Wednesday, October 21, 2009

top pop albums of all time

1
Magical Mystery Tour

The Beatles

Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

The queen mother of all albums. Sure Sgt. Pepper's is brilliant, but this one is a cohesive masterwork. Accept no substitute. This is the real deal.
2
Revolver

The Beatles

Revolver (1966)

A close second for the masters of the genre. Inventive songwriting at it's earliest phase for the band. McCartney pretty much owned this album. So should you.
3
Spilt Milk

Jellyfish

Spilt Milk (1993)

Mind-blowing powerpop artistry right here. A godsend for lovers of elaborate arrnagements & addictive hooks. It's all right here.
4
Dawn of the Dickies

The Dickies

Dawn of the Dickies (2000)

I think just about every Dickies fan will say THIS is the one that captures the essence of the band. Furthermore, it also places itself in the pantheon of Power Pop's most heralded albums of all-time.
5
Out of the Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

Out of the Blue (1977)

Genius pop craftsmanship. Plainly put, this album is everything the Beatles could've been in later years. Jeff Lynne is a pop god.
6
Straight Up

Badfinger

Straight Up (1993)

Earnest, personal & rich with melody. This unsung band produced a classic of the genre & it's timelessness is undoubtable.
7
The Move

The Move

The Move (1998)

Total godhead for lovers of early power pop. Cheap Trick even agree.
8
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (2004)

Doing in 1968 what Blur eventually did less effectively in the 90's, Ray Davies & The Kinks churned out this INCREDIBLE collection of songs detailing life in middle-class England. Easily one of the greatest storytellers in the history of rock, Ray Davies delivers one vivid pop vignette after another to create the quintessential Kinks record. This record is flawless & the expanded deluxe edition only furthers this obvious point. Buy it NOW.
9
Eldorado

Electric Light Orchestra

Eldorado (1974)

Incredible orchestral take on modern pop. This is power pop's official soundtrack. Soundscapes & melodies that refuse to be ignored.
10
What an Experiment His Head Was

Uncle Green

What an Experiment His Head Was (1990)

One of the most incredible collections of songs ever committed to tape. This album is sadly overlooked & much forgotten. So tragic, really.
11
Properties of Sound

The Nines

Properties of Sound (2001)

A beautiful melange of XTC, Beatles, Jellyfish & Ben Folds. This is undisputable brilliance.
12
ReadySexGo!

Marvelous 3

ReadySexGo! (2000)

Cheap Trick for the new millenium. Hooks abound on this one & there's no denying their immediacy.
13
Part 3: Coping With Insignificance

The Adventures of Jet

Part 3: Coping With Insignificance (2000)

Inventive throwback to nu-wave's finest hour...however, the power pop chops are in full force & there's no denying the brilliance of the angular melodies & charging guitars.
14
Starting Over

Raspberries

Starting Over (1974)

A beautiful send-off from the Raspberries. This is their quintessential release & full realization of their true potential. Sadly it was their last :(
15
Next Position Please

Cheap Trick

Next Position Please (1983)

As genius as their 70's material was, I don't think anything could touch this album. This was IT for me.
16
The La's

The La's

The La's (2001)

Lee Mavers is the man behind this masterpiece. Never forget that name. You've not heard the last of him!
17
Nonsuch

XTC

Nonsuch (1992)

Dense, lush & odd...but beautifully so. I don't thinks these guys ever topped this album.
18
The Hoople

Mott the Hoople

The Hoople (2006)

Though many Mott fanatics will disagree with my assessment, I consider this to be their creative peak. Though Ralphs had exited & Bender had stepped in, the writing & production on this album is adventurous & bold. Not a lame track in the bunch, The Hoople captures lightning in a bottle here & the vibe is infectious. Though Ralphs is easily the superior guitarist, Bender's interpretation (Ralph's recorded the guitar tracks for the single version) of "Roll Away the Stone" on this album is one of the highlights of the band's entire recorded output. Essential listening!
19
Second Flight

