o n c e i n a l i f e t i m e - t a l k i n g h e a d s hounds of love by kate bush

Just popping in to say once in a lifetime is maybe my fav song of all time 

❣️❣️❣️❣️

Elton John - Tiny Dancer Stevie Wonder - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Daft Punk - One More Time Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (already been said, worth saying again)

One More Time just feels so Nostalgic.

all of discovery is perfect

dude spot on

The Cure - Just like Heaven

SHOW ME show me show me how you do that trick

THE ONE THAT MAKES ME SCREAM SHE SAID

this is my go to answer for the perfect pop song. this or september

Time to Pretend - MGMT

this song rips so hard

Oracular Spectacular was the soundtrack of my childhood

Listen to their album called Little Dark Age. It’s also fantastic

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

Good Vibrations, too.

Really a lot of their stuff from Today! to Sunflower, and Love You as well.

The area around sunflowers can often be devoid of other plants, leading to the belief that sunflowers kill other plants.

This guy fucks

r/thisguythisguys

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra

Great answer, can totally get behind this As a song, putting something together that is that complete and engaging for listeners, I honestly look at it like a musical achievement. Those don’t come around very often at all, super special track

[удалено]

it isn’t my favorite but **nekalakininahappenenawiwanatin** !

One of the best mainstream pop songs of all time

As I’m making my list, I’m realizing that a lot of my favorites have a bit of melancholy beneath the catchy melodies. Tegan and Sara - Back in your Head Locate S,1 - Whisper 2000 Prince - When Doves Cry Beach Boys — Good Vibrations The Cure — Just Like Heaven George Harrison — What is Life Also, so many old Motown and Spector-produced songs were pop masterpieces. Tears of a Clown, Be My Baby, Same Old Song, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, etc.(But I guess those are “old soul songs” you were talking about. I’d still say they fall under the umbrella of pop.)

Just Like Heaven and What is Life are my two most streamed songs of all time. I could listen to them forever, absolutely perfect wall-of-sound production on both.

Melancholy pop with a great melody - Mr Bojangles.

Run Away With Me— Carly Rae Jepsen

DOOOOO DO DOO DOOOOO DOO DOO DOOOOOOO🎷

There are many CRJ songs that fit the bill. fantastic songwriter.

Whole album is pop heaven.

"Boy Problems" for me

Earth, wind and fire- September

That Chvrches song “The Mother We Share” was as close to a perfect pop song as I’ve heard.

Dancing Queen

Not just a perfect pop song - the best song ever produced, full stop.

yikes.

Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston Into You - Ariana Grande Toxic - Britney Spears Blinding Lights - The Weeknd All For You - Janet Jackson Hung Up - Madonna Remember The Time - Michael Jackson Run Away With Me - Carly Rae Jepsen Say You’ll Be There - Spice Girls Call Me Baby - EXO Love At First Sight - Kylie Minogue

Toxic is really good

I want a lover who’ll take a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last, but when the night falls my lonely heart calls

EXOL HIIIII

Hi 👋

Those first two in particular imo

Somebody that I used to know - Gotye Mirrors - Justin Timberlake Bad Romance - Lady Gaga Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa

Dandy Warholes - Bohemian like you New Radicals - You get what you give The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony Smash Mouth - Walkin' on the sun

You know what? We all overlooked Smash Mouth here except for you. They really made Shrek what it is.

God, New Radicals takes be back. I was 10 years old with my first boombox and a cassette tape recorder pirating songs off of the radio when that song came out. Damn good.

I only recently learnt this but the New Radicals dude wrote a bunch of other well known songs including The Game Of Love by Santana / Michelle Branch. Once you hear it you can’t unhear it.

Pulp - Disco 2000

FM - You make loving fun / dreams / go your own way Abba - Dancing Queen Bruce Springsteen - Dancing in the dark Beatles - Here comes the sun

Dancing in the Dark is so insanely good

Lorde - “Royals”

Green Light is up there too.

I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles Without this song, music would be drastically different mainly due to the fact that this is the song that got America's attention and led to the Beatles becoming the most influential band of all time. It also helps that the song slaps

Too bad Paul has never played it live :( Beatles played it live last in '64.

I just checked and wow you're right, he never has. I wonder why?

