OT: For pop music fans

[wire chief]

Sigh...it's the long post season. You know what that means? Yes, silly ol' exercises.
I call it that cause Silly ol' bear will be the first to play. Not a test; not a contest, just a way
for fans to express their tastes.

Below I list 3 songs that I think have a shot at your inclusion in the top 25 pop songs of all time. Say yes or no, then add your own 3 for others to comment on.

Me and Bobby McGee--Janis Joplin
Legs--ZZ Top
Us and Them--Pink Floyd

 

[Adesmar123]

You just leaped a whole lot of steps in my mind with those choices....but alas...they would not be my three

In no particular order

Like a Rolling Stone - Dylan for changing music
Respect - Franklin best in genre
Smells like Teen Spirit - for waking up music

My top three list has about 100 songs on it...

 

[meyers7]

Below I list 3 songs that I think have a shot at your inclusion in the top 25 pop songs of all time. Say yes or no, then add your own 3 for others to comment on.

Me and Bobby McGee--Janis Joplin
Legs--ZZ Top
Us and Them--Pink Floyd

Hmmm maybe Me and Bobby McGee. Prolly top 100 anyway. However I prefer this version to Janis'.



Legs? - Nah, not even in ZZ Tops top 5. I'd put Tush, Jesus Just Left Chicago, LaGrange, Sharp Dressed Man, Pearl Necklace before Legs.

Us and Them - really,really good, but again not Floyd's best. I'd put Mother and Comfortably Numb before Us and Them.

Top 3??? That's tough. Top 25 would be tough.

I do know
Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stone
Hotel California - Eagles

3rd. Could be any number. Guess I can go with
Sweet Child of Mine - Guns and Roses

The more I think about it the more I can come up with. But we'll leave it at those 3. Ask me tomorrow and it would probably be different.

 

[pinotbear]

This is..simply impossible. So, it's got me hooked.

At first thought, here's what I'd nominate;

Mac the Knife - Bobby Darin (personal favorite song)
Born to Run - 'nuff said
A Cash song..so, Folsom Prison

this could go on a long time...

 

[RS9999X]

The classic 50s Juke Box singles are "60 Minute Man, Rock Around the Clock (the great cross over single) and Fats Dominos Blue Berry Hill.

60s: Like A Rolling Stone and the double sided Hey Jude/Revolution

80s: The Message: Grandmaster Flash, Public Enemy's "Welcome To The Terrodome"

Flip a coin in each Food Group

 

[Aluminny69]

Elvis Presley Hound Dog/ Don't be Cruel (Two sided hit)

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody

The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody ( from the movie "Unchained" ( and also used in Ghost ))

 

[pap49cba]

Impossible question.... Will limit my response to songs by one of my top 3 groups.... Pink Floyd.

Learning To Fly
Comfortably Numb
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)

 

[Wally East]

Elvis Presley Hound Dog/ Don't be Cruel (Two sided hit)

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody

The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody ( from the movie "Unchained" ( and also used in Ghost ))

I've never been an Elvis fan but those are good songs.

Bohemian Rhapsody is very good. Not sure if it's Queen's best but probably most famous.

Unchained Melody. Apologies but just so not my thing at all in any way.

My three:

Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
Paranoid Android - Radiohead
All Along the Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

 

[vtcwbuff]

There is no way to pick a top 3. Too many songs and too many years. This is just 3 that came to mind.

Hotel California - Eagles
Piece of My Heart - Joplin
Lay Lady Lay - Dylan

Honorable mention:
My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink and I Don't love Jesus - Jimmy Buffet
An all time favorite from my stinky feet days in the Conch Republic. LINK

 

[wire chief]

Impossible question.... Will limit my response to songs by one of my top 3 groups.... Pink Floyd.

Learning To Fly
Comfortably Numb
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)

I'm with you on Comfy Numb. I view it with Us and Them as 2 sides of a coin: one largely macroscopic; the other microscopic.

 

[Aluminny69]

I've never been an Elvis fan but those are good songs.

Bohemian Rhapsody is very good. Not sure if it's Queen's best but probably most famous.

Unchained Melody. Apologies but just so not my thing at all in any way.

My three:

Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
Paranoid Android - Radiohead
All Along the Watchtower - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Remember: He asked for POP songs, not ROCK songs.

BTW, according to Billboard, the number one selling POP song of all time is: Chubby Checker's THE TWIST.

 

[wire chief]

The classic 50s Juke Box singles are "60 Minute Man, Rock Around the Clock (the great cross over single) and Fats Dominos Blue Berry Hill.

60s: Like A Rolling Stone and the double sided Hey Jude/Revolution

80s: The Message: Grandmaster Flash, Public Enemy's "Welcome To The Terrodome"

Flip a coin in each Food Group

Like a Rolling Stone seems like the kind of masterpiece that should be on everybody's top 25.
It's the Dylan most worthy of respect. But I like to listen a bit more to his MAN OF PEACE.

 

[pinotbear]

Remember: He asked for POP songs, not ROCK songs.

BTW, according to Billboard, the number one selling POP song of all time is: Chubby Checker's THE TWIST.

I must admit, Alumni69, I've never quite grasped the difference - other than 1910 Fruit Gum Company ain't Def Leppard, I can't draw the line. If you've got a serviceable guideline to delineate between the two, please share!

 

[wire chief]

I must admit, Alumni69, I've never quite grasped the difference - other than 1910 Fruit Gum Company ain't Def Leppard, I can't draw the line. If you've got a serviceable guideline to delineate between the two, please share!

I dunno too.

 

[wire chief]

Hmmm maybe Me and Bobby McGee. Prolly top 100 anyway. However I prefer this version to Janis'.



