Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock ) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock music . Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll , early pop rock was influenced by the beat , arrangements, and original style of rock and roll (and sometimes doo-wop ). It may be viewed as a distinct genre field rather than music that overlaps with pop and rock. The detractors of pop rock often deride it as a slick, commercial product and less authentic than rock music.
57-603: Fine Young Cannibals ( FYC ) were an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham , England, in 1984 by former The Beat band bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox with singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz ). Their self-titled 1985 debut album contained " Johnny Come Home " and a cover of " Suspicious Minds ", two songs that were top 40 hits in the UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. Their 1989 album, The Raw &
114-422: A "real connection with the audience". Frith's analysis of the history of popular music from the 1950s to the 1980s has been criticized by B. J. Moore-Gilbert, who argues that Frith and other scholars have overemphasized the role of rock in the history of popular music by naming every new genre using the "rock" suffix. Thus, when a folk-oriented style of music developed in the 1960s, Frith termed it "folk rock", and
171-521: A bright mood. Critic Philip Auslander argues that the distinction between pop and rock is more pronounced in the US than in the UK. He claims that in the US, pop has roots in white crooners such as Perry Como , whereas rock is rooted in African-American music influenced by forms such as rock and roll . Auslander points out that the concept of pop rock, which blends pop and rock, is at odds with
228-531: A couple of years too young to have been in bands the first time round." For many fans of power pop, according to Caferelli, the "bloated and sterile" aspect of 1970s rock was indicative of the void left by the Beatles' breakup in 1970 . During the early to middle part of the decade, only a few acts continued the tradition of Beatles-style pop. Some were younger glam / glitter bands, while others were " '60s holdovers" that refused to update their sound. One of
285-574: A frequent object of derision among some critics and musicians. The 1990s saw a new wave of alternative bands that were drawn to 1960s artists because of the 1980s music they had influenced. Although not as successful as their predecessors, Jellyfish , the Posies , Redd Kross , Teenage Fanclub , and Material Issue were critical and cult favorites. In the mid-1990s, an offshoot genre that combined power pop-style harmonies with uptempo punk rock, dubbed " pop-punk ", reached mainstream popularity. Power pop
342-604: A major component of the Elephant 6 music collective's identity often mixing with psychedelic and Slacker rock . Power pop has had varying levels of success since the 1990s. In 1994, Green Day and Weezer popularized pop-punk , an alternative rock variant genre that fuses power pop harmonies with uptempo punk moods. According to Louder Than War 's Sam Lambeth, power pop has "ebbed and flowed" while remaining an object of critical derision. Despite this, he cites Fountains of Wayne with inspiring "yet another new era for
399-560: A nightclub in the 1987 comedy film Tin Men and also contributed songs to the film's soundtrack , including "Good Thing". In the gap between their first and second albums, Steele and Cox released the instrumental house single "Tired of Getting Pushed Around" in 1987 as "Two Men, a Drum Machine and a Trumpet", which reached No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart and was popular on the U.S. dance chart. During this time, Gift appeared in
456-703: A not-so-crooked line from garage rock to power pop." Townshend himself was heavily influenced by the guitar work of Beach Boy Carl Wilson , while the Who's debut single "I Can't Explain" was indebted to the Kinks' " You Really Got Me " (1964). Roy Shuker identified the leading American power pop acts of the time as the Byrds, Tommy James and the Shondells , and Paul Revere and the Raiders . Also significant to power pop in
513-495: A part of "the latest musical trend, power pop." Lester called the studio recording of the song a "masterclass in compression " and said that Rundgren "staked his claim to powerpop immortality [and] set the whole ball rolling". Earles identified the Raspberries as the only American band that had hit singles. Murray recognized the Raspberries as the most representative power pop band and described their 1972 US top 10 " Go All
570-645: A power pop band was the Knack's debut single, " My Sharona ", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks in August–September 1979. However, the song's ubiquitous radio presence that summer spawned a popular and critical backlash against the band, which in turn led to a backlash against the power pop genre in general. Once the Knack failed to maintain their commercial momentum, record companies generally stopped signing power pop groups. Most bands of
627-437: A prolific and commercially successful period from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. Throughout the two decades, the genre existed parallel to and occasionally drew from developments such as glam rock, pub rock , punk, new wave, college rock , and neo-psychedelia . AllMusic states that these new groups were "swept along with the new wave because their brief, catchy songs fit into the post-punk aesthetic." Most bands rejected
