I'm astounded that this thread did not simply roll over after I set Smokey Robinson at it; all subsequent nominations were clearly superfluous. But on you ground. Oh well, I'll give you one more chance to recognize true pop greatness.
Any song that, after one listen, sinks its slippery hooks into you temporal lobes and hums itself to you against your will it often sneaks up on you when you least expect it and will stay as long as it damn well pleases; it does not care if you like it or not.
That is a perfect pop song.
the earworm, however, is usually a snippet of the "hook" used to snare the listener;
and you must agree, there have been some perfectly evil and banal hooks throughout the history of the popular song.
some of the most popular songs of the last 40 years are dastardly, disagreeable little ditties capable of taking the form of a whistle or a hum when you least expect it.
edit: this logic only shakes out if you agree that "perfect pop song" doesn't necessarily mean it fits your personal criteria for a "good song".
I think one arguable truly objective definition of "perfect pop song" could be the one that earns the most (inflation-adjusted) money over some long period of time - that wouldn't require any aesthetic interference at all! :)
By that criterion, it seems Elton John wins with 'Candle in the Wind'. He's followed by Bing Crosby at 2 & 3, but fourth place is taken by this guy, with this song. What a treasure-trove eMu is!
Welll, just to be careful, the Beatles were covering the 1959 Barrett Strong hit. Who the Flying Lizards were "covering" is for them to state, I suppose...
I read the first post here and a few of the first replies, and deliberately didn't look again for a while.
What is the perfect pop song?
One that makes you feel happy.
That rules out all the ones about love gone wrong, they make you feel sad.
It rules out all those sappy boy-meets-girl or girl-meets-boy songs, because they turn into "our song" that gets ruined later, and makes you feel sad.
Funny thing about songs, one day they can be the perfect happy-dance tune, and the next, a cryfest-inducing dirge.
The perfect pop song is one that makes one feel happy.
Now I'm going to take note of all the songs that made you happy when you posted about them.
Comments
Roll over Beethoven !
(Chuck Berry)
That is a perfect pop song.
and you must agree, there have been some perfectly evil and banal hooks throughout the history of the popular song.
some of the most popular songs of the last 40 years are dastardly, disagreeable little ditties capable of taking the form of a whistle or a hum when you least expect it.
edit: this logic only shakes out if you agree that "perfect pop song" doesn't necessarily mean it fits your personal criteria for a "good song".
The Flying Lizards had a one hit wonder made on a budget of only 6,50 GBP with a cover version of The Beatles hit "Money":
Money ( That's What I Want ) - Flying Lizards
- The story about "Money"
Horace Andy -- Spying Glass
in it's own way, it is perfect.
What is the perfect pop song?
One that makes you feel happy.
That rules out all the ones about love gone wrong, they make you feel sad.
It rules out all those sappy boy-meets-girl or girl-meets-boy songs, because they turn into "our song" that gets ruined later, and makes you feel sad.
Funny thing about songs, one day they can be the perfect happy-dance tune, and the next, a cryfest-inducing dirge.
The perfect pop song is one that makes one feel happy.
Now I'm going to take note of all the songs that made you happy when you posted about them.
They DOn't Know ABout US
She's so cool.
Ache - Shadow Of A Gipsy
(written by Ivor Cutler)
Ohhh - I feel so unnecessary ...
(Grant Green)
Edit: (Paul Robeson's version)
Ol' Man River
- And an unusual coverversion by The Band That Never Blinks
(LaLa)
Ghost Riders In The Sky
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The Tubes - White Punks on Dope and She's A Beauty