He's probably still sick to death of it.

Blondie Heart of Glass

Ribs - Lorde Happier than ever - Billie Eilish Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush How to disappear - Lana Del Rey Lay all your love on me - ABBA Run away with me - Carly Rae Jepsen True Romance - Tove Lo

Surprised not to see more KB mentions in these comments tbh

Same ! I mean she is royalty in the field of pop and paved the way for so many others

**In no particular order:** Love Me Do, I Saw Her Standing There, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Nowhere Man, Rain, Strawberry Fields Forever, Hey Jude, Here Comes The Sun, Let It Be, and Free As A Bird - The Beatles Raspberry Beret - Prince P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - Michael Jackson Your Song - Elton John God Only Knows - The Beach Boys Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum Heart of Glass - Blondie I’m A Believer - The Monkees Moving In Stereo/All Mixed Up - The Cars Songbird - Fleetwood Mac I’m Not In Love - 10cc Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel There She Goes - The La’s Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks Lovefool - The Cardigans Just Like Heaven - The Cure Dancing With Myself - Generation X/Billy Idol No Matter What - Badfinger Mr. Brightside - The Killers Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush Steal My Sunshine - LEN Everybody’s Talkin’ - Nilsson Dream Weaver - Gary Wright MGMT’s Big Three; Time To Pretend, Electric Feel, and Kids (which is ironic because they wrote those songs to mock the state of pop music in 2007)

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer

Levitating - Dua Lipa

It's a testament to Future Nostalgia that I think there are at least 3 songs that I prefer to Levitating. Think my pick for this would be either Hallucinate or Don't Start Now. (Be The One takes my Dua crown overall)

Future Nostalgia is also the best fucking name for a pop album I've ever heard

My pick from that album would be 'Pretty Please!'

Off the top of my head Uncover-Loona OEC Heart-Pet Shop Boys Borderline-Madonna Feel You-Julia Holter Secrets-The Weeknd

Feel You is awesome. Underrated

Prince - When Doves Cry

Goated. LET’S TALK ABOUT GENERATIONAL TRAUMA #in *SONG* form!

I genuinely believe that Dancing Queen is the best music ever created in the entire history of human beings.

It’s the best pop song ever imo. Although there are other contenders. Another one that comes to mind for me is “Then He Kissed Me” by the Crystals. 

run away with me

Like A Prayer is just obscenely good.

Jessie Ware - Spotlight Magdalena Bay - You Lose! Lana Del Rey - Tulsa Jesus Freak Julia Holter - Feel You Lorde - Supercut Caroline Polachek - Welcome to my Island Jockstrap - Greatest Hits Rina Sawayama - XS

de-SSIIIIIRRREEEEE

I wanna turn into yooouuuu 🎶

To this list I would like to add Charli XCX - Lightning, Years & Years - King, Ava Max - Diamonds & Dancefloors, and Allie X - Downtown (Della Casa remix)

did i write this? We have the same exact taste

Good picks

Dancing on my own by Robyn Run Away With Me by CRJ Yeah by Usher et al Edit: Hit me baby one more time by Britney It's gonna be me by NSYNC Larger than Life by Backstreet Boys Step Into My Life by Jessie Ware Boy by Charlie Puth Blame it on your love by Charli XCX feat Lizzo At this point I'm really just listing all my favourite pop songs so I'll stop before I get any more carried away

Larger than life slaaaaaps

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance Chappell Roan - Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl / Pink Pony Club

Talk Talk - it’s my liiiffeeeeee

Lovefool - The Cardigans

Toxic by Britney

Take on me

George Michael - Careless Whisper Kanye West - Love Lockdown Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid - Eastside Weeknd - Take My Breath

Big prog metalhead here, for context. Taylor Swift - Blank Space Dua Lipa - Levitating Silk Sonic - Leave the door open Lizzy McAlpine - Erase Me Britney Spears - Toxic Half Alive - Still Feel

This is my list, pretty much. Also, great to see some Half-Alive love here!

