Power pop is a type of rock music and a style of pop rock that was inspired by the early songs of groups like the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It usually includes catchy tunes, harmonized singing, lively performances, and upbeat music that can also express feelings like sadness, hope, or determination. The sound mainly comes from pop and rock styles from the early-to-mid 1960s, though some artists have also used influences from later styles, such as punk, new wave, glam rock, pub rock, college rock, and neo-psychedelia.

Power pop began in the 1960s, mostly among American musicians who were growing up during the British Invasion. Many of these young musicians wanted to keep the "teenage innocence" of pop music and disliked newer rock styles that seemed too complex or hard to understand. The term "power pop" was first used in 1967 by Pete Townshend, a guitarist and songwriter from the Who, to describe his band's music. However, power pop became more widely known in the 1970s when musicians tried to bring back the style of music popularized by the Beatles. Bands like Badfinger, the Raspberries, Big Star, and Todd Rundgren helped make power pop a clear and recognizable genre in the early 1970s. Power pop became most popular in the late 1970s during the rise of punk and new wave, with groups like Cheap Trick, the Knack, the Romantics, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, and Dwight Twilley achieving the most success. After the negative reactions to the genre's biggest hit, "My Sharona" (by the Knack in 1979), record companies stopped signing power pop bands, and most 1970s groups ended by the early 1980s.

In the years that followed, power pop continued with limited success but was often criticized by some musicians and critics. In the 1990s, a new generation of alternative bands was influenced by 1960s artists because of the 1980s music they had inspired. Though not as successful as earlier power pop bands, groups like Jellyfish, the Posies, Redd Kross, Teenage Fanclub, and Material Issue were praised by critics and had a loyal fanbase. In the mid-1990s, a new genre called "pop-punk" appeared, mixing power pop-style harmonies with fast-paced punk rock. This genre became popular with a wide audience.

Definition and etymology

Power pop is a lively type of pop rock music that focuses on catchy melodies and strong musical ideas. AllMusic describes it as a mix of the loud rock style of The Who, the sweet melodies of The Beatles and The Beach Boys, and the bright guitar sounds of The Byrds. Most power pop artists are rock bands made up of white male musicians who use musical styles, singing methods, chord patterns, rhythms, instruments, or sounds similar to groups from the mid-1960s British Invasion era.

A key part of power pop is that its happy-sounding music often includes feelings of "longing" or "sadness," like in songs such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys (1966) and "Pictures of Lily" by The Who (1967). This can happen through sudden changes in music notes or lyrics that mention times like "tonight," "tomorrow night," or "Saturday night." Power pop is also known for being serious about classic pop music techniques and not using humor or sarcasm.

The term "power pop" was first used by Pete Townshend of The Who in a 1967 interview to describe their music and the style of bands like The Small Faces and The Beach Boys. However, the term became more widely used in the late 1970s during the rise of new wave music. Greg Shaw, an editor of Bomp! magazine, was one of the first critics to write about power pop, which was then spelled "powerpop." This was similar to how the term "punk rock" became popular earlier in the same decade. Theo Cateforis, a music writer, noted that the development of power pop as a genre was not natural or widely agreed upon.

There is disagreement among fans about which bands and artists should be considered power pop. Shaw claimed he helped define the genre in 1978 as a mix of pop and punk. Later, he said he was disappointed that many bands used the term to gain attention without being truly good. Music journalist John M. Borack wrote that the label "power pop" is often used without much thought, even for artists like Britney Spears, Green Day, The Bay City Rollers, and Def Leppard.

Power pop has sometimes been criticized for being simple or only appealing to young people. This view was made worse in the early 1980s when record companies used the term to promote other types of music. Music critic Ken Sharp compared power pop to a person who is ignored even though they copy the best artists like The Who, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles. In 1996, singer Tommy Keene said that being called power pop since the 1980s is like being compared to bands that did not sell many records. Musician Steve Albini refused to use the term, saying it is for people who are not serious about music. Ken Stringfellow of The Posies added that power pop is often seen as light or lacking depth, and he wanted music with more serious meaning.

Original waves

Power pop began in the late 1960s when young music fans wanted to move away from the more serious and complicated styles of rock music. At that time, a split happened between artists who thought pop music was too simple and those who believed it should be fun and appealing to young fans. Greg Shaw said the Who started power pop, but Carl Caferelli wrote that the Beatles' success in the United States in 1964 was the beginning. Caferelli also said the Beatles showed what a great pop band should be. According to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, British Invasion bands, especially those with a sound popularized by the Beatles, influenced 1970s power pop bands like the Raspberries, Big Star, the Knack, and XTC. These bands often used bright guitars, catchy melodies, and clean singing styles.

