I’m offering a palate cleanser today—let’s talk about perfect pop songs. There are other perfect songs in other genres and just overall, but for now let’s narrow it down to pop music. And here I mean music that is/was widely played, regardless of genre. I’ll take another cut at it in a future post.
In no particular order:
Play That Funky Music White Boy by Wild Cherry
This song came up recently while I was playing trivia. Everyone immediately began singing it.
The Rubberband Man by The Spinners
I love the bass line of that song.
Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor
I generally think of pop songs as peppy and boppy, but that one definitely belongs on this list.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston
What a voice, and what a great song.
Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton
Another sad ballad, but lush and with her incredible vocal.
Raspberry Beret by Prince
Prince at his poppy best, and the bass line is so much like the sound in Rubberband Man.
And 2 songs from my youth that started my love of pop music. First, I Think I Love You by The Partridge Family:
I really loved this song.
And to close this list, the first single–the first record, actually–I ever owned: The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace:
There are so many other songs to listen to but I’ll save that for another time. I’ll close with this favorite, though:
