Power pop blossomed in the 70s. Bands combined the melodicism of 60s pop with the harder rock sounds that were coming into vogue. That genre faded in popularity a bit as the 80s dawned. But it never went completely out of style.
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These four bands did an outstanding job of propping power pop up, thanks to outstanding songwriting that displayed tight tunefulness. Because of them, the genre still thrived, albeit in smaller pockets of the music world.
Cheap Trick
The Illinois-based quartet entered the 80s on a high note. The double whammy of the live Cheap Trick at Budokan and Dream Police, their most successful studio album, represented the peak of their success. Cheap Trick would score at the end of the decade as well, albeit by relying on a more mainstream pop sound and outside songwriters. Their output in the first half of the 80s often gets overlooked, since it marked a dip in popularity between those two peak eras. But this stretch might just be the band’s power pop peak. Peppy tracks like “She’s Tight” and “I Can’t Take It” rip along at effortlessly melodic heights. Quasi-ballads like “Tonight it’s You” and “If You Want My Love” soar to similar heights.
Squeeze
Squeeze’s 1978 debut found them a bit mismatched with producer John Cale, whose arty inclinations worked against the band’s razor-sharp pop sense. They figured it out on Cool For Cats in 1979, which set them up for an incredible one-two punch with the albums Argybargy and East Side Story. The band rode high on Glenn Tilbrook’s weaving melodies and Chris Difford’s verbose yet flowing lyrics. Songs like “Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)” and “In Quintessence” provide a thrilling rush that few bands of that era could match. They briefly disbanded following Sweets From A Stranger in 1982. But they returned in the second half of the decade with excellent LPs like Babylon And On and Frank.
The Bangles
The Bangles found a sweet spot by combining the songcraft of the 60s with some of the au courant sounds of the mid-80s. Their 1984 debut All Over The Place owned just a little bit of punkish energy. Those edges were sanded down on Different Light, their massive hit album in 1986. Yes, they relied on outside songwriters for the hits from that album. But without their airtight harmonies, it’s hard to imagine that songs like “Manic Monday” and “If She Knew What She Wants” would have made as much impact. When they returned for their 1988 album Everywhere, they largely took charge of their sound. While the ballad “Eternal Flame” was a big hit, uptempo songs like “In Your Room” and “Be With You” carried the power pop flag.
The Smithereens
This New Jersey unit always seemed like a band out of time in the late 80s. While all the songs around theirs on the radio were pumped up with glossy production, these guys just stuck to a basic instrumental approach and relied on the strength of their songs. Frontman Pat DiNizio came through in that department. He combined the influence of Buddy Holly with the ability to push the music into heavier territory. This band could pull off the darker stuff, with downcast tracks like “Blood And Roses” and “Just A Memory” as prime examples. Or they could bring the thunder on songs such as “A Girl Like You” and “Behind The Wall Of A Sleep”. Even when they slowed things down on gems like “Blue Period”, their pop smarts never abandoned them.
Photo by Patrick Ford/Redferns
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