Three Chords, Harmonies and Handclaps

Since it was north of 90 degrees yesterday, I think we've reached the perfect time of the year to discuss the greatest power pop songs ever created. I won't be as reductive as the All Music Guide in deciding what's power pop and what's not. Like pornography I know it when I see it. Or hear it in this case.

So here are the 25 greatest power pop songs ever:

25: Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand
Maybe not strictly power pop, but it sure as hell is catchy.

24: All Kindsa Girls by The Real Kids
A 70s Boston New Wave band that never went anywhere; they were still playing locally in 2003. Even if this is their one great song, it is great enough to deserve remembering.

23: My Head by Heretix
Like the previous entry, another local band that didn't go anywhere. It does offer a strong moral: if you're only going to have one great song, make it about finding your disembodied head by the side of the river. And make sure to ape Cheap Trick.

22: Strawberry Bullet by Underball
Finishing our trilogy of forgotten Boston bands is Underball, whose album Give Me Back my Ball! is chock-full of perfectly crafted songs about candy and toys. Listening to the disc at once is like eating about 37 pixie sticks in one sitting, too much of a good thing.

21: Golden Blunders by The Posies
The Posies were a Seattle band that evolved in the exact opposite way from every band. They went from playing mellow and sweet pop music to playing grunge. Because that was the fashion at the time. While this track is lovely harmonic power pop, other Posies tracks like Dream All Day are more rocking.

20: Waiting for Somebody by Paul Westerberg
Westerberg's solo career is filled with fantastic power pop tracks like Silent Film Star, AAA, Stain Yer Blood and Seein' Her. You may have heard this on the Singles soundtrack, where it outrocked everything except Touch Me I'm Dick.

19: This is Pop? by XTC
In John Wesley Harding's When The Beatles Hit America, he explains that his imagined new Beatles album sounds "like XTC, it sounded a lot like XTC." This is a case in point.

18: Hazy Shade of Winter by The Bangles
The Bangles had a few other possibilities, but this one rocks harder than Manic Monday or Going Down to Liverpool.

17: Southern Girls by Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick has quite a few worthy choices, not all of which were performed live at a certain Japanese venue. Southern Girls is a little less over the top, so I like it better.

16: Sick of Myself by Matthew Sweet
Rocking guitars, big chorus with harmonies and lyrics about girls, this is the power pop formula followed to the letter. Girlfriend would also be a great choice, but I find this one even more oppressively catchy.

15: Parklife by Blur
Smart-ass pop with a lovely chorus, the verses are spoken by him out of the movie Quadrophenia. It's okay to like this song since Ray Davies does.

14: I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man by Prince
When not wearing his wife's clothes, being enslaved by The Man or simulating bashing the bishop during the Superb Owl, Prince finds time to write kick-ass power pop like this tune. Just in case you don't think it's power pop, the Goo Goo Dolls, Replacements and Soul Asylum all covered it.

13: Shake Some Action by The Flamin' Groovies
The Flamin' Groovies were together for 17 years. This is the only song they recorded that is remembered at all and they had no hits as far as I can tell. There are worse legacies to have. Great White, I'm looking in your charred direction.

12: What I Like About You by The Romantics
These guys apparently signed the world's worst record contract, so this perfect little catchy tune is almost like a public domain track for beer advertising. When I first heard it in the late 80s I couldn't tell when it was recorded. It could have been from any time since the early 60s to today.

11: Golfshirt by Nerf Herder
The problem with Nerf Herder is that I could pick about a dozen other songs for this list like Van Halen or Sorry or Lamer Than Lame or Pantera Fans in Love. But I decided I should limit it to just one per artist, so this is probably the most representative of their themes: they want the girl, but they're too lame to ever get her.

10: I'm An Adult Now by The Pursuit of Happiness
While the lyrics border on novelty, their spirit is universal: "I can sleep in 'til noon anytime I want/but there's not many times that I do." Plus the requisite harmonies and rocking guitars are there.

9: Jilted John by Jilted John
If Nerf Herder wasn't so damn confident, they would be like Jilted John. Sample lyric: "I was so upset that I cried/ all the way to the chip shop/ when I came out there was Gordon/ standing at the bus stop/and guess who was with him? Yeah, Julie and they were both laughing at me."

8: Marie Provost by Nick Lowe
Based on a true story, this is the only song on the list to tackle the sad reality of dying alone with a hungry little dachshund. Being a Nick Lowe song, it is pure power pop.

7: Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric
There's a story in the liner notes from the indispensable Rhino Collection DIY: UK Pop I that sums up many of these acts. Wreckless Eric was playing in a club and announced to the crowd "who wants to hear Whole Wide World?" The crowd went wild. Then he said "who wants to hear anything else?" Complete silence.

6: Bright Future in Sales by Fountains of Wayne
Sure Stacy's Mom got all the airplay, but this is the better song. Perhaps I'm biased because I like stories about salesmen and drinking (see Glen Ross, Glengarry.)

5: Another Girl, Another Planet by The Only Ones
This was covered by The Replacements, who know quite a bit about good power pop. Any song that begins "I always flirt with death" demands attention.

4: 20th Century Boy by Marc Bolan & T. Rex
The opening of this track is one distorted speaker-overwhelming chord, followed by a beat of silence, then Bolan faintly yelling "YOOOOW!" followed by another silent beat, then the riff. It just doesn't get more rock'n roll than that.

3. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding by Elvis Costello and The Attractions
Written and produced by Nick Lowe, this is the most overwhelmingly rocking Elvis Costello song. The emphasis here is on the power side of power pop. To beat out Pump It Up, Radio, Radio and Less Than Zero it has to be astounding.

2. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
Long-time BBC DJ John Peel named this his all-time favorite (or favourite) song. After hearing it, you will understand why.

1. September Gurls by Big Star
This particular song may be why Westerberg sang in Alex Chilton that he never travels far without a little Big Star. Gorgeous harmonies, a simple melody and the requisite wistful lyrics, this is everything power pop should be.