Power Pop Guide: A Brief History of Power Pop

Power pop is a harder type of pop-rock that combines classic rock band instrumentation—guitar, bass, drums, and occasional keyboards—with catchy pop hooks highlighting the lead vocalist. Power pop music is often recognized for its powerful lead vocals and recognizable guitar riffs. Notable power pop artists include Cheap Trick, The Knack, Big Star, The Cars, Paul Collins, Todd Rundgren, Nick Lowe, The Raspberries, and The Romantics.

Power pop emerged in the 1960s and still influences artists today. Here is a brief history of power pop.

• Origins in the 1960s and early 1970s: Power Pop artists were influenced by the pithy, guitar-driven songs of the early 1960s played by artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, and Badfinger. Pete Townshend, the guitarist and principal songwriter for The Who, is credited as the originator of the name “power pop.” He used the phrase to describe the type of music The Who performed in the late 1960s—upbeat, catchy, hook-driven—but the name wouldn’t catch on until the 1970s. By then, bands like Cleveland-based band The Raspberries (with the 1972 single “Go All The Way”) and Illinois-based Cheap Trick were being recognized as prominent power pop bands.
• Peak popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s: Power pop bands broke onto the mainstream pop charts by the late 1970s and 1980s. Quintessential power pop singles included: "My Sharona" by The Knack, "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick, “I Think We’re Alone Now” by The Rubinoos, "Heart of Glass" by Blondie, "Starry Eyes” by The Records, "September Gurls" by Big Star, "Couldn't I Just Tell You" by Todd Rundgren, and "Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe. These hits were significant because they stood in contrast to the long song forms of other 1970s genres like classic rock, progressive rock, and disco.
• Power pop influences indie rock in the late 1980s: Power-pop competed with dance-pop and hair metal for mainstream attention in the 1980s, but it found new fans in the indie rock scene. Artists like R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, Tommy Keene, and The dBs helped bring power pop to college radio and the pages of influential magazines like SPIN and Rolling Stone.
• Renewed popularity in the 1990s and 2000s: Power pop thrived in the 1990s, thanks to groups like Weezer, Lit, The Connells, and Matthew Sweet. The influence of power pop can also be seen in twenty-first-century artists like Paramore, Fall-Out Boy, and Fountains of Wayne.

Power pop transcends many genres of rock music, yet certain characteristics have endured through the years.

1. 1. Hook-driven short songs: Power pop's influences date back to Buddy Holly and The Beatles, who favored short, hooky songs. This taste for brevity endures in classic power pop records such as The Knack's Get The Knack and Big Star's #1 Record.
2. 2. Jangle guitars: Power pop frequently hinges around bright, jangly guitars reminiscent of those played by John Lennon, George Harrison, and The Byrds' Roger McGuinn. The iconic guitarists of power pop, such as R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Big Star's Chris Bell used similar guitars (often made by Rickenbacker or Fender) to achieve similar tones.
3. 3. Personal lyrical subjects: Most power pop lyrics focus on themes like love, heartache, and personal growth. The words tend to be directly linked to the singer's emotions and life experiences.
4. 4. Strong overlap with new wave: New wave was a pop-rock movement that was directly derived from 1970s punk rock, and scenes overlapped significantly. For instance, perhaps the most famous song penned by power pop artist Nick Lowe is "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," which was performed by post-punk new wave artist Elvis Costello.

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