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The 1960s - the origin of power pop

Power pop was really born in the early 1970s, when bands like Badfinger and the Raspberries were celebrating the melodic energy of 60s bands like the Beatles. While the Fab Four are the foundation of the genre, several other bands from this decade helped to shape power pop music, like the Beach Boys, the Kinks and the Byrds. Click on all of the links below, each one is different and contains more information about these bands.

 The Beatles

It all started for me with the Beatles. At age five, I heard them for the first time when I checked a Beatles record out of my local library, assuming that it would sound like the Chipmunks albums I loved. To my surprise, I heard something entirely different: exciting music driven by chiming guitars, amazing melodies and sweet harmonies. I've been obsessed ever since. So much so, that I even perform in a Beatles tribute band called Almost Fab.

Beatles links:

The Beach Boys

The harmonies of the Beach Boys provide a foundation for power pop vocal styles. Brian Wilson was a true original and is generally considered a genius by his fans. You need only listen to the "surf-era" Beach Boys records to hear his mastery of vocal arrangements, production and inspired song writing. However, Brian grew into one of the most important figures in rock history with the release of Pet Sounds and the notorious unreleased album, SMiLE. The rest of the band should not be ignored either, as the combination of voices from Carl, Mike, Al, Dennis, Bruce and Brian form perhaps the greatest and most recognizable vocal sound in rock history.

Beach Boys Links:

The Who

The raw power of the Who on stage and in the studio provides inspiration for the harder edge of power pop music. The band was a strange union of four very talented individuals. Pete Townshend is a legendary artist and songwriter who pushed the boundaries of rock music with sweeping rock operas like Tommy and Quadrophenia. Roger Daltry has one of rock's most powerful voices.  John Entwistle used a unique, over-driven bass sound combined with thunderous runs to fill out the the three-piece band. Keith Moon, of course, was a maniac and had a completely original drumming style that combined rock, jazz and utter insanity.

The Byrds

The Byrds were one of the first bands to capture the melodic sensibilities of the Beatles and Americanize them effectively. George's 12-string Rickenbacker in "A Hard Day's Night" inspired Roger McGuinn to use the instrument as the defining element of the Byrds' sound: jangling, melodic pop that was distinctly Californian. The band later become one of the pioneers of country rock with "Sweetheart of the Rodeo."

The Kinks

The Kinks, although often overlooked, are one of the most important bands of the British Invasion. They are generally regarded as inventors of rocks songs based solely upon the "power chord," like 'You Really Got Me' and 'All Day and All of the Night.' However, as their popularity in the US waned in the mid-sixties, Ray Davies quietly became one of the best songwriters of the era. The Kinks' songs were the most "English" among the British bands, featuring stories of struggling Englishmen, nostalgic portraits of the Victorian age or autobiographical longings for Davies' childhood. The Kinks produced several essential albums (Face to Face, Something Else, Village Green Preservation Society) that have inspired hundreds of pop bands.

The Monkees

The Monkees are generally derided as a fake band, created by the television industry to sell millions of records to unsuspecting teens. While this is absolutely true, the band was no "one-hit wonder." Don Kirshner, the music director for the program, commissioned great songwriters like Neil Diamond and Goffin and King to write the Monkees' hits. Then unknown songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart produced the band's albums and also provided them with a number of wonderful songs. Their story is made more interesting by the four distinctive personalities hired to "act" as the group. Mike and Peter were legitimate musicians while Davy and Mickey had great voices, better than many of their peers, which made their hits so memorable. When the band rebelled and played all of the instruments on their third record, the results were hardly groundbreaking, but certainly heartwarming. Their story is an interesting one, punctuated by classic pop singles.

Mike Nesmith went on to record some great albums

as a solo artist as well.

The Move

The Move are perhaps best known in the US as the band that became Electric Light Orchestra. However, they were one of the top pop groups in Britain in the late 60s. Their music is the epitome of psych-pop, featuring titles like 'I Can Hear the Grass Grow,' 'Flowers in the Rain' and 'Cherry Blossom Clinic.' Principle songwriter Roy Wood perfected the form on their brilliant, self-titled debut album, which contains the quintessential songs of the genre. The Move evolved into a harder pop-rock band in the 70s and released another classic LP, Shazam.