Power pop has figured prominently at Pauseandplay.com since it debuted in the mid-1990s.
Here’s proof: quotable moments from some of the genre’s best.
Vicki Peterson of The Bangles, when asked what was the first record she ever bought – “You won’t believe this. It was the ‘We Can Fly’ album by the Cowsills. I bought it with my allowance money. This is true; this is archived. I’ve answered this question before I was engaged to the drummer (John Cowsill).”
When Kinks guitarist Dave Davies was 15, he was tinkering with his 10-watt amplifier at his parents’ home in Muswell Hill, England – “I started to experiment with it. I was an inquisitive kid. I always wanted to know how things work, not knowing whether you’re supposed to do it or not do it. I got so fed up with this little amplifier, that I just fed it into a bigger amplifier, not knowing whether it would work.”
When he turned it on, a shock passed through his body, hurling him across his bedroom. “My mum came into the room, because all the lights had fused in the house, and she found me in a little bundle on the floor,” he said, chuckling. “Some of the best moments come out by accident, and mine was a near-death experience.”
After plugging, unplugging and switching chords, he slashed the amplifier’s speaker cone with a razor blade. He finally got what he wanted: a crackling, distorted guitar sound. A year later, Davies’ method of madness paid off, constructing the notorious, always-imitated-but-never-duplicated guitar riffs on the Kinks’ first worldwide hit, “You Really Got Me.”
Tommy Heath, aka Tommy Tutone, on the lasting popularity of “867-5309 / Jenny” – “A lot of people can tell me where they were when they heard the song, what they were doing. It nails a time and place for people.”
Matthew Sweet, trying to deflect praise from his fans and their frustrations over his lack of commercial success – “I try; I want to be good. The people I idolized are people like Brian Wilson, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Sometimes I feel like so many people say that, god, maybe I should’ve had more radio exposure or something. It does seem strange, and sometimes I wish that I had had label situations where they had really, really gone to bat for something. It never seemed to last very long. Although I can’t really trash anyone, especially the early years of Zoo; everybody was like a family. They worked really hard for me.”
Andy Partridge, thanking loyal XTC fans for keeping the faith. He finds their devotion equally reassuring and scary – “I’m not on the Internet. A few times, people have sent me print-outs of stuff they’re talking about. Not only is most of it incredibly wrong, it’s the disinformation highway. Rumor is rife on there; it’s Chinese whispers. Not only is it wrong, it’s so congratulatory and effusive; it’s so ludicrous, I don’t believe it. They say, ‘They’re better than the Beatles’ and ‘They picked up where the Beatles left off,’ blah-blah. So, wait a minute, we’ve got some part of it that’s just plain lies, and the effusiveness can’t be true because it feels wrong to my ears. And the other part of it is criticism, which you don’t want to believe because it’s so hurtful.”
The late Jim Ellison of Material Issue – “To me, good pop is solid melody with good vocalization, not too watered down to the point where it’s sappy. Just because you play pop doesn’t mean you have to play acoustic guitars and piano. I think you can still punch a lot of rock ‘n’ roll into pop … ‘Ballroom Blitz’ is a great example. I mean, it’s a pretty heavy song but still really, really melodic.”
Todd Rundgren – “I’ve always wanted to be able to experiment with other styles, and plus my influences weren’t limited to R&B. My parents never listened to pop music. They liked show music and classical music, so there’s a lot of that in my so-called grab bag.”
Bassist John Power, on being disappointed in The La’s self-titled debut album despite global acclaim – “It’s really good that people like the music, but they don’t know the problems we’ve had with this album. We didn’t even want it coming out, because it doesn’t sound like us. We recorded it, but Steve Lillywhite mixed it up, mixed it himself. The record company released it without us even on the cover sleeve and everything. We had nothing to do with it, and I’m being polite about it.”
Drummer Bun E. Carlos, on Cheap Trick being caught off-guard with their success in Japan and the subsequent recording of “Cheap Trick At Budokan” – “At the end of two weeks, it was nice to go home and get away from it, because we couldn’t leave our rooms. We couldn’t look out the windows because the fans might back up into the street and get hit by a car. We couldn’t go anywhere, and we really didn’t know about Japan. We didn’t know about Japanese food or going to Roppongi (the nightclub district) or any of that stuff, so we sat in our rooms and ate bad room-service burgers.”
Now comes our final selections for “365 Days of Power Pop.” As you’ll see, there are 400 in total … the “bonus tracks” are there to make up for some songs that aren’t on Spotify (like the Beatles and Badfinger).
Our three two editions here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 (featuring Eric Carmen).
(Follow along with our Spotify playlist.)
