record. Lettelsen ved at høre Radio City er, hvordan Chilton ikke kun levede op til forventningerne, men i sagens natur overgik #1 Record i processen. Det er en mere løs og sparsom affære i nogle dele, men hans (og resten af bandkammeraternes) greb om melodi og sangskrivning var ikke tilbageholdt: sporene fra \"You Get What You Deserve\" til \"Morpha Too\" har nogle af Big Stars bedste popkompositioner på plade. Chilton havde sin bedste ballade til dato i det klokkeklare “September Gurls,” med sin guitararpeggio direkte fra Byrds' sangbog, mens trommerne skubber det langs en livlig skridt. Det er en tilgang, der er blevet forsøgt mange gange af efterligningsbands, der søger noget af Big Stars magi, men ingen ser ud til at have ramt den idylliske men angstfyldte følelse, som Chilton gør her.
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