I think "September Gurls" may be the most perfect pop I can think of. Well, that and "Good Vibrations."

I think "September Gurls" may be the most perfect pop I can think of.

I was thinking the same thing. I like the Bangles version a tad better than Big Star, though.

I prefer "Don't Worry Baby" to "Good Vibrations".

Fountains of Wayne, Welcome Interstate Managers. I had just moved to the Pioneer Valley (Western Mass.), and this was the soundtrack of late summer. I particularly associate it with the crazy period of two or three weeks when my housemate and I were staying with my mother in a tiny apartment she was housesitting for the summer, between having to move out of our apartment and being able to move into our new place. I guess that sounds kind of dull, but it's very evocative of a kind of heady, freewheeling time for me. The weather was unrelentingly hot and muggy; we