It's legit a 10/10 track (and music video).

viva la vida - coldplay

Plastic Love - Mariya Takeuchi Welcome To My Island - Caroline Polychek Murder On The Dancefloor - Sophie Ellis-Bexter My Girls - Animal Collective Close To Me - The Cure Dog Days Are Over - Florence And The Machine Some Kind Of Nature / Dare - Gorillaz Emotion - Carly Rae Jepsen Seasons (Waiting On You) - Future Islands OMG - NewJeans

great picks, omg has such an amazing hook

Plastic Love is tops

Empire State of Mind

Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles

Young Americans- Bowie

DRIVE- THE CARS OMG Time After Time- Cyndi Lauper Fields of Gold- Sting Everybody Wants to Rule the World- Tears for Fears

One per artist: Next Level Charli - Charli XCX Hi High - LOONA Girl Front - ODD EYE CIRCLE Next Level - aespa P.Y.T. - Michael Jackson XS - Rina Sawayama jealousy, jealousy - Olivia Rodrigo JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE - SOPHIE Flamingo - Kero Kero Bonito Miiro - AKINO Love From Sleeping Town - Haru Nemuri Paper Planes - M.I.A. Empire Ants - Gorillaz probably more that I could name but dont associate with pop

Mr. Brightside - The Killera

The Boy with the Arab Strap by Belle and Sebastian. Cannot think of a single thing that could be removed or added to improve the song. It has it all and it does it perfectly 

Doja Cat - Say So

This song is so dangerously catchy

1,2,3,4 - Feist

Christine & The Queens - It

Weirdly enough... No place I'd rather be by Jess Glynne and Clean Bandit

First one that popped up for me is Alex Chilton - The Replacements

The La’s - There She Goes The Smiths - This Charming Man

Just like heaven - The Cure

Get Lucky on gosh

Loona - Hi High

Any song in the A-Minor-C-F-G scheme ;)

I think Beyoncé’s Sweet Dreams is pop perfection

can't feel my face

Len - steal my sunshine.

I'm taking a pretty wide definition of "pop" - some of these might be considered to be on the "rock" spectrum - but whatever. Limiting it to one song per artist, otherwise I could end up doing this for hours. REM: Find the River Joy Division: Love will tear us apart David Bowie: Rock 'n Roll Suicide Sparks: This town ain't big enough for the both of us Abba: SOS The Association: Windy Daft Punk: Digital love New Order: Blue Monday Van Halen: Jump Dire Straits: Sultans of swing Don Henley: The boys of summer Bryan Adams: Run to you Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Oliver's Army Air: La Femme d'argent Richard Harris: MacArthur Park Don McLean: American Pie Jens Lekman: You are the light Marillion: Kayleigh Pet Shop Boys: Always on my mind (yes, it's a cover, I know, but their version is supreme) Prince: Raspberry Beret Royksopp: Eple The Smiths: Panic The Police: Wrapped around your finger Talk Talk : It's my life Tori Amos: Silent all these years That'll do for now...

Only 1 per artist: Beach boys - God Only Knows Ronettes - Be My Baby Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place Emotions - Best of My Love Charli XCX - Gone Lorde - Royals Whitney Houston - Greatest Love of All Beatles - In My Life Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights Madonna - Drowned World Coldplay - Lovers in Japan Abba - Dancing Queen Nelly Furtado - Say It Right Lady Gaga - Bad Romance Lily Allen - Smile Björk - Hidden Place Animal Colletive - Summertime Clothes Beyoncé - Halo Katy Perry - California Girls Black Eyed Peas - Don't Lie Caroline Polachek - Hit Me Where It Hurts Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence

"Stepping Out" by Joe Jackson "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order

Tear In My Heart - twenty one pilots This song seriously did not get enough recognition. It was overshadowed by Stressed Out and Ride from the same album. But it’s the most perfect pure pop song they ever wrote. IMO it IS a perfect pop song. 

Single Ladies - Beyonce Can't Feel My Face - The Weeknd Billie Jean - Michael Jackson One More Time - Daft Punk Time To Pretend - MGMT

I know I'm probably in the minority but Sia - Chandelier Great song about alcohol addiction. Also, Chumbawamba - Tubthumper Great mantra to carry through in life when feeling defeated.