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#1732783875829684-536: A rapid decline due to the popularity of the AOR and progressive rock FM radio format. By 1977, there was a renewed interest in the music and culture of the 1960s, with examples such as the Beatlemania musical and the growing mod revival . AABA forms and double backbeats also made their return after many years of disuse in popular music. Spurred on by the emergence of punk rock and new wave, power pop enjoyed
741-475: A softer alternative to rock and roll. In the aftermath of the British Invasion , from about 1967, it was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock, to describe a form that was more commercial, ephemeral and accessible. As of the 2010s, "guitar pop rock" and " indie rock " are roughly synonymous terms. " Jangle " is a noun-adjective that music critics often use in reference to guitar pop with
798-494: Is a more aggressive form of pop rock that is based on catchy, melodic hooks and energetic moods. AllMusic describes the style as "a cross between the crunching hard rock of the Who and the sweet melodicism of the Beatles and the Beach Boys , with the ringing guitars of the Byrds thrown in for good measure". Virtually every artist of the genre has been a rock band consisting of white male musicians who engaged with
855-412: Is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who , the Beatles , the Beach Boys , and the Byrds . It typically incorporates melodic hooks , vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and cheerful-sounding music underpinned by a sense of yearning, longing, despair, or self-empowerment. The sound is primarily rooted in pop and rock traditions of
912-500: Is for pussies and should be stopped." Ken Stringfellow of the Posies concurred that "There’s a kind of aesthetic to power pop to be light on purpose. I wanted something with more gravitas." Power pop originated in the late 1960s as young music fans began to rebel against the emerging pretensions of rock music. During this period, a schism developed between "serious" artists who rejected pop and "crassly commercial" pop acts who embraced their teenybopper audience. Greg Shaw credited
969-471: Is that these bands are 'retro,' or not post-modern enough because they're not grunge and because the Posies are from Seattle and don't sound like Mudhoney ." Velvet Crush 's Ric Menck credited Nirvana with ultimately making it "possible for people like Matthew [Sweet] and the Posies and Material Issue and, to some extent, us to get college radio play." As power pop "gained the attention of hip circles", many older bands reformed to record new material that
1026-506: The 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood . The duo of Steele and Cox spent eight months listening to over 500 cassettes of potential singers before picking Gift. They had difficulty obtaining a record contract, but when a video of their song "Johnny Come Home" appeared on British TV show The Tube , recording contract offers flowed in immediately. The band's eponymous debut album
1083-693: The 1960s were the Dave Clark Five , the Creation , the Easybeats , the Move , and the Nazz . In the 1970s, the rock scene fragmented into many new styles. Artists drifted away from the influence of early Beatles songs, and those who cited the Beatles or the Who as influences were in the minority. In Paul Lester's description, "powerpop is really a 70s invention. It's about young musicians missing
1140-660: The 1970s milieu broke up in the early 1980s. In the 1980s and 1990s, power pop continued as a commercially modest genre with artists such as Redd Kross and the Spongetones . The later records of XTC also became a touchstone for bands such as Jellyfish and the Apples in Stereo , while Big Star developed an avid cult following among members of later bands like R.E.M. and the Replacements who expressed esteem for
1197-416: The 1970s; he regarded "pop-rock" as a "monolith" that "straddled" all burgeoning movements and subgenres in the popular and semipopular music marketplace at the time, including singer-songwriter music, art rock , heavy metal , boogie , country rock , jazz fusion , funk , disco , urban contemporary , and new wave , but not punk rock . Power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop )
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#17327838758291254-477: The 60s but taking its sound in new directions. [...] not just an alternative to prog and the hippy troubadours, but a cousin to glam." Novelist Michael Chabon believed that the genre did not truly come into its own until the emergence of "second generation" power pop acts in the early 1970s. Lester added that it was "essentially an American response to the British Invasion, made by Anglophiles
1311-546: The Bay City Rollers and Def Leppard . Power pop has struggled with its critical reception and is sometimes viewed as a shallow style of music associated with teenage audiences. The perception was exacerbated by record labels in the early 1980s who used the term for marketing post-punk styles. Music critic Ken Sharp summarized that power pop is "the Rodney Dangerfield of rock 'n' roll. [...]
