Top 5 compositions in Pop/Rock Music

[Madiel]

And finally for the moment... why are you all (okay not QUITE all) only listing individual songs? Do none of you listen to albums?

I mean, most of you will talk about symphonies rather than splitting them into movements despite the music often stopping between movements, and there being periods of history where folks happily split movements from larger works. And song cycles are a thing.

Most of my favourite pop artists are my favourite precisely because they craft albums and believe in the format. Radiohead refused to have their albums on iTunes for some years because they didn't want them sold as bleeding chunks. Heck, Adele complained about Spotify shuffling her work. Just because radio likes singles, doesn't mean that pop music is just about singles (classical radio plays excerpts all the time too you know).

I might come back with a personal list of great pop compositions. But there's a good chance I won't confine myself to works under 4 minutes.

[KevinP]

Spark yields you a third friend.

[Ian]

And finally for the moment... why are you all (okay not QUITE all) only listing individual songs? Do none of you listen to albums?

Listening to songs is a completely different experience to listening to albums. I've listed my 5 songs so here is a quick list of 5 top albums. Some are collaborations, others composed by a single person.

Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
Michel Vieuxchamps - Return to Ommadawn
Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
Pink Floyd - Obscured by Clouds
Klaus Schulze - Body Love

[Szykneij]

And finally for the moment... why are you all (okay not QUITE all) only listing individual songs? Do none of you listen to albums?

I mean, most of you will talk about symphonies rather than splitting them into movements despite the music often stopping between movements, and there being periods of history where folks happily split movements from larger works. And song cycles are a thing.

Most of my favourite pop artists are my favourite precisely because they craft albums and believe in the format. Radiohead refused to have their albums on iTunes for some years because they didn't want them sold as bleeding chunks. Heck, Adele complained about Spotify shuffling her work. Just because radio likes singles, doesn't mean that pop music is just about singles (classical radio plays excerpts all the time too you know).

I might come back with a personal list of great pop compositions. But there's a good chance I won't confine myself to works under 4 minutes.

While it's true that many popular music albums are conceptual and are meant to be experienced as a whole, that isn't the case for most. The tracks on many albums aren't even composed by the same person, so listing those albums here isn't technically addressing the original theme of the thread.

Mentioning individual songs doesn't mean not listening to entire albums, as I'm sure everyone who posted does. The idea of "best albums" could be an entirely different thread, and I would likely list records by different artists on that thread than those I mentioned here.

[Madiel]

So, when classical guys collaborated... there was no composition involved?

I can think of a number of works, particularly from the 19th and 20th centuries, that deliberately involved a whole collection of composers contributing.

And then there's the operas from the 18th century that were regularly built that way. Are they the ones we listen to the most now? No. But it was a method of producing music, just as it is now.

And personally it's much the same in pop music, I tend to prefer the singular vision. But I'm aware of the different methods that existed now AND then. And I missed the part of the definition of composition that required a solo composer.

I think there are some peculiar assumptions here. As is frequently the case on this forum when it comes to pop music. The title of the thread refers to top 5 compositions. Not top 5 composers. And we have had several references to bands. By the above poster's logic, bands don't count.

[Madiel]

Anyway for those who can only accept individual songs I've come up with a few not yet mentioned (I think) that always strike me as full of compositional prowess.

Woman In Chains - Tears For Fears
Wouldn't It Be Good - Nik Kershaw
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
Everything In Its Right Place - Radiohead
The Silky Veils of Ardor - Joni Mitchell

Several of these could be nominated for other songs.

[Karl Henning]

Also, I dispute the notion that hooks, lyrics and production are somehow not "composition".

Related: it's now 61 years since the release of Meet the Beatles! and the first published Lennon/McCartney song. Who is disputing that composition can be a collaborative effort?

[Spotted Horses]

I agree with the point that "composition" is rarely what distinguishes a Pop/music recording. Most often it is memorable lyrics, arrangement, performance style, production.

