Power Pop: Not just an under-appreciated music genre, but the style that made up much of our college radio playlists. In the 1970s it was Big Star who pioneered the sound by combining the melody and harmony of the Beatles with the immediacy of The Who. Cheap Trick was perhaps its best proponent in the next decade, the 1980s. The below bands, most notably the Posies and Teenage Fanclub, all took a swing at the genre during its next decade, perhaps its best. Here now, some of our favorite power pop tracks from the long lost 1990s.

Best Kissers in the World – “Dead Have Everything” (1993)
A rare track from the band’s never-released LP “Yellow Brick Roadkill.”

Bracket – “Dodge Ball” (1994)
Long before Ben Stiller brought the sport to the pop culture forefront, these guys were all over the grade school pastime.

The Connells – “Slackjawed” (1993)
Don’t you just want to pinch this song’s cheeks?

Fountains of Wayne – “Sink to the Bottom” (1996)
Stacy’s mom may have had it going on in the 2000s, but it was someone else who had it going on in the 1990s: you!

Goo Goo Dolls – “Cuz You’re Gone” (1993)
The Goo Goo Dolls made a couple of first class power pop records before becoming the go-to band for cheeseball movie theme power ballads.

Green Day – “2000 Light Years Away” (1991)
More punk than pop for sure, Green Day’s first few records none the less combined elements of both genres.

Lemonheads – “It’s A Shame About Ray” (1993)
“It’s a Shame About Ray” and “Come on Feel The Lemonheads,” two of the band’s LPs from the early ’90s, are near perfect examples of the genre.

Marvelous 3 – “Freak of the Week” (1998)
When his band struck out commercially, their leader Butch Walker made records for Avril, and you can almost hear her singing this one.

Muffs – “Sad Tomorrow” (1995)
Kim Shattuck is the proto-Brody Dalle.

Overwhelming Colorfast – “Arrows” (1992)
Criminally-underrated Northern California band who’s first album was produced by Butch Vig.

Posies – “Golden Blunders” (1990)
Redd Kross – “Annie’s Gone” (1990)
Two of the quintessential early ’90s progenitors.

Soul Asylum – “Somebody To Shove” (1992)
Have you forgotten how great this song is?

Sugar – “Helpless” (1992)
Bob Mould’s first record from his first non-solo release post-Husker Du was a motherfucker.

Teenage Fanclub – “Star Sign”
No list of ’90s power pop is complete with a tune from Teenage Fanclub.

Hey, where’s Matthew Sweet?

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