1368-591: The Beatles and its " jangly guitars, pleasant melodies, immaculate vocal harmonies, and a general air of teenage innocence", were a key influence on 1970s power-pop bands such as the Raspberries , Big Star , the Knack and XTC . I believe pop music should be like the TV—something you can turn on and off and shouldn't disturb the mind. [...] It's very hard to like " Strawberry Fields " for simply what it is. Some artists are becoming musically unapproachable. —Pete Townshend, 1967 When Pete Townshend coined
1425-587: The Beatles." Raspberries dissolved in 1975 as Carmen pursued a solo career. A recognizable movement of power pop bands following in the tradition of the Raspberries started emerging in the late 1970s, with groups such as Cheap Trick , the Jam , the Romantics , Shoes , and the Flamin' Groovies, who were seen as 1960s revivalist bands. Much of these newer bands were influenced by late 1960s AM radio, which fell into
1482-479: The Cooked , topped the UK, US, Australian and Canadian album charts, and contained their two Billboard Hot 100 number ones: " She Drives Me Crazy " and " Good Thing ". In 1990, the band won two Brit Awards : Best British Group and Best British Album (for The Raw & the Cooked ). The group was formed in 1984 after the dissolution of The Beat , with whom Cox and Steele previously played. Their name came from
1539-707: The Cooked included three songs the band had recorded for Tin Men (including "Good Thing"), and their cover of the Buzzcocks ' " Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) " recorded for the film Something Wild . In 1990, the band contributed a version of Cole Porter 's " Love for Sale " to the AIDS research benefit album Red Hot + Blue , produced by the Red Hot Organization . Fine Young Cannibals disbanded in 1992, although they briefly returned to
1596-586: The Nerves , and 20/20 only drew cult followings. Writing for Time in 1978, Jay Cocks cited Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds as "the most accomplished purveyors of power pop", which he described as "the well-groomed stepbrother of punk rock". Edmunds was quoted: "Before the New Wave [...] There was no chance for the little guy who buys a guitar and starts a band. What we're doing is kids' music, really, just four-four time and good songs." Cheap Trick became
1653-532: The Way " as "practically a template for everything the genre could be, from the heavy arena-rock hook to the cooing, teenybopper-friendly verses and chorus." Caferelli described the follow-up " I Wanna Be with You " (1972) as "perhaps the definitive power pop single". However, like Badfinger, the Raspberries were derided as "Beatles clones". Singer Eric Carmen remembered that there "were a lot of people in 1972 who were not ready for any band that even remotely resembled
1710-597: The Who as the starting point for power pop, whereas Carl Caferelli (writing in Borack's book) said that "the story really begins circa 1964, with the commercial ascension of the Beatles in America ." Caferelli also recognized the Beatles as the embodiment of the "pop band" ideal. According to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll , British Invasion bands, particularly the Merseybeat sound first popularised by
1767-478: The authors Larry Starr and Christopher Waterman, it is defined as an "upbeat variety of rock music" represented by artists and bands such as Andy Kim , the Bells , Paul McCartney , Lighthouse , and Peter Frampton . The term "pop" has been used since the early forties to refer to popular music in general, but in the mid-1950s, it began to be used for a distinct genre, aimed at a youth market, often characterized as
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1824-436: The days when moptops were geniuses, songs were around three minutes long and a great hook--a catchy melodic phrase that "hooks" the listener—was godhead." Members of Jellyfish and Posies said that they were drawn to 1960s artists because of the 1980s music they influenced. At the time, it was uncertain whether the movement could have mainstream success. Karen Glauber, editor of Hits magazine, said that "The popular conception
1881-581: The direct updating of the most revered artists—the Who, the Beach Boys, the Beatles—yet it gets no respect." In 1996, singer-songwriter Tommy Keene commented that any association to the term since the 1980s is to be "compared to a lot of bands that didn't sell records, it's like a disease. If you're labeled that, you're history." Musician Steve Albini said: "I cannot bring myself to use the term 'power pop.' Catchy, mock-descriptive terms are for dilettantes and journalists. I guess you could say I think this music
1938-497: The early-to-mid 1960s, although some artists have occasionally drawn from later styles such as punk , new wave , glam rock , pub rock , college rock , and neo-psychedelia . Originating in the 1960s, power pop developed mainly among American musicians who came of age during the British Invasion . Many of these young musicians wished to retain the "teenage innocence" of pop and rebelled against newer forms of rock music that were thought to be pretentious and inaccessible. The term