Off the top of my head

The Beauty of the Rain, Dar Williams
Raspberry Beret, Prince
Tangled Up in Blue, Bob Dylan
Welcome Me, Indigo Girls
State of Confusion, The Kinks

Excellent choice! I'm a big Dar Williams fan. I've seen her perform live several times.

Lucky ducky. Now that I think of it, having to pick one Dar Williams song, I think it might be When I Was a Boy. And I should have found a spot for Once in a Lifetime, by the Talking Heads.  Maybe is switch my Dylan pick to Idiot Wind, from the same album.

[Ian]

Related: it's now 61 years since the release of Meet the Beatles! and the first published Lennon/McCartney song. Who is disputing that composition can be a collaborative effort?

Far from it. I was discussing just a few days ago how many writing "teams" are so much more than the sum of their parts. Lennon / McCartney, Gilmour / Waters are good examples, I'm sure there are many more.

[Szykneij]

Lucky ducky. Now that I think of it, having to pick one Dar Williams song, I think it might be When I Was a Boy. And I should have found a spot for Once in a Lifetime, by the Talking Heads.

A little off topic, but I was introduced to Dar Williams by a friend. I bought a Joan Baez CD and mentioned to him that there was a great song on it called "February". He informed me it was a Dar Williams (who I had never heard of) tune and burned me a copy of "Mortal City". I subsequently ran out and purchased the real thing. That album would be in my top five.

[Irons]

Tracks of my Tears - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

Louie Louie - The Kingsman.

My Father - Nina Simone.

All or Nothing - Small Faces.

Bob Dylan - I Want You.

[Karl Henning]

Far from it. I was discussing just a few days ago how many writing "teams" are so much more than the sum of their parts. Lennon / McCartney, Gilmour / Waters are good examples, I'm sure there are many more.

Indeed!

[ando]

That has the look of blaming the [alleged] victims, you know. (brackets added for your benefit.)

Enough.

[DavidW]

Let us please move past the Michael Jackson digression.

[Jo498]

I know little pop music and it's over 30 years ago that I saw the movie or listened to the music but I'd accept "The Wall" as genuine "Gesamtkunstwerk". Not sure if I'd care much for it nowadays but I found it impressive at 19 or so.
I listened to a few other albums that are considered "wholes" (like Sgt Pepper's) but they were usually just a bunch of songs and I didn't quite see the whole.

[Spotted Horses]

A little off topic, but I was introduced to Dar Williams by a friend. I bought a Joan Baez CD and mentioned to him that there was a great song on it called "February". He informed me it was a Dar Williams (who I had never heard of) tune and burned me a copy of "Mortal City". I subsequently ran out and purchased the real thing. That album would be in my top five.

Mortal City is a great album.

[Karl Henning]

What's your opinion of Hound Dog by Elvis/Big Mama Thornton?

Thanks for the tip:

Comment on the video:

I remember her comment when some reporter came to talk to her in '77 when Elvis died, and asked her how she felt about him having made millions and her only $100 for this song.  Her comment, which was pure Winnie Mae Thornton, was "I'm still here to spend my hundred bucks.

[Ian]

Pete Townsend has come up with some great rock songs
Baba O'Riley
Won't Get Fooled Again
Behind Blue Eyes
Pinball Wizard
...
So has Ian Anderson
... there are so many!

[Jo498]

As I said, I listened to very little pop/rock as teenager (the most impressive stuff I encountered back then was probably the more artsy Queen songs like Bohemian Rhapsody), so I first heard? Baba O'Riley on the Show "Dr House"!
I was so impressed by this that I bought the album but then I didn't care for any of the other songs, so I eventually sold it again. But that song is really cool.

[Karl Henning]

As I said, I listened to very little pop/rock as teenager (the most impressive stuff I encountered back then was probably the more artsy Queen songs like Bohemian Rhapsody), so I first heard? Baba O'Riley on the Show "Dr House"!
I was so impressed by this that I bought the album but then I didn't care for any of the other songs, so I eventually sold it again. But that song is really cool.

I could see this. Apart from the odd track "Baba O'Riley1" one of them, the Who haven't really won me over.

Tangentially, the Joy of YouTube: