Good Pop Music?

[melon]

Is there such a thing as "good" pop music? There is so much emphasis on the bad--and with good reason. But, at the end of the day, are there any pop musicians that you would consider to be good?

Melon

 

[Dorian Gray]

this should be interesting. I dont think anybody has the same definition of pop.

I'd say good modern pop is heard in the music of:
The Strokes
Ryan Adams
John Mayer
REM
U2
Coldplay
The Wallflowers

I'm sure no one will agree with me...

 

[anitram]

I don't know, when I hear the term pop, I'm thinking Celine Dion and Clay Aiken. And I'd rather blow out my eardrums than listen to either of them. Celine with her baby Prince in cashmere outfits is sickening and Clay is a perfect example of how a little bit of money and a little bit of fame can work miracles and convince scores of women across the country that he is the next best thing since sliced bread and a stud to boot. It is truly a study in psychology.

Even if you put aside the repetitive theme behind pop songs (Baby I love you / Baby do you love me / Baby come back / Baby don't go / Baby I need you OR some derivative thereof), the lyrics are so banal and so insipid that I simply can't get past it. The overwhrought performances combined with the fact the songs are oftentimes penned by teams of a dozen people and yet this is the best they can come up with is too much to take.

Bottom line is, pop is meaningless drivel to me, at least modern pop, definitely the last decade.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I agree there are so many different interpretations of pop and all of the artists mentioned above can be heard as a variation of pop. To me, Crowded House is (was) a perfect example of a truly great pop band.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

'pop' to me is a catch all term for all music that isn't jazz or classical from the 1960s onwards. i think of it as an offshoot of our 20th and 21st century 'pop culture', hence the name.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

this should be interesting. I dont think anybody has the same definition of pop.

I'd say good modern pop is heard in the music of:
The Strokes
Ryan Adams
John Mayer
REM
U2
Coldplay
The Wallflowers

I'm sure no one will agree with me...

I do. Pop doesn't have to be associated only with the boy bands and the Britney Spears people.

The Beatles' early songs were definitely pop songs. And good ones at that.

Angela

 

[Saracene]

To me pop is not all about boy bands, Britney or Celine Dion. Bands like Beatles, Blondie, Simon & Garfunkle, Eurythmics, and yes, Crowded House, are examples of great pop. And artists like REM, Blur, Travis, U2 all have pop songs in their back catalogue, and brilliant at that.

Many people seem to think of pop as this sugary happy upbeat music, but I think it can often be melancholic and dark, too. ABBA's "The Winner Takes it All" is IMO one of the saddest break-up songs.

And isn't there such term nowadays as "indie pop"?

 

[IWasBored]

there is good pop music, it's just not always called pop music. labels and categories are essential for filing so you can find stuff,but pop music as in the stuff that's popular and on the radio....well....tha'ts usually blatant crap. or 99% of it anyway. in the sense that there is crap any style of music, there's good as well. it's just hiding.

 

[Angela Harlem]

In the classic sense of pop, I cant go past Robbie and Kylie. They are good pop.

 

[elevatedmole]

I don't know how many may agree with me on this, but the New Radicals' Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too is a really good pop record. No masterpiece, but it has some unique and memorable songs (I Hope I Just Didn't Give Away the Ending, Jehovah Made This Whole Joint for You, etc.). And yes, they're the ones who did that pop song back in '99 called You Get What You Give -- but the rest of their songs aren't very similar. It's actually probably the poppiest on the record, IMO.

[/ramble]

I am really weak towards indie pop (ala the Postal Service) but 98% of mainstream pop makes me ill.

 

[Laura M]

There are plenty of good pop musicians out these days imo.

 

[IWasBored]

I don't know how many may agree with me on this, but the New Radicals' Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too is a really good pop record. No masterpiece, but it has some unique and memorable songs (I Hope I Just Didn't Give Away the Ending, Jehovah Made This Whole Joint for You, etc.). And yes, they're the ones who did that pop song back in '99 called You Get What You Give -- but the rest of their songs aren't very similar. It's actually probably the poppiest on the record, IMO.

[/ramble]

I am really weak towards indie pop (ala the Postal Service) but 98% of mainstream pop makes me ill.

haha yes!!! new radicals!!

 

[U2girl]

Yes.

As far as I know, 60's music is considered popular music's "golden age" and heaps of songs from that age are considered classics. I think good pop bands in the past would be Beatles, ABBA, Crowded house, Beach boys ... to name but a few.

These days a lot of pop especially in US is influenced by RnB, from today's artists in pop I kind of prefer Robbie Williams, for "adult pop" probably Elton John and George Michael are most well-known.

 

[Bono's shades]

I guess it depends on how you define pop, which is nearly impossible. Everyone has a different definition. It's as meaningless a label as "alternative" or "indie."