Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Genres
    Genres 4 Mins Read

    Power Pop

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    While it is very easy to dismiss this sub-genre of music, the fact remains that power pop (even at its most commercially manipulated) had a longer history than many people realise, producing some terrific bands and absolutely classic music.

    The musical source for nearly all power pop isΒ The Beatles.Β Virtually all stylistic appropriations begin with them.

    Distinctive harmony singing, strong melody lines, catchy guitar riffs, lyrics about boys and girls in love – they created the model that power poppers copied for the next few decades.

    Other profound influences includeΒ The Who,Β The KinksΒ andΒ The MoveΒ – bands whose aggressive melodies and loud, distorted guitars put the “power” into power pop.

    Actually, in order to be complete, it’s safe to say that an authoritative genealogical tree of power pop influences would include virtually all of the bands of theΒ British InvasionΒ and Mod era.

    Which brings up a subtle but essential facet of nearly all American power pop bands – they seem vaguely British.

    That is, they sing with a slight English lilt to their voices, are likely to cover songs by British bands and, as was especially the case with British mod bands, they dress up rather than down. Even the most prominent American power pop influence, the janglyΒ folk-rockΒ of the mid-60sΒ Byrds, had a British tinge to itΒ a laΒ The Searchers andΒ The Hollies.

    American power pop’s first heyday (before it was even called power pop) was the early 70s. Few American bands encapsulated the commercial popularity and influenced cult status of early power pop better thanΒ The RaspberriesΒ andΒ Big Star.

    Both recorded great records, and while Big Star’s entire recorded output (thanks mainly to the talents of Alex Chilton) remains inarguably the best of the bunch, both bands approached their craft with a similar intent: To write smart, punchy, hook-filled songs.

    By the mid-to-late 70s, power pop’s lifeline continued with fluke hits likeΒ Dwight Twilley‘s 1975 Top 20 smashΒ I’m On Fire. Β Twilley, a native of Tulsa, recorded a wonderful debut record,Β SincerelyΒ (with partner Phil Seymour) that along with containing the aforementioned hit, is an excellent example of ebullient, tuneful, rockabilly-tinged power pop.

    Around the same time,Β Cheap Trick, a hard rock/pop band from Rockford, Illinois, capitalised on the strong vocals and good looks of lead singer Robin Zander and the bizarre antics and surreal narrative of guitaristΒ Rick Nielsen, recording some of the finest pop/rock of the time.

    Power pop was not solely the province of American bands who wanted to sound British. There was a British power pop “invasion” of sorts in the 70s.

    BadfingerΒ was the most blatantly Beatles-influenced but they produced some excellent, occasionally thrilling, songs such asΒ No Matter What,Β Baby BlueΒ andΒ Day After Day, all Top 3 hits in 1970 – 1971.

    Loaded with lush guitars, instantly recognisable melodies and two fine singers in Pete Ham and Joey Molland, Badfinger was the model of a great power pop band. Sadly, guitarist and songwriter Pete Ham committed suicide in 1975 effectively ending the band’s career.

    By the mid-70s, English power pop was essentially the music ofΒ Glam Rock: Stiff, boot-stomping rhythms that sounded like football (soccer) chants. Glam rock cranked up the guitars while sweetening the melodies, thereby making loud bubblegumΒ fodder perfect for radio.

    With artists such as Gary Glitter,Β The Sweet,Β SladeΒ andΒ Suzi QuatroΒ leading the way, glam rock produced a handful of great songs, one great band (Slade) and the obsequious marketing of negligibly talented teen idols (eg:Β The Bay City Rollers) that would become common practice in the early 80s power pop sweepstakes.

    Power pop’s nadir was reached, ironically, during an amazingly fertile period in its history. In the wake of Cheap Trick, excellent mid-western power pop bands likeΒ PezbandΒ andΒ The ShoesΒ (both from Illinois also) made great records.

    On the west coast, Jack Lee, Peter Case and Paul Collins formed the punk-pop The Nerves, in BostonΒ The Real KidsΒ released their debut LP and in New York, Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple formed TheΒ dB’sΒ and released two of the smartest and most ambitious power pop records ever made.

    In England, formerΒ pub rockerΒ Will Birch (formerly of theΒ Kursaal Flyers) formed The Records, a brilliant band who released a couple of outstanding records including the unforgettableΒ Starry Eyes.

    Although most people are loathe to use the term these days, power pop still exists. Alternative bands likeΒ The Posies,Β Elastica,Β Jellyfish,Β Urge OverkillΒ andΒ The LemonheadsΒ were not too far removed from the power pop days of yesteryear. There were flashes of it inΒ Nirvana, and even retro-punk bands likeΒ The Offspring, Foo FightersΒ andΒ Green Day.

    Ultimately power pop is much better than the term implies, and it seems as though it’s not willing to go away anytime soon. Which is fine, just as long as skinny ties never make a comeback . . .

    Related Posts

    • Madchester
      Madchester
      Madchester (so named because it originated in Manchester in the north of England) was the dominant force in British rock…
    • New Romantic
      New Romantic
      Each decade of popular music so far has its merits and its embarrassments. But perhaps the most derided of them…
    • Girl Groups
      Girl Groups
      The story of the 'girl group' sound, which reached its commercial and artistic peak in the early and mid-60s, is…
    • New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)
      New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)
      In the early 1980s, UK rock magazineΒ SoundsΒ ardently promoted (and christened) the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal - Β the acronym…
    • Punk
      Punk
      In 1977, merely suggesting that the Queen was a moron (or a potential H Bomb) would get you banned from…
    • Heavy Metal
      Heavy Metal
      Fine in principal, but not quite in practice; The Heavy Metal crowd consistently ruled much of the 80's, which is…
    • Ska Revival
      Ska Revival
      September 1979. England. The Prince by Madness had entered the British charts on 1 September. The SpecialsΒ (pictured above) were riding…
    • KraΓΌtrock
      KraΓΌtrock
      For those who were there in 1971, the shock of seeingΒ Faust's eponymous debut LP remains starkly etched in the mind's…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleNew Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)
    Next Article Prog Rock

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum
      Ian Meldrum was born on a ship outside the port of Aden, South […]
    • Ruggles, The
      1 9 4 9 – 1 9 5 2Β (USA) 137 x 30 minute episodes This ABC […]
    • LL Cool J
      LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith. The rap name apparently […]
    • Black and Blue
      1 9 7 3Β (UK) 6 x 60 minute episodes This six-part anthology […]
    • Who’s Minding the Store? (1963)
      Barbara Tuttle (Jill St. John) is a very rich girl who falls in […]
    • Skinny Ties
      The skinny tie – usually no more than two inches – […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    David Bowie's handwritten Jean Genie lyrics sold for £57,000

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The handwritten sheet was given to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie fan club by the star.
    12 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😒
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news πŸ˜ͺ

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid πŸ˜‚

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear πŸ˜₯ rest in peace πŸ™ πŸ•Š xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😒

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright Β© 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.