Some people believe pop music should be like TV—something you can turn on and off without it disturbing your mind. They find it hard to enjoy songs like "Strawberry Fields" because they are too complex. Some artists are becoming too difficult to understand.

When Pete Townshend created the term "power pop," he said songs like the Who's "I Can't Explain" (1965) and "Substitute" (1966) were easier to enjoy than the more experimental music other groups, like the Beatles, were making. However, the term was not widely linked to the Who at first. It took time for the style of power pop to become clear. The A.V. Club's Noel Murray said that once the sound became popular and copied by many bands, it was easier to see its roots in earlier music styles like rockabilly, doo-wop, girl groups, and the early work of the Beatles, the Byrds, the Beach Boys, the Kinks, and the Who. Robert Hilburn said the genre mainly came from how the Beatles and the Beach Boys combined rock energy with catchy, Top 40-style songs, like the Beach Boys' "California Girls." Borack noted that power pop also has clear connections to garage rock.

Townshend was influenced by the guitar playing of Beach Boy Carl Wilson, and the Who's first single, "I Can't Explain," was inspired by the Kinks' song "You Really Got Me" (1964). Roy Shuker said the leading American power pop bands in the 1960s were the Byrds, Tommy James and the Shondells, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Other important bands included the Dave Clark Five, the Creation, the Easybeats, the Move, and the Nazz.

In the 1970s, rock music changed into many new styles. Fewer artists followed the influence of early Beatles songs, and those who mentioned the Beatles or the Who as influences were a small group. Music journalist Paul Lester said power pop became a major style in the 1970s, created by young musicians who missed the 1960s but used its sound in new ways. He called it a cousin to glam rock. Novelist Michael Chabon said the genre truly became its own in the early 1970s with "second generation" power pop bands. Lester added that power pop was an American response to the British Invasion, made by fans of British music who were too young to have been in bands in the 1960s.

According to Carl Caferelli, the 1970s rock scene felt "bloated and sterile" after the Beatles broke up in 1970, leaving a gap. During the early 1970s, only a few bands continued the tradition of Beatles-style pop. Some were young glam bands, while others were "60s holdovers" who refused to change their sound. One of the most important groups in this category was Badfinger, the first band signed to the Beatles' Apple Records. They had international success with songs like "Come and Get It" (1969), "No Matter What" (1970), and "Day After Day" (1971), but were criticized for copying the Beatles. Caferelli called them one of the earliest and best power pop bands. AllMusic said Badfinger helped shape the genre, but the Raspberries were the only power pop band of the era to have hit singles. Noel Murray wrote that Badfinger had "some key songs" that were power pop before the genre was widely recognized.

Andrew Earles of Magnet said 1972 was "year zero" for power pop. That year saw the rise of Big Star and the Raspberries, the release of Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything?, and the recording of the Flamin' Groovies' "Shake Some Action." Many garage bands stopped copying the Rolling Stones. Michael Chabon said the Raspberries, Badfinger, Big Star, and Rundgren's songs "Couldn't I Just Tell You" and "I Saw the Light" helped create the genre. Rundgren introduced "Couldn't I Just Tell You" on TV in 1978 as part of "the latest musical trend, power pop." Paul Lester called the studio recording of the song a "masterclass in compression" and said Rundgren "staked his claim to powerpop immortality" and started the genre's popularity.

Earles said the Raspberries were the only American power pop band to have hit singles. Murray described the Raspberries as the most representative power pop band and called their 1972 US top 10 song "Go All the Way" a "template" for the genre. Caferelli called the Raspberries' follow-up song "I Wanna Be with You" (1972) "perhaps the definitive power pop single." However, like Badfinger, the Raspberries were criticized as "Beatles clones." Singer Eric Carmen remembered that in 1972, many people were not ready for a band that resembled the Beatles. The Raspberries disbanded in 1975 when Carmen started a solo career.

In the late 1970s, a movement of power pop bands inspired by the Raspberries began to grow, including groups like Cheap Trick, the Jam

Succeeding waves

In the 1980s and 1990s, power pop remained a genre with limited commercial success. Bands such as Redd Kross and the Spongetones continued to create music in this style. XTC's later recordings influenced bands like Jellyfish and the Apples in Stereo. Big Star gained a strong following among musicians in later bands, including R.E.M. and the Replacements, who admired their work. Many bands influenced by Big Star combined power pop with the style and sound of alternative rock. AllMusic listed Teenage Fanclub, Material Issue, and the Posies as bands that were both critically praised and popular among fans.

