I have several longer posts in the works but I wanted to post something since they are not ready to share. I’m currently doing rankings of every studio album by King’s X, Sweet Comfort Band, and Iron Maiden. Lord willing, the King’s X one will be finished early next week, followed by Sweet Comfort Band. Iron Maiden have seventeen studio albums so that will take a bit. To give you a glimpse into how I do these, I listen to each album a minimum of twice before ranking them. It takes some time.
For this post I am giving you my top five “perfect” pop songs. I realize a list like this is completely subjective so I expect people to diasgree with the songs I have included and the ones I have excluded. Trust me, it’s all good. I have pretty thick skin so if you want to tell me I’m an idiot for the songs I’ve picked; I can handle it. I’m a big boy.
I do think it’s a good idea to give you the criteria I used to make these picks. I am stealing the definition of “pop music” found on Wikipedia because it’s pretty good.
Identifying factors of pop music usually include repeated choruses and hooks, short to medium-length songs written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), and rhythms or tempos that can be easily danced to.
The terms popular music and pop music are often used interchangeably, although the former more accurately describes all music that is targeted for mass appeal and includes many disparate styles.
Now, I am probably leaning more to the former understanding but I would still argue that all of my choices safely fall into the category. It’s true that I limited my choices to songs that are popular and well-known. There are plenty of obscure songs out there that could be described as “perfect” but I want to discuss those that the majority of people know. I also want to define what “perfect” means in this context.
A “perfect” song has an unforgettable melody. It’s that tune that worms its way into your head and you can’t stop humming. These songs also have impeccable vocals. I am especially enamored of lush background vocals with vibrant harmonies. Musicianship is a must. It doesn’t have to be super complex but it has to be played well. A song gets bonus points if it has really good lyrics and I believe all of these do. Now that the rules have been spelled out, here are my top five.
#5 – Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac – There are a couple of Fleetwood Mac songs that I think are close to perfect but this one stands at the top. Released in 1977, this was the third single (in the U.S.) from the multi-platinum Rumours album. Written by Christine McVie (with shared lead vocals by her and Lindsey Buckingham), this song laments the end of her eight year marriage to bassist John McVie. The vocals are crisp, the rhythm section bounces along, and Buckingham’s understated guitar licks are perfect. Already a huge hit, it was thrust back into the limelight when Bill Clinton chose it as his theme song during his 1992 Presidential campaign. He even convinced them to play it at his inaugural ball in 1993. Political beliefs aside, this is a great song.
#4 – We Can Work It Out – The Beatles – Written and recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions, this one was released as double A-side with Day Tripper on December 3, 1965. It is one of the Lennon-McCartney tunes where you can tell who wrote what. McCartney’s verse and chorus are bright and optimistic and Lennon’s bridge brings things back to realty. I guess it goes without saying (but I’m saying it) that Lennon and McCartney’s vocal interplay is some of the best ever. No one is really sure who played what instruments but the performance is flawless. The switch the waltz-like rhythm in the bridge is credited to George Harrison and adds that extra little touch to otherwise beautiful song.
#3 – Mamma Mia – ABBA – I discovered ABBA through a K-Tel compilation called The Magic Of ABBA. That would have been Christmas of 1980. I remember opening up the gatefold cover and looking at two of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Keep in mind, I was only ten so to me they looked like princesses. The music on that record blew me away and Mamma Mia was the standout track. Recorded and released in 1975, it defines “pop” music for me. The vocals are heavenly. Up to that point, the only real harmonies I had experienced were in church and this took it to another level. I hadn’t started taking piano lessons yet but I realized that the instrumentation was much more complex than it sounded. To this day, I can sit and listen to it repeatedly and be fascinated by everything that’s going on. I forgive it for spawning a Broadway musical and two insipid films.
#2 – God Only Knows – The Beach Boys – The recent death of Brian Wilson got me to listening to The Beach Boys. While I love their early “surf and drag” tunes, Pet Sounds is generally where I turn when I want my Brian Wilson fix. Some consider this to be one of the best songs ever written. Its inclusion on this list shows that I am one of those people. Originally released on May 14, 1966, it was released again on July 18, 1966 as the B-side to Wouldn’t It Be Nice. While that is also one of my favorite songs, I believe God Only Knows surpasses it on every level. Wilson has stated that he was inspired by both John Sabastian and The Beatles when composing it. It may sound strange today, but the inclusion of “God” in the lyrics and title were somewhat taboo at the time. There are many different versions of the song out there showing how it evolved during the recording process. Everything about this song is pefect. The vocals of Wilson, his brother Carl, and Bruce Johnston are effervescent and sit atop the backing instruments magnificently.
#1 – Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House – This may be the one that causes folks to scratch their heads. It’s true that this may not be as well-known as the others but it did reach the number two spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 in April of 1987. Released on October 20, 1986, it was the fourth single from the debut album by Crowded House. Rising from the ashes of New Zealand’s Split Enz, Crowded House became the vehicle for Neil Finn to unleash his compostions on the world. The music video was widely successful and received several nominations at the 1987 M-TV Video Music Awards. They won for best new artist. I often tell people that this is the most perfect pop song ever written. Once again, that is a subjective claim but I feel it deep within my soul. Lyrically, this song is beautiful, even if a bit morose. The bass line and Hammond organ mesh together. While it sounds simple, an old band of mine learned it and I discovered that it’s more difficult than one would think. One last thing, out of these five songs, this is the only one that I was able to see performed live by the original artist. That occured on May 19, 2023 when my wife and I saw Crowded House at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. We were joined by my old buddy Paul (I’ve mentioned him before) and his wife Julie. That remains a magical moment I will carry with me to the grave.
So there you go, my top five perfect pop songs. I do have to include one honorable mention that got bumped simply because I wanted to make the list only five. After typing that, I reckon I should just say this is me top six. However, if I do that then I will be tempted to expand it to seven, then eight…and well…you get the picture. I won’t expound upon this one as much as the others because it will definitely come up in future posts but I can’t talk about perfect pop songs without mentioning Mr. Blue Sky by the Electric Light Orchestra. I have much more to say about that band but it will have to wait. I will mention that I did get to see this one live when my wife and I saw Jeff Lynne’s ELO in 2018. That, for what it’s worth, was the #1 item on my bucket list.
What do you think? What are your perfect songs? Feel free to comment below and we can bicker about it.
Grace and peace.
That 80s Pastor Dude 