Great simple pop songs

[Teddy Vengeance]

"Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. That major chord sequence seems almost banale, yet when the minors turn up and there's a layer of synth below the female choir (after the nylon solo) morphing into the final verse, all assets of the sarcastic lyric come to the fore and existentialist awe sets in. One of the great, simple and still intelligent pop/rock tunes of mid-70s UK.

Ahh, that wonderfully pregnant pause before ‘There ain’t no more’... and then, suddenly, there is more.

[TheH]

It’s not “simple”—in fact it’s about as complicated as pop gets with all those multiple layers and a near five-minute running time—but it is undeniably great. I think it’s their masterpiece, something to put up there next to “Good Vibrations,” and for some reason never gets mentioned when the name ABBA turns up:

Yes they aren't simple at all, top Songs produced to absolute perfection.

Long Version of a Killer song

[progeezer]

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears is one of the greatest songs (NOT just pop) ever written.

One old man's opinion.

[JJ88]

Another magnificent Goffin/King record:



Had a few covers but Freddie Scott's original hit version is by far the best. Great vocal, terrific arrangement.

[JJ88]

A Teddy Randazzo one here:



Pure class. The follow-up 'Hurt So Bad' also had a few covers. A later one called 'Yesterday Has Gone' was a big UK hit for a band called Cupid's Inspiration.

[ronmac]

[rcarlberg]

Yes they aren't simple at all, top Songs produced to absolute perfection.

I think the main problem with ABBA is how unfathomably successful they were.

Weren't they, at one point, Sweden's largest industry?

[nosebone]

Diamond Girl
Ventura Highway
Aint no Sunshine
Horse with no name
Let's stay together
50 ways to leave your lover
Freedom 90

And Brandy by Looking Glass !

Pure 70s AM gold, but The Wichita Lineman is king.

[walt]

[walt]

[Grumpyprogfan]

A lot of posts with tons of choices pre-1990. Some excellent pop from then and even carrying into today exists. Many from obscure pop artists...

Shows the age of all the olds on this forum doesn't it?

[Teddy Vengeance]

The Handsome Family, purveyors of Americana noir, write beautifully simple country-tinged songs that are pretty much the antithesis of prog—- but pack a wallop. For one thing, their lyrics are spellbinding. They say in three minutes and three chords what the average progger says in twenty. Listen to ‘Twilight’.

Low’s ‘Things We Lost in the Fire’ is in a similar vein - they understand the emotional impact of stark simplicity.

[nosebone]

There are very few perfect songs in the world. This is one.

You got that right!

[Rarebird]

I really like this



Not sure if it fits the question. Or should this be in the guilty pleasures thread. I don't feel guilty at all, but whenever I hear this song on the radio, I turn up the volume. This is one instance where I love the autotune, because it ads a bit of an eerie effect.

[BravadoNJ]

[philsunset]

Bobbie Gentry - Another Place , Another Time

[jlneudorf]

Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right

[Rarebird]

Starbuck - Moonlight Feels Right

I have love hate relationship with that song. It annoys me, but I love the marimasolo.

[jlneudorf]

Brings me back to my k-tel days.

[ronmac]

At his best he was the greatest pop singer/songwriter bar none, IMO. "Darling Be Home Soon", "Coconut Grove", "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" and more were treasures of the American songbook.

And The Byrds. While The Notorious Byrd Bros remains one of my top-10 alltime albums, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" is one of the finest pop songs ever. Extremely few tunes capture the spirit of their specific day in that way, and it's still convincing now.

There are many perfect pop songs. This is one of them:

[Garden Dreamer]

Bought this album on the spot after hearing this playing in a Tower Records store...

[Staun]

Lou Christie--Lightnin Strikes
Martha Reeves--Dancin In The Streets
Anything by The Temptations
Anything by The Spinners

[JJ88]

Anything by The Spinners

Thom Bell produced for them, and wrote some of the hits...an underrated figure in music, I think. Also love their 'It's A Shame', produced/written by Stevie Wonder which was their only big hit for Motown.

The Temptations had a long run of great hits. On many of their hits (including the psychedelic era from 'Cloud Nine' onwards) you'll find another producer/writer auteur in the shape of Norman Whitfield.

[Staun]

Thom Bell produced for them, and wrote some of the hits...an underrated figure in music, I think. Also love their 'It's A Shame', produced/written by Stevie Wonder which was their only big hit for Motown.

The Temptations had a long run of great hits. On many of their hits (including the psychedelic era from 'Cloud Nine' onwards) you'll find another producer/writer auteur in the shape of Norman Whitfield.

Was it Whitfield/Strong I saw a great deal of? I thought those Temp psychedelic songs were very interesting and have often wondered how the group felt about this direction.

[Progbear]

Every once in a while, the Youtube recommendations algorithm will come up with something worthwhile. Incredible that buried treasure like this was waiting 34 years for the world at large to discover it. Sure, it’s very 80s and very smooth, but it’s extremely captivating, Ms. Takeuchi sings beautifully and it’s one of those songs you want to hear again once it’s done playing. Almost makes the likes of “Gangnam Style” and “What Does the Fox Say” worth it, if we get stuff like this occasionally as well. (But only almost.)

And yes, I know I already posted about this song in a parallel thread. I elected to use the original album version, and not the fan-made 8-minute remix that went viral.