To me "powerpop" always seemed like a great idea that most bands past the sixties can't execute very well. But even in the sixties it seems like I can find lots of garage bands with "power" but not so much "pop", or lots of pop bands with good hooks but lacking some good slashing powerchords here or there, or a feedback guitar break every once in a while. Does anyone have any overlooked suggestions?

This is such a great song. It's the son of Dean Martin on top of it too. Jamie said:

This is a cool one!

Great. Reminds me of the Three O'Clock in the vocals. Jamie said:

This is a cool one!

This is a cool one!

Hellllooo! Maybe you should consider Wimple Winch, these guys are ace!

Another Bobby Fuller song "Another Sad and Lonely Night".

one of my favorite intros of all time - but was never a fan of the song as a whole... FREDDI said:

Ok,the drummer is not properly keith moon.....

I guess he and Buddy Holly could have some power pop songs. I just thought that originally you were calling The Bobby Fuller Four a power pop BAND. Don't forget about "Let Her Dance" by the way. troggy said:

Yes, exactly. "Rave On", "Oh Boy", etc. I still maintain Bobby Fuller's stuff like "The Magic Touch", "Take My Word", "Never To Be Forgotten" and "It's Love, Come What May" can be categorized as power pop.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I kinda was thinking over the past couple of weeks that I was a little hasty on Buddy Holly not being a power pop originator, cuz when you think about it, some songs, Rave On, Maybe Baby, It's So Easy, Everyday, Think It Over, have the melodies that most songs of the era didn't have and could easily be done by power pop bands of today and the last thirty years. Didn't The Real Kids do a cover of Rave On?

Yes, exactly. "Rave On", "Oh Boy", etc. I still maintain Bobby Fuller's stuff like "The Magic Touch", "Take My Word", "Never To Be Forgotten" and "It's Love, Come What May" can be categorized as power pop. Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I kinda was thinking over the past couple of weeks that I was a little hasty on Buddy Holly being a power pop originator, cuz when you think about it, some songs, Rave On, Maybe Baby, It's So Easy, Everyday, Think It Over, have the melodies that most songs of the era didn't have and could easily be done by power pop bands of today and the last thirty years. Didn't The Real Kids do a cover of Rave On?

I kinda was thinking over the past couple of weeks that I was a little hasty on Buddy Holly being a power pop originator, cuz when you think about it, some songs, Rave On, Maybe Baby, It's So Easy, Everyday, Think It Over, have the melodies that most songs of the era didn't have and could easily be done by power pop bands of today and the last thirty years. Didn't The Real Kids do a cover of Rave On?

I see Buddy Holly as the true grandfather of Folk rock and alt country. Back in the 50s, POP was Frankie Avalon and Paul Anka which Buddy Holly pretty much bought into when he started recording Anka written material like "It Doesn't Matter Anymore". Nice song bout nothing POWER-ful about it. I mentioned "The Magic Touch" only because it sounded like an ATTEMPT at Power Pop and "Let Her Dance" has a modern edge to it but most of his stuff is Rock and Roll, pure and simple. troggy said:

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

Bobby Fuller? Really?

I have that excellent double disc set by Munster of his complete Mustang recordings but I really don't see his stuff (Let Her Dance, The Magic Touch) as POWER pop.

troggy said:

Bobby Fuller.

You don't think "The Magic Touch" is power pop? He's right out of the Buddy Holly school and Buddy Holly is pretty much the grandfather of power pop.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

Bobby Fuller? Really?

I have that excellent double disc set by Munster of his complete Mustang recordings but I really don't see his stuff (Let Her Dance, The Magic Touch) as POWER pop.

troggy said:

Bobby Fuller.

You don't think "The Magic Touch" is power pop? He's right out of the Buddy Holly school and Buddy Holly is pretty much the grandfather of power pop.

ow ow

Once I heard 70s power pop (like in 1991 or something) I totally forgot that it once applied to groups like the Who and the Easybeats.

I've got tp side with Rod on this one. Eddie & The Hot Rods& DR. Feelgood are definitely Pub Rock. I saw Eddie & The Hot Rods at Max's in around 76. That's what they were being called. I did not start hearing the phrase "Power Pop" until the 70's and that would be the late 70's. A few bands of the genre I left out of my earlier post are Milk N Cookies,The Marbles, The Quick,& the Sneakers The best place to discover forgotten Power Pop Chestnuts is the Power Pop Label Radio Heartbeat. They put out The Speedies record, as well as one by the Quick, Milk N Cookies & others. Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I guess if you had started your forum as "I really like what I think are the original power pop bands, groups like the Who, Creation, Easybeats, and even the Byrds. Can anyone think of others?" I wouldn't have been so confused.