295 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01KBHYK3E” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Slackjawed, The Connells[/easyazon_link]
296 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00004S5GA” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Dream All Day, The Posies[/easyazon_link]
297 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00136JGXC” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Tell It to Carrie, The Romantics[/easyazon_link]
298 [easyazon_link identifier=”B004NH08HQ” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Live, The Merry-Go-Round[/easyazon_link]
299 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001U94RPE” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]People Got A Lotta Nerve, Neko Case[/easyazon_link]
300 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00122MEMC” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]For Pete’s Sake, The Monkees[/easyazon_link]
301 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002BGLDFW” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Trampoline, The Greenberry Woods[/easyazon_link]
302 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002NSUB6A” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Cleveland Rocks, Ian Hunter[/easyazon_link]
303 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00136JEA2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Mr. Tambourine Man, The Byrds[/easyazon_link]
304 [easyazon_link identifier=”B003IZGOEK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Ring Ring, Chris Rainbow[/easyazon_link]
305 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01K39PLE2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Roadrunner, Jonathan Richman[/easyazon_link]
306 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00G79EHG6″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]We Gotta Get Out of This Place, The Animals[/easyazon_link]
307 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00J4TB66K” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Lavender, Ray LaMontagne[/easyazon_link]
308 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00137T78A” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]In Your Room, The Bangles[/easyazon_link]
309 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0025W8XO6″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]You Baby, The Turtles[/easyazon_link]
310 [easyazon_link identifier=”B004JUOAT4″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone), Chilliwack[/easyazon_link]
311 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001A83API” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Amity Gardens, Fountains of Wayne[/easyazon_link]
312 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00C55IIMK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Here She Comes, Dwight Twilley Band[/easyazon_link]
313 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01929ICQI” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Getting Better, The Beatles[/easyazon_link]
314 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0723C6S5S” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]January, Pilot[/easyazon_link]
315 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0011V4GFC” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]So Says I, The Shins[/easyazon_link]
316 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00O6YWH48″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Substitute, The Who[/easyazon_link]
317 [easyazon_link identifier=”B003DS604G” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Nice Day, Persephone’s Bees[/easyazon_link]
318 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00136LJUA” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]I’d Knew I’d Want You, The Byrds[/easyazon_link]
319 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00161OBUM” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Sunday Girl, Blondie[/easyazon_link]
320 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0018PXGPM” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Look Through Any Window, The Hollies[/easyazon_link]
321 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01929HBPG” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]I’m Looking Through You, The Beatles[/easyazon_link]
322 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0722HCW9L” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Precious to Me, Phil Seymour[/easyazon_link]
323 [easyazon_link identifier=”B005K4I3VY” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Calling All Girls, Queen[/easyazon_link]
324 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00138JAZO” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Everything Works If You Let It, Cheap Trick[/easyazon_link]
325 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0051T1LU8″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]The Wall Street Shuffle, 10cc[/easyazon_link]
326 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00007LZ2P” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Can You Dig It? The Mock Turtles[/easyazon_link]
327 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00FAUW5VM” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah), Joan Jett & the Blackhearts[/easyazon_link]
328 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0018MQOIG” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Hate to Say I Told You So, The Hives[/easyazon_link]
329 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0001AEVGI” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Star, Stealers Wheel[/easyazon_link]
330 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00J9ZQXP8″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Twin Steps, Woods[/easyazon_link]
331 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002ATDQPU” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Kite, Nick Heyward[/easyazon_link]
332 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0017KKLHO” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]I Wish I Never Met You, Splitsville[/easyazon_link]
333 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00006AAQ4″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Girls Who Don’t Exist, The Records[/easyazon_link]
334 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0073CFZCQ” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Picture Book, Young Fresh Fellows[/easyazon_link]
335 [easyazon_link identifier=”B003LVMJMC” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]You Were So Warm, Nada Surf[/easyazon_link]
336 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00LJYTBQU” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]They Got Me Covered, Dirty Looks[/easyazon_link]
337 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002NXICP2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]867-5309 / Jenny, Tommy Tutone[/easyazon_link]
338 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0012358XI” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]New Little Girl, Off Broadway[/easyazon_link]
339 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00123M91M” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Cynical Girl, Marshall Crenshaw[/easyazon_link]
340 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0055SQKII” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]All the Myths on Sunday, Diesel Park West[/easyazon_link]
341 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000TRRXJA” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Ecstasy, Raspberries[/easyazon_link]
342 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002BGR306″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]I’ve Been Wrong Before, The Everly Brothers[/easyazon_link]
343 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01IPCSUY2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Just a Room, The Turtles[/easyazon_link]
344 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000QONDX6″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Rosalyn, The Pretty Things[/easyazon_link]
345 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0044JZF62″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Never Say Never, Romeo Void[/easyazon_link]
346 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SJN01XQ” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]My Mind’s Eye, Small Faces[/easyazon_link]