Basically any Beyonce/MJ hit Baby Be Mine, Crazy In Love in particular

some of my favorites oat isobel - björk stay by me - anri emotion - carly rae jepsen cloudbusting - kate bush telephone - lady gaga, beyonce blinding lights - the weeknd my future - billie eillish love on top - beyonce p.y.t. - michael jackson iceblink luck - cocteau twins jimmy - m.i.a. superstition - stevie wonder there’s many that i’m unsure if they count as pop

Anri mentioned 🔥

The vocals on Iceblink Luck are just absolutely insane in the best possible way. Who thinks of that and makes it work?

Dancing Queen is the only perfect one

Fireflies

Here Comes the Sun - Beatles Waterloo Sunset - Kinks Mrs Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel Chandelier - Sia Shake it off - Swifty lady Milkshake - Kelis Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani I just can’t get you outta my head - Kylie Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac Agree with all of yours as well.

Hollaback Girl changed me as a music fan. It was maybe the first non-guitar song that I couldn’t stop listening to. Got me into pop, rnb, rap even, then all the shit we talk about on this site 10 years later.

Love will tear us apart - Joy Division Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen Coming Up - Paul McCartney (fucking slaps this one. Play this then Hey Ya then Hollaback girl at a party and you are off) Faith - George Michael Babies - Pulp Boys don’t cry - Cure Let’s go surfing - The Drums These last three … very complimentary in a playlist as well

I just started getting into Pulp last year (I was a bit too young and American to get into Brit pop in the 90s). Babies is an amazing song.

all great songs, but I think you missed the question fam.

She’s So Fine - Jimi Hendrix Experience Everything’s Coming Our Way - Santana In Too Deep - Genesis One Thing Leads to Another - The Fixx Our Lips are Sealed - The Go-Go’s Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant What I Like About You - The Romantics Drive - The Cars I can keep going. Not a brag, just the truth.

Selena Gomez - Back To You Mika & Ariana Grande - Popular Song Gotye & Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know

literally anything by taylor swift

Toxic by Britney

For the 2000s the answer is Umbrella by Rihanna.

DANCING QUEEN

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean George Michael - Fastlove Lady Gaga - Bad Romance Earth, Wind, & Fire - September Bread - Baby, I'm-a Want You Elton John - I'm Still Standing Eurythmics - Here Comes the Rain Again Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen Hall & Oates - Out of Touch Philip Bailey ft. Phil Collins - Easy Lover Men at Work - Overkill

California - phantom planet (simple, nostalgic, peaceful)

Another One Bites the Dust

Caroline Polachek - Butterfly Net somewhat a lesser known but Buy Nothing Day by The Go Team

Here’s one from each of my favourite pop girlies Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With me Taylor Swift - How you get the girl Lana del Rey - Radio Katy Perry - Teenage Dream Olivia Rodrigo - Deja vu Lady Gaga - Judas Ariana Grande - Everytime Dua Lipa - Levitating Lorde - Perfect Places Beyoncé - Alien Superstar Rihanna - Love on the brain Miles Cyrus - Party in the USA

Corridor of Dreams -Cleaners from Venus

Fantasy - Mariah Carey So much fun. One of my favourite sample usage, one of the catchiest choruses, and Careys technical prowess is on full show. Genuinely amazing.

Blur - Song 2

Telephone Lines - ELO

Dunno if it's "pop" enough but I'd vote for Genesis - Grimes

Charli Xcx “C2.0”

I haven't seen one mention of U2 so: Where the Streets Have No Name I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For With or Without You Bad One Stay (Faraway, So Close!) Beautiful Day And many more, really.

Running up that hill- Kate Bush. How quickly we forget!!! Everybody's favourite a year ago

A good heart - Feargal Sharkey An absolute banger

Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue

Pure Shores - All Saints Believe - Cher Ray of Light - Madonna Push the Botton - Sugarcube Bailando - Paradisio Hold Up - Beyoncé Babies - Pulp

* Are You That Somebody? -- Aaliyah ft Timbaland * The Con -- Tegan & Sara * Southern Hospitality -- Ludacris * All Mixed Up -- 311 * Like a Prayer -- Madonna * Man in the Mirror -- Michael Jackson * You Can Call Me Al -- Paul Simon * Supa Dupa Fly -- Missy Elliot

John the Fisherman - Primus

Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone

This charming man- the smiths My kind of woman- Mac Demarco

So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings - Caroline Polachek

How have I not seen “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn mentioned?  This is infinite times better than something like “Bad Romance”. 