Again...I'm not trying to be a jerk. I blame it on Asbergers.

I have a book called Rare Records: Wax Trash and Vinyl Treasures by a guy named Tom Hibbert. It came out in 1982 and has a chapter on sixties power pop. Some of the early Pink Floyd singles (Arnold Layne, See Emily Play) and Les Fleur De Lys are considered examples.

I guess if you had started your forum as "I really like what I think are the original power pop bands, groups like the Who, Creation, Easybeats, and even the Byrds. Can anyone think of others?" I wouldn't have been so confused.

Again...I'm not trying to be a jerk. I blame it on Asbergers.

I have a book called Rare Records: Wax Trash and Vinyl Treasures by a guy named Tom Hibbert. It came out in 1982 and has a chapter on sixties power pop. Some of the early Pink Floyd singles (Arnold Layne, See Emily Play) and Les Fleur De Lys are considered examples.

I was thinking along the lines of a much rougher version of "Have You Seen Her Face". Maybe I'm off on that. I've heard some 70s power pop bands that I like. I didn't mean to set this up as a sixties vs post-sixties discussion, nor as a discussion of nomenclature. I just wanted to hear some suggestions for songs I might be missing out on. Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

The only way that reminds me of the Byrds is if your thinking of those Pre-Colombia recordings from 1964 when they were more influenced by the Beatles rather than Dylan.

I really don't get the premise of your discussion here, especially when you say that bands after the sixties couldn't pull off power pop. I kind of forget that Pete Townshend described the Who's music as power pop but I guess it is. I tend to think of the 70s groups as power pop but I guess I'm wrong. But these days, bands like the Who, Creation, Eyes are referered to as Pop art, and the Byrds and others are called Jangle Pop. You are right that these are the original Power pop bands but what are you trying to say about 70s power pop bands?

Jamie said:

Cool suggestions. I think the only Bobby Fuller song I really know is "I Fought The Law". I read something recently that said he was experimenting with LSD before he died. I'll have to check out some more of his stuff.

Here's a song that sounds powerpoppy to me yet isn't indebted to The Who. More influenced by The Byrds I would say.

OK I can't shut up about this one. This group and Eddie and the Hotrods were called Pub Rock for a reason. Their styles were more in line with a seventies version of Chuck Berry or Larry Williams than they were the Who or even the Beatles. If I'm being too technical about the terms applied to any of these bands, you can blame it on the Asbergers or OCD. BLACKCAT69 said:

Dr. Feelgood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jmIYyskDM8

Bobby Fuller? Really? I have that excellent double disc set by Munster of his complete Mustang recordings but I really don't see his stuff (Let Her Dance, The Magic Touch) as POWER pop. troggy said:

Bobby Fuller.

The only way that reminds me of the Byrds is if your thinking of those Pre-Colombia recordings from 1964 when they were more influenced by the Beatles rather than Dylan. I really don't get the premise of your discussion here, especially when you say that bands after the sixties couldn't pull off power pop. I kind of forget that Pete Townshend described the Who's music as power pop but I guess it is. I tend to think of the 70s groups as power pop but I guess I'm wrong. But these days, bands like the Who, Creation, Eyes are referered to as Pop art, and the Byrds and others are called Jangle Pop. You are right that these are the original Power pop bands but what are you trying to say about 70s power pop bands? Jamie said:

Cool suggestions. I think the only Bobby Fuller song I really know is "I Fought The Law". I read something recently that said he was experimenting with LSD before he died. I'll have to check out some more of his stuff.

Here's a song that sounds powerpoppy to me yet isn't indebted to The Who. More influenced by The Byrds I would say.

Dr. Feelgood. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jmIYyskDM8

There was some good Power Pop coming out of the East Coast in the 70's. I played bass in The Speedies. We did shows with some great bands back then. I'll name a few:
The Fast (NY)
The Colors (NY)
The Neighborhoods (Boston)
The Boyfriends (NY)

Here's a corker from the Small Faces. The Jam did quite a punchy cover of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9ZcKZnlLgg

Here's another good one. This reminds me a lot of The Equals.

It's working for me. Maybe the sound was turned down? Thanks everybody for all the great suggestions! Keep 'em coming. That's why I love this site. Mina a.k.a. psycho -a said:

the mp3 isn't working, I don't hear anything...

Jamie said:

Cool suggestions. I think the only Bobby Fuller song I really know is "I Fought The Law". I read something recently that said he was experimenting with LSD before he died. I'll have to check out some more of his stuff.
Here's a song that sounds powerpoppy to me yet isn't indebted to The Who. More influenced by The Byrds I would say.