1995-701: The festival expanded to several locations over the years, including Canada and Liverpool , England (the latter event included performances at the Cavern Club ). Paul Collins of the Beat and the Nerves hosted the Power Pop-A-Licious music festival in 2011 and 2013, featuring a mixture of classic and rising bands with an emphasis on power pop, punk rock, garage and roots rock. The concerts were held at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and
2052-524: The format" during the late 1990s, "one they'd perfect with the magnetic Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)." He writes that as of 2017, "you can still hear some of power pop's core traits in bands such as Best Coast , Sløtface , Diet Cig and Dude York ." In 1998, International Pop Overthrow (IPO)—named after the album of the same name by Material Issue—began holding a yearly festival for power pop bands. Originally taking place in Los Angeles ,
2109-488: The group's work. Many bands who were primarily influenced by Big Star blended power pop with the ethos and sounds of alternative rock . AllMusic cited Teenage Fanclub , Material Issue , and the Posies as "critical and cult favorites". In 1991, the Los Angeles Times 's Chris Willman identified Jellyfish, the Posies, and Redd Kross as the leaders of a "new wave of rambunctious Power Pop bands that recall
2166-466: The groups that established the genre's sound, the Raspberries were the only power pop band of the era to have hit singles. Noel Murray wrote that Badfinger had "some key songs" that were power pop "before the genre really existed". According to Magnet 's Andrew Earles, 1972 was "year zero" for power pop. Developments from that year included the emergence of Big Star and the Raspberries,
2223-464: The irreverence, cynicism, and irony that characterized new wave, believing that pop music was an art that reached its apex in the mid-1960s, sometimes referred to as the "poptopia". This in turn led many critics to dismiss power pop as derivative work. Ultimately, the groups with the best-selling records were Cheap Trick, the Knack , the Romantics, and Dwight Twilley , whereas Shoes, the Records ,
2280-436: The kind of pop the Beach Boys played in the days of ' Fun, Fun, Fun ' which I preferred." Despite other bands following in the power pop continuum since then, the term was not popularized until the rise of new wave music in the late 1970s. Greg Shaw , editor of Bomp! magazine, was the most prominent in the slew of music critics that wrote about power pop (then written as "powerpop"). This mirrored similar developments with
2337-475: The most prominent groups in the latter category was Badfinger , the first artists signed to the Beatles' Apple Records . Although they had international top 10 chart success with " Come and Get It " (1969), " No Matter What " (1970), and " Day After Day " (1971), they were criticized in the music press as Beatles imitators. Caferelli describes them as "one of the earliest—and finest purveyors" of power pop. Conversely, AllMusic states that while Badfinger were among
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2394-545: The most successful act in the genre's history thanks to the band's constant touring schedule and stage theatrics. According to Andrew Earles, the group's "astonishing acceptance in Japan (documented on 1979's At Budokan ) and hits ' Surrender ' and ' I Want You To Want Me ,' the Trick took power pop to an arena level and attained a degree of success that the genre had never seen, nor would ever see again." The biggest chart hit by
2451-543: The movie Sammy and Rosie Get Laid . The band continued their international success with the singles "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing", from the 1989 album The Raw & the Cooked . Both songs reached #1 in the United States. "She Drives Me Crazy" also topped the Australian chart for three non-consecutive weeks and peaked at #5 in the UK, while "Good Thing" peaked at #7 in both countries. The Raw &
2508-460: The pop-infused styles of the 1970s were called "pop rock". Moore-Gilbert claims that this approach unfairly puts rock at the apex and makes every other influence become an add-on to the central core of rock. In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau discussed the term "pop-rock" in the context of popular music's fragmentation along stylistic lines in
2565-571: The release of Todd Rundgren 's Something/Anything? , and the recording of the Flamin' Groovies ' " Shake Some Action "; additionally, many garage bands had stopped emulating the Rolling Stones . Chabon additionally credited the Raspberries, Badfinger, Big Star, and Rundgren's " Couldn't I Just Tell You " and " I Saw the Light " with "inventing" the genre. On a television performance from 1978, Rundgren introduced "Couldn't I Just Tell You" as
2622-504: The rise of punk and new wave in the late 1970s, with Cheap Trick , the Knack , the Romantics , Nick Lowe , Dave Edmunds , and Dwight Twilley among those enjoying the most success. After a popular and critical backlash to the genre's biggest hit, " My Sharona " (the Knack, 1979), record companies generally stopped signing power pop groups, and most of the 1970s bands broke up in the early 1980s. Over subsequent decades, power pop continued with modest commercial success while also remaining
