Power Pop
tagStarted 1972Peak 1978-1980Last big hit 1994
Located in 3 routes
Crunchy, hook-saturated pop rock fusing the Who's guitar punch with Beatles/Byrds melody and harmony. Ringing chords, soaring vocal harmonies, snappy three-minute structures, and irresistible choruses. Energetic and bright but tightly crafted, it prizes the perfect pop hook over jamming or aggression. Buzzing guitars, big melodies, no filler.
History
The term was coined by the Who's Pete Townshend in 1967; the genre took shape in 1972 with the Raspberries' 'Go All the Way' and the cult brilliance of Big Star. Cheap Trick brought it arena success in the late '70s, and successive revivals through the '80s and '90s kept the ringing-guitar, big-harmony formula alive across pop rock.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_pop
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/power-pop-guide
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/power-pop-ma0000002626