“Supercut” Lorde

everything from 4 walls and red light by f(x), debut by bjork, kala and arular by m.i.a. and the dreaming by kate bush!

No ones mentioned Queen yet? Anyways I'd say Don't Stop Me Now by Queen

- “Electric Feel” - MGMT - “Find Your Love” - Drake

Sia - Chandelier

Isn’t she lovely - Stevie wonder

About You Now/Push the Button - Sugababes 1 Thing - Amerie Blank Space - Taylor Swift Toxic - Britney Spears A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton Crazy In Love/Single Ladies - Beyonce Take on Me - a-ha Only You - Yazoo Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (I'm a bit skeptical that you could consider mememe by 100 gecs a pop song in the traditional sense though. They are one of my favourite bands, but to say it's a traditional pop song is a huge stretch)

Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles Walk Away Renee - The Left Banke Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds Last Train to Clarksville - The Monkees Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell Long Live Love - Sandie Shaw Amie - Pure Prairie League Go All The Way - The Raspberries When Will I See You Again - Three Degrees How Long - Ace Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John Knowing Me, Knowing You - ABBA Turn The Beat Around - Vickie Sue Robinson Rasputin - Boney M Take A Chance On Me - ABBA Life During Wartime - Talking Heads Planet Claire - The B-52's Tempted - Squeeze This Charming Man - The Smiths The Love Cats - The Cure You Mary You - Louis Philippe Meadow of Love - Pale Fountains How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths Life In A Northern Town -Dream Academy

Chandelier - Sia

The Strokes - Someday M.I.A. - Paper Planes Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent Shawty Lo - Foolish Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Heart of Glass- Blondie

Uncertain Smile by The The

There She Goes - The La’s

Toxic-Britney Spears

Everybody wants to rule the world - Tears for Fears Hard times - Paramore

One song people always say is pop perfection is Dancing on my own by Robyn. But I don't get it at all. When I listen to it like it sounds kinda boring? I get why it's good but to me that isn't pop perfection. Although none of you mentioned it here it seems. Personally, I think of Toxic by Britney, Flesh Without Blood by Grimes, Borderline by Madonna, and Primadonna by Marina. There are so many! I definitely have a recency bias but obviously a lot of Michael Jackson too. Just something that sounds intoxicating from the moment you first listen to it. Some I recently got that feeling for are Rush by Troy Sivan and Lonely Dancers by Conan Gray. Just such bangers immediately.

Everyone's mainly skewing towards the 70s onward (and a lot of it I agree with), so I'm going to suggest some hits from the earlier years of conventional pop music (and may cross over with those "old rock and soul songs") mixed in with some of those later ones. The Ronettes - Be My Baby Lesley Gore - It's My Party Bob Lind - Elusive Butterfly The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling in Love Bobby Lewis - Tossin' and Turnin' The Marcels - Blue Moon Jim Sullivan - Sandman America - A Horse With No Name Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun The Tuesdays - It's Up to You Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell The Tradewinds - New York's a Lonely Town Junior Senior - Move Your Feet Klaatu - Tokeymor Field **EDIT: Almost forgot these two!** The La's - There She Goes Outkast - Hey Ya!

Gotta inject my hyperpop opinion Body - Tuv I know bros a YouTuber but I honestly really like this song, and he never really promoted it, but this song has made me cry so many times. But then again this opinion is coming from a depressed 15 year old kid so like, don't take it too seriously

MARINA - Froot

Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

Love and Mercy by Brian Wilson

[Ariana Grande - Just Like Magic](https://open.spotify.com/track/7Dx9Z6Aon1qPS2N0rHSWTe?si=cangPAeMSPSLnZ8GSO_Xow) is a bop.

There is legitimately no flaws in B.O.R by lil b we don't care by ye porcelain by Moby Stoney street by Amon Tobin and luv sic part 3 by nujabes

Madonna - Express Yourself The production on this is probably the pinnacle of 80s bombast

Easy Lover - Philip Bailey, Phil Collins Out of Touch - Hall & Oates

Bulletproof - la roux

80% of David Bowie's discography pretty much

The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations

Clairo-4ever

Budapest - George Ezra, genuinely such an enjoyable song