In 1991, Chris Willman of the Los Angeles Times described Jellyfish, the Posies, and Redd Kross as leading a "new wave of energetic power pop bands" that reminded listeners of the 1960s, when songs were short, catchy melodies were important, and music focused on strong, memorable hooks. Members of Jellyfish and the Posies said they were inspired by 1960s artists because of the 1980s music those artists influenced. At the time, it was unclear if this movement would achieve mainstream success. Karen Glauber, editor of Hits magazine, noted that some people thought these bands were "retro" or not modern enough because they did not sound like grunge or other popular styles of the time.

Velvet Crush’s Ric Menck said that Nirvana helped make it possible for bands like Matthew Sweet, the Posies, Material Issue, and others to gain airplay on college radio stations. As power pop gained attention from music fans, older bands began to reunite and record new songs, which were released through independent labels. The Chicago-based label The Numero Group released a compilation album called Yellow Pills: Prefill, which included pop songs from 1979–1982 that had been overlooked. Throughout the decade, AllMusic reported that these independent power pop bands gained a small but loyal fanbase in the United States.

With the rise of bands like the Apples in Stereo, power pop became a key part of the Elephant 6 music collective’s identity, often blending with psychedelic and slacker rock styles.

Since the 1990s, power pop has had mixed success. In 1994, Green Day and The Offspring popularized pop-punk, a subgenre of alternative rock that mixes power pop harmonies with fast-paced punk energy. According to Louder Than War’s Sam Lambeth, power pop has "grown and declined" over time but has remained a topic of debate among critics. Despite this, he noted that Fountains of Wayne helped revive the genre in the late 1990s, especially with their 2003 album Welcome Interstate Managers. He also mentioned that as of 2017, bands like Best Coast, Sløtface, Diet Cig, and Dude York still used power pop’s key features. In 2005, The Click Five released their debut single “Just the Girl,” co-written by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. Their sound was described as “new school power pop,” and their first album, Greetings from Imrie House, reached number 15 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting debut by a new rock band in 2005.

In 1998, the International Pop Overthrow (IPO) festival began, named after an album by Material Issue. Originally held in Los Angeles, the event expanded to locations in Canada and Liverpool, England, where performances took place at the Cavern Club. Paul Collins of the Beat and the Nerves hosted the Power Pop-A-Licious festival in 2011 and 2013, featuring both classic and emerging power pop, punk rock, garage, and roots rock bands. The events took place in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and New York City. Paul Collins and his band headlined the two-day festivals.

In the 2010s, mainstream pop acts like the British-Irish boy band One Direction and the Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer introduced power pop elements to a wider audience. One Direction’s early albums, Up All Night (2011) and Take Me Home (2012), included catchy melodies, strong guitar riffs, and lively arrangements—features common in power pop. Their 2011 single “What Makes You Beautiful” reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Other songs, like “One Thing,” “Live While We’re Young,” and “Kiss You,” achieved top-ten positions in the UK and other countries, with “Live While We’re Young” debuting at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2013, their single “Best Song Ever” reached number two in the UK and the US, becoming their highest-charting single in the United States.

5 Seconds of Summer gained commercial success with their 2014 single “She Looks So Perfect,” which reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the UK. Their self-titled debut album 5 Seconds of Summer debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 259,000 copies in its first week in the United States.

Suggested reading

• Rockwell, John (December 30, 1979). "Disco and Rock Music, Plus Problems in the Music Industry, Made the Year Exciting." The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
• Sharp, Ken; Sulpy, Doug (1997). Power Pop: Talks with Top Power Pop Artists.

Suggested listening

• DIY: Come Out and Play – American Power Pop I (1975–78) (Rhino Records, compilation CD, 1993)
• DIY: Shake It Up! – American Power Pop II (1978–80) (Rhino Records, compilation CD, 1993)
• Girls Go Power Pop (Big Beat Records, compilation CD, 2020)
• Harmony in My Head: UK Power Pop & New Wave (Cherry Red, 3XCD compilation, 2018)
• Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '70s (Rhino Records, compilation CD, 1997)
• Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '80s (Rhino Records, compilation CD, 1997)
• Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '90s (Rhino Records, compilation CD, 1997)
• Power Pop Anthems (Virgin, 2XCD compilation, 2002)