2679-591: The song forms, vocal arrangements, chord progressions , rhythm patterns, instrumentation, or overall sound associated with groups of the mid-1960s British Invasion era. An essential feature of power pop is that its cheerful sounding arrangements are supported by a sense of "yearning", "longing", or "despair" similar to formative works such as " Wouldn't It Be Nice " (the Beach Boys, 1966) and " Pictures of Lily " (the Who, 1967). This might be achieved with an unexpected harmonic change or lyrics that refer to "tonight", "tomorrow night", "Saturday night", and so on. Power pop
2736-468: The sound became more viable and widely imitated, it was easier to trace the roots of the genre back to rockabilly , doo-wop , girl groups, and the early records of the Beatles, the Byrds, the Beach Boys, the Kinks , and the Who." Robert Hilburn traced the genre "chiefly from the way the Beatles and the Beach Boys mixed rock character and pure Top 40 instincts in such records as the latter's ' California Girls '." Borack noted, "It's also quite easy to draw
2793-497: The studio in 1996 to record a new single, "The Flame", for the greatest hits compilation The Finest . Pop rock Much pop and rock music has been very similar in sound, instrumentation and even lyrical content. The terms "pop rock" and " power pop " have been used to describe more commercially successful music that uses elements from, or the form of, rock music. Writer Johan Fornas views pop/rock as "one single, continuous genre field", rather than distinct categories. To
2850-446: The term " punk rock " from earlier in the decade. In light of this, Theo Cateforis, author of Are We Not New Wave? (2011), wrote that "the recognition and formulation" of power pop as a genre "was by no means organic." There is significant debate among fans over what should be classed as power pop. Shaw took credit for codifying the genre in 1978, describing it as a hybrid style of pop and punk. He later wrote that "much to my chagrin,
2907-400: The term was snapped up by legions of limp, second-rate bands hoping the majors would see them as a safe alternative to punk." Music journalist John M. Borack also stated in his 2007 book Shake Some Action – The Ultimate Guide to Power Pop that the label is often applied to varied groups and artists with "blissful indifference", noting its use in connection with Britney Spears , Green Day ,
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#17327838758292964-437: The term, he suggested that songs like " I Can't Explain " (1965) and " Substitute " (1966) were more accessible than the changing, more experimental directions other groups such as the Beatles were taking. However, the term did not become widely identified with the Who, and it would take a few years before the genre's stylistic elements coalesced into a more recognizable form. The A.V. Club 's Noel Murray said that "once
3021-440: The typical conception of pop and rock as opposites. Auslander and several other scholars, such as Simon Frith and Grossberg, argue that pop music is often depicted as an inauthentic, cynical, "slickly commercial", and formulaic form of entertainment. In contrast, rock music is often heralded as an authentic, sincere, and anti-commercial form of music, which emphasizes songwriting by the singers and bands, instrumental virtuosity, and
3078-469: Was also noted for its lack of irony and its reverence to classic pop craft. Its reconfiguration of 1960s tropes, music journalist Paul Lester argued, could make it one of the first postmodern music genres. The Who's Pete Townshend coined the term in a May 1967 interview promoting their latest single "Pictures of Lily". He said: "Power pop is what we play—what the Small Faces used to play, and
3135-440: Was coined in 1967 by the Who guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend to describe his band's style of music. However, power pop became more widely identified with later acts of the 1970s who sought to revive Beatles-style pop . Early 1970s releases by Badfinger , the Raspberries , and Todd Rundgren are sometimes credited with solidifying the power pop sound into a recognizable genre. Power pop reached its commercial peak during
3192-461: Was released in 1985, spawning two UK hit singles, " Johnny Come Home " and a cover of Elvis Presley 's " Suspicious Minds " featuring additional vocals by Jimmy Somerville . The two songs also became hits internationally, charting in the top 40 in Europe , Canada , and Australia although they failed to make a significant impact on the US charts. Fine Young Cannibals appeared as the house band in
3249-478: Was released on independent labels . Chicago label The Numero Group issued a compilation album called Yellow Pills: Prefill , featuring overlooked pop tracks from 1979–1982. For the rest of decade, AllMusic writes, "this group of independent, grass-roots power-pop bands gained a small but dedicated cult following in the United States." With the rise of bands like the Apples In Stereo, power pop became
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