Legs? - Nah, not even in ZZ Tops top 5. I'd put Tush, Jesus Just Left Chicago, LaGrange, Sharp Dressed Man, Pearl Necklace before Legs.

Us and Them - really,really good, but again not Floyd's best. I'd put Mother and Comfortably Numb before Us and Them.

Top 3??? That's tough. Top 25 would be tough.

I do know
Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stone
Hotel California - Eagles

We have little ZZ Top overlap. Sharp Dressed Man is OK but, along with Legs, I choose Fuzz Box Voodoo, Sleeping Bag, Flag Her down.

3rd. Could be any number. Guess I can go with
Sweet Child of Mine - Guns and Roses

The more I think about it the more I can come up with. But we'll leave it at those 3. Ask me tomorrow and it would probably be different.

 

[Wally East]

Remember: He asked for POP songs, not ROCK songs.

But then the OP went on to mention Janis, ZZ Top, and Pink Floyd, so ...

Pop can be considered short for "popular," so, it's all-inclusive.

BTW, according to Billboard, the number one selling POP song of all time is: Chubby Checker's THE TWIST

In what sense? Most copies of a song sold? In any event, it peaked at #1 for a single week, September 19, 1960.

Here is the list of the best-selling singles

 

[Icebear]

"Summary:
1. Pop music focuses on vocals and beat while rock focuses mainly on instruments like bass and guitar.
2. Pop music’s basic elements have not evolved much like rock which has evolved into sub genres.
3. Rock identifies with a particular subculture while pop tends to cut across audiences.
4. Rock music is made often by a group each playing a particular instrument whereas pop can be by a single artist or a group of singers."

It was on the Internet it must be true.

Personally, I always identified their separations by their general origins. Pop as a category, generally grew out of the vocalists from the Big Band era, including swing and light jazz. Whereas, Rock grew out of the blues. Rock and Roll was something of a first attempt to synthesize the the vocals of popular music with blues rhythms and jump blues. In time it gave way to straight rock and others rock genres and the separations became edgier and clearer.

 

[Waquoit]

Smoke From a Distant Fire - Sanford-Towsand Band
This is a perfect pop song to me. It's catchy, has clever lyrics that tell a story. All of the instruments get a solo and it comes to end.

Only The Good Die Young - Billy Joel The only flaw is that it fades out at the end.

Feelin' Statisfied - Boston This is my current turn-it-up-loud song in the car. It puts me in a good mood as long as I block out the fact that the singer killed himself

 

[Waquoit]

I must admit, Alumni69, I've never quite grasped the difference - other than 1910 Fruit Gum Company ain't Def Leppard,

You do realize that the Ohio Express kicked 1910 Fruit Gum Co's ass?

 

[Zorro]

With all due respect, I have always felt that Bobby McGee was just about Janis's worst effort. It was written as a man's song, and it just doesn't sound right being sung by a woman, even Janis. Sort of like hearing, maybe, "Don't Come Home a'Drinkin', With Lovin on Your Mind" sung by, maybe, Kris Kristoferson. Mebbe it is just me. I would nominate instead, mebbe, "Turtle Blues".

For the other two, mebbe (since Rock is out) "Feelin Groovy" by Harper's Bizarre, and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. Or mebbe American Pie. I dunno. Lots of pop songs, lots of eras.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Billy Joel probably straddles Rock and Pop - but my top 25 would definitely include something by Billy Joel.

I think my all time favorite musical song - Rock I suppose, and I haven't heard it in years - is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. Just very slightly before my time, but still popular in the frat.

And although I don't think they are great sounds, I am a fan of the Peter Frampton / Boston / Kansas / ELO school of Rock.

Oh, and I admit I'm a sinner, because my favorite performer is Neil Diamond. Some of his songs, meh. But very listenable, even as a Senior Citizen, which he brags about.

 

[wire chief]

A disparate group you are, indeed. Allow me to throw out 3 more well known songs to see how you react...

Taxi--Harry Chapin
The Boxer-- Simon & Garfunkel
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U-2

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

A disparate group you are, indeed. Allow me to throw out 3 more well known songs to see how you react...

Taxi--Harry Chapin
The Boxer-- Simon & Garfunkel
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For--U-2

Harry Chapin had a number of hits I enjoy, although none a "favorite", perhaps.

I am in a Simon and Garfunkel mood as we just attended a concert of their songs, part of the Monday night concert series at a local musical dinner theatre (their regular fare are musical spoofs - currently, "Arizona Jones and the Relic of Doom"). Well done by the leader of a local cover band, the Retro Rockets, and the "Garfunkel", an actor from the theatre whose "Bridge over Troubled Water" brought the most rousing applause I have heard at a concert there.

I don't know U-2.

 

[johnnyc]

Stardust - by many artists..some favs...Louis Armstrong, Billy Ward & the Dominoes and Nat King Cole.



Be My Baby - The Ronettes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g_FD_sYazk

Penny Lane - The Beatles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj8zWASwHHY

 

[tomcat]

The question i which is rock and which is pop always will be confusing. Here's what I think I know: Much of rock could be categorized as pop. Only some of pop is rock.

That said, how about "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits? A rock band, for sure, but that was a pop hit if ever there was one. (I'm a Knopfler fan, so I gotta get one in there somehow). Also, Something by Electric Light Orchestra. Maybe "Living Thing," my least favorite of their hits. No, wait: Mr. Blue Sky, which when it was created was described as Beatle-esque, which i think makes it pop. It was not a smash hit, but it's certainly light enough to qualify.

I really like some of the other suggestions, including American Pie and Bohemian Rhapsody. Thing about groups like Pink Floyd is that most of what they did was rick and never crossed over into pop, which I think means that the difference in the two genres has more to do with broad appeal than it does with a definition of who did what within the band.