347 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00899E7IA” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Keep the Blue Skies, Cliff Hillis[/easyazon_link]
348 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SVEFVMY” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Paint It, Black, The Rolling Stones[/easyazon_link]
349 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0045DD55U” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Blame It On Yourself, Ivy[/easyazon_link]
350 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00124F4WC” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]She, The Monkees[/easyazon_link]
351 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000W00G3O” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Is That Love?, Squeeze[/easyazon_link]
352 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00C7D5M1U” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Rolene, Moon Martin[/easyazon_link]
353 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00138EVB2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Don’t Look Back, The Remains[/easyazon_link]
354 [easyazon_link identifier=”B004RF4CU8″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Just Like Me, Paul Revere & The Raiders[/easyazon_link]
355 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01M1RAVLT” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]She Means a Lot to Me, Smyle[/easyazon_link]
356 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00138B1BU” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Rip in Heaven, ’til tuesday[/easyazon_link]
357 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001V9WJV2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]My World Fell Down, Sagittarius[/easyazon_link]
358 [easyazon_link identifier=”B003AN9EJM” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Pretty (Ugly Before), Elliott Smith[/easyazon_link]
359 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00120AZ84″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Surf’s Up, Brian Wilson[/easyazon_link]
360 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001NZVSSO” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]The Rain, the Park & Other Things, Cowsills[/easyazon_link]
361 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00DHQ29TE” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Mind Mischief, Tame Impala[/easyazon_link]
362 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00122NYZI” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Sit Down I Think I Love You, The Mojo Men[/easyazon_link]
363 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0714M8T1T” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Lust For Life, Iggy Pop[/easyazon_link]
364 [easyazon_link identifier=”B010HKIYG4″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Come On Down to My Boat, Every Mother’s Son[/easyazon_link]
365 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000008048″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Change, The Lightning Seeds[/easyazon_link]
366 [easyazon_link identifier=”B009S8PBTK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]There She Goes Again, The Velvet Underground[/easyazon_link]
367 [easyazon_link identifier=”B013L1HKHK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]I Can’t Let Go, Linda Ronstadt[/easyazon_link]
368 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01K39PE1M” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Here Comes My Baby, The Tremeloes[/easyazon_link]
369 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001OGQ1G6″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Can’t Let a Woman, Ambrosia[/easyazon_link]
370 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000QON3RM” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]S.F. Sorrow Is Born, The Pretty Things[/easyazon_link]
371 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001DNVL7E” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Come Out and Play, The Paley Brothers[/easyazon_link]
373 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002PZERFW” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Walking Out on Love, The Breakaways[/easyazon_link]
374 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01DKVORSQ” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Tomorrow Night, Shoes[/easyazon_link]
375 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0019078PK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Jean’s Not Happening, China Syndrome[/easyazon_link]
376 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00181RDY6″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Same Thing, The Grays[/easyazon_link]
377 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00138COHK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Superman, Lazlo Bane[/easyazon_link]
378 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00CMO59CQ” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Five O’Clock World, The Vogues[/easyazon_link]
379 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00124FC6U” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Lonely You, Badfinger[/easyazon_link]
380 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001O3YDB4″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]The Waiting, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers[/easyazon_link]
381 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000QMU0MK” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]My Girl, Hoodoo Gurus[/easyazon_link]
382 [easyazon_link identifier=”B005LYCKXU” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Let’s Be Friends Again, The Toms[/easyazon_link]
383 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0041QOML2″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Positive Vibrations, The Soft Boys[/easyazon_link]
384 [easyazon_link identifier=”B002UT94YC” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Liar, Liar, The Castaways[/easyazon_link]
385 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001NU2QX0″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]How Much More, The Go-Go’s[/easyazon_link]
386 [easyazon_link identifier=”B004VPVFY0″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Dirty Water, The Standells[/easyazon_link]
387 [easyazon_link identifier=”B003VPSS5A” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Leave My Heart Alone, The Rubinoos[/easyazon_link]
388 [easyazon_link identifier=”B0013AN44U” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Night-Time, The Strangeloves[/easyazon_link]
389 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000QNXH4C” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Fly High Michelle, Enuff Z’Nuff[/easyazon_link]
390 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000S45P6M” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Lies, The Knickerbockers[/easyazon_link]
391 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00000I0P9″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]April’s Fool, The Merrymakers[/easyazon_link]
392 [easyazon_link identifier=”B01637VR1O” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Can’t Seem to Make You Mine, Alex Chilton[/easyazon_link]
393 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000V64V6W” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Closing Time, Semisonic[/easyazon_link]
394 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00G2IGQUW” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Marquee Moon, Television[/easyazon_link]
395 [easyazon_link identifier=”B001BK9L6W” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]We Are, Vertical Horizon[/easyazon_link]
396 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000U0ZCGW” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]She’s Just My Baby, Artful Dodger[/easyazon_link]
397 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000QPHH6E” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Get On, Me, The Brother Kite[/easyazon_link]
398 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00161N76G” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]One Way or Another, Blondie[/easyazon_link]
399 [easyazon_link identifier=”B000VZLMWO” locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]The Middle, Jimmy Eat World[/easyazon_link]
400 [easyazon_link identifier=”B00137TJ74″ locale=”US” tag=”pauplathemuss-20″]Girlfriend, Matthew Sweet[/easyazon_link]