You guys are wrong.



As for my personal favorite:

superunknown said:

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Serious question...

How big were Tears for Fears? My sister absolutely wore the hell out of "Songs from the Big Chair" and i was like 10 or 11 so I barely had any musical taste whatsoever and I feel like I could sing along to any of them, thats how many times I've heard them. As an adult i hear these songs now and I cannot get over how damn good they are. I've gotten more exposed to them via sxm's 1st wave channel, so I'm appreciating them more as an adult and as a music fan. I have no damn clue what the best pop song ever is (It's probably MJ and if it's not it's still probably produced by Quincy Jones) but dang...if there's a quintessential pop sampler platter, I have 0 issues putting one of those Tears for Fears songs on it.

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I saw them last June touring for their new album, The Tipping Point. They are still great live, and the new album is solid. It has Curt on lead vocals a bit more than previous albums, kind of a call back to The Hurting I guess. If you haven't heard it, check it out. Here's a taste from one of their concerts last year:

Hey Jude

And this is what I'd pick for 10's:

Also, this vid dropped earlier this week. Pretty good coincidence to this thread:

Staring at the Sun was the best song on Pop, but that's an admittedly low bar.

I am a music historian, and with @AdrianRMG I have researched the best-selling single of every decade all the way back to 14,000BC. Here's a thread:

2010s - Ed Sheeran, The Shape of You pic.twitter.com/Y4rrOdSGY2

— Archie Henderson (@archiehench) December 5, 2019

Highly recommend this Twitter thread.

I'd probably have to go with "Hey Jude" for all time.

Orlando Ayala Cant Read said:

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aggiegrad01 said:

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A-ha
Take On Me

Great song, great video (I'm bad at inserting video, but you know it)

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I think this is def in consideration. It's now timeless and everyone loves it.

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Slow your roll there, buddy.

Would Patsy's Crazy be considered a pop song?

MSFC Aggie said:

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Would Patsy's Crazy be considered a pop song?

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No

Then I say MJ's Billie Jean

Would also consider Bee Gee's You Should Be Dancing

https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-beatles-ob-la-di-ob-la-da-is-the-perfect-pop-song-according-to-science-2574325

Personally, I would go with My guitar gently weeps.

Definitely feels like Tears For Fears, MJ, and Hall & Oates win the thread.

Obviously McCartney and Beach Boys would be in there as well, but I guess I'm hesitant to consider them pop artists? Sure, a lot of their stuff is poppy, but I would put them solidly in the rock music category.

Same for Journey, Nirvana, and the others mentioned.

Also, have to agree with Take On Me. You play that song pretty much anywhere and people just sing along. I think it's easily a top 5 pop song ever.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Definitely feels like Tears For Fears, MJ, and Hall & Oates win the thread.

Obviously McCartney and Beach Boys would be in there as well, but I guess I'm hesitant to consider them pop artists? Sure, a lot of their stuff is poppy, but I would put them solidly in the rock music category.

Same for Journey, Nirvana, and the others mentioned.

Also, have to agree with Take On Me. You play that song pretty much anywhere and people just sing along. I think it's easily a top 5 pop song ever.

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There are some Depeche Mode songs that feel like "pop" to me, but it just seems hard to classify them as such. But they have tons of amazing semi-pop songs, just with more of an industrial/techno vibe.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Definitely feels like Tears For Fears, MJ, and Hall & Oates win the thread.

Obviously McCartney and Beach Boys would be in there as well, but I guess I'm hesitant to consider them pop artists? Sure, a lot of their stuff is poppy, but I would put them solidly in the rock music category.

Same for Journey, Nirvana, and the others mentioned.

Also, have to agree with Take On Me. You play that song pretty much anywhere and people just sing along. I think it's easily a top 5 pop song ever.

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Prince needs to be in there. Prince was massive in the Prince and the Revolution days. Purple Rain was neck and neck with Thriller when those albums were at their peak.

Meh.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Meh.

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Meh is saying that Slash's solos are better than the king of soloing, EVH. Because you don't like Prince doesn't mean he wasn't huge. I mean you're giving more credit Aha than Prince. That's hilaroius.

Personal taste. I'm a guitar player myself, and EVH is a legend, but tapping isn't really my thing. It's cool for a bit, but gets old quick to me.

EVH wins overall, and has the better catalogue. But I prefer Slash's more bluesy and melodic solos.

Quote:

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I mean you're giving more credit Aha than Prince.

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Can you name a Prince song that is "Take On Me" level iconic, that everybody in the world knows and not just Prince fans? Only one that could compete is When Doves Cry, I'd imagine.

I don't think any Prince song makes a top 10.

BG Knocc Out said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Definitely feels like Tears For Fears, MJ, and Hall & Oates win the thread.

Obviously McCartney and Beach Boys would be in there as well, but I guess I'm hesitant to consider them pop artists? Sure, a lot of their stuff is poppy, but I would put them solidly in the rock music category.

Same for Journey, Nirvana, and the others mentioned.

Also, have to agree with Take On Me. You play that song pretty much anywhere and people just sing along. I think it's easily a top 5 pop song ever.

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There are some Depeche Mode songs that feel like "pop" to me, but it just seems hard to classify them as such. But they have tons of amazing semi-pop songs, just with more of an industrial/techno vibe.

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Just Can't Get Enough is their poppiest hit.

A lot of the more alternative bands have some cross-over pop songs:

Erasure - Oh L'amour, A Little Respect
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls, What Have I Done to Deserve This
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love

Bruce Almighty said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Quote:

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I mean you're giving more credit Aha than Prince.

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Can you name a Prince song that is "Take On Me" level iconic, that everybody in the world knows and not just Prince fans? Only one that could compete is When Doves Cry, I'd imagine.

I don't think any Prince song makes a top 10.

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Purple Rain

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Kiss