Video Friday, Power Pop

It's got its roots in British rock.
Guitar, bass, drums. Tight arraignment, great lyrics and melodies.
That's American power pop.

It's waxed and wained over the years, but I bet if you're of a certain age, your music collection is full of power pop bands.
I was listening to musical kindred spirit Scott Hudson's online music-cast, "The Ledge" the other night and the whole show was dedicated to power pop. It's a fun listen.

And it made me look at my own collection. Yeah, I may have a heart for punk, a very soft spot for The Replacements, but there's a shitload of power pop in my CD collection from the way-back years.

Power pop, it's your Video Friday.

(These are arraigned in sort of a chronological order, ending with the biggest chart-topping song by a pure power pop band; also, I did not include any current bands that have been influenced by the movement.)

Raspberries, "Go All the Way"


Badfinger, "Baby Blue"


The Easybeats, "Friday On My Mind"


The Flamin' Groovies, "Shake Some Action"


Big Star, "Back of a Car"


Shoes, "Too Late"


The Beat, "Rock 'n' Roll Girl"


Nick Lowe, "Cruel to be Kind"


Cheap Trick, "I Want You to Want Me"


Plimsouls, "A Million Miles Away"


The Smithereens, "A Girl Like You"


Material Issue, "Diane"


And here it is, the power pop song of all power pop songs:

The Knack, "My Sharona"