Pilot

Second Flight (1975)

Seen mostly as posterboy fluff in their day, this album has become one of the finest examples of righteous pop to have ever been recorded. Slightly twee in its approach, the hooks are unmistakable.
20
Redhead

Bleu

Redhead (2002)

Not much to say here except, THIS is an artist to watch. A songwriter of the highest order. Powerpop's future owes this man alot.
21
Pull Me Up Drag Me Down

Silverjet

Pull Me Up Drag Me Down (1997)

Wow! Foo Fighters meets Cheap Trick. How this ever slipped under the radar is beyond me.
22
Out of Your Hands

Melodine

Out of Your Hands (2003)

Wow...radio friendly, modern but still retaining the urgency of power pop's finest albums. BUY this album if you ever manage to find it.
23
Fun Razor

Tim Cullen

Fun Razor (2004)

An earnest & personal album that should be getting far more accolades than it has thus far. Listen & understand why.
24
Imperial Drag

Imperial Drag

Imperial Drag (1996)

Jellyfish personnel take a more garagey retro direction & record this one-off that literally oozes with brash pop goodness.
25
Calling Distance Stations

The Nines

Calling Distance Stations (2006)

Wow, obviously five years did nothing to tarnish Steve Eggers brilliant pop writing. A classy, earnest & more substantial release than any other in their catalogue, this album will quickly wind up on many Top10 albums of 2006. Check it & be amazed...
26
HotSocky

HotSocky

HotSocky (2003)

Damn! Out of nowhere comes this obscure album. You'd be an idiot to pass this one up. Impossible to categorize, this is modern genius in the making.
27
Shouting & Pointing

Mott

Shouting & Pointing (1976)

Hoople fans are VERY divided on their assessment of the post-Hunter era recordings, but the Hoople legacy aside, this is a band on fire. Obviously out to prove something, the scattered remnants of MTH lay down one last furious cacophony of gutsy rock/pop & what you get is a damn near pefect collection of gems. Sure, some of the tracks work the basic blues scale to death, but the energy & conviction heard here is so overpowering that it's hard not be swept up in all of the excitement. You owe it to yourself to dig up this lost relic of rock's golden era. You'll be glad you did :)
28
Overnight Disgrace

The Black Mollys

Overnight Disgrace (2004)

Another Foo Fighters vibe happening here with hooks to die for & fabulous harmonies.
29
Stranger Than Fiction

Sextus

Stranger Than Fiction (2005)

Imaginative & exquisite power pop from Jellyfish sideman, Eric Dover. Quirky in a charming way, the tracks here reveal more goodness with each listen. This album proves that Dover is far better suited as a frontman than a hired (Alice Cooper) gun.
30
Shine

The Skies of America

Shine (2006)

Holy sh*t! Now THIS is one AMAZING slab of power pop goodness. Beautifully crafted, expertly executed & dripping with a bubbly sheen, Skies of America may well be the best of the genre to come along since bands like The Nines, Jellyfish & The Merrymakers. Like a perfect balance of Tal Bachman, Jason Falkner & modern alt-pop, Shine is exactly what a perfect album should be...and then some.
31
Funny Thing

40 Ft. Ringo

Funny Thing (2003)
32
Valley Lodge

Valley Lodge

Valley Lodge (2005)
33
The High Speed Scene

The High Speed Scene

The High Speed Scene (2005)
34
The Dotted Line

The Dotted Line

The Dotted Line (2004)
35
Alpacas Orgling

L.E.O.

Alpacas Orgling (2006)
36
Bubblegun

The Merrymakers

Bubblegun (1998)
37
Tsar

Tsar

Tsar (2000)
38
True Love

True Love

True Love (2000)
39
All Your Little Pieces

Getaway Car

All Your Little Pieces (2005)
40
Oh Happy Day

Cooler

Oh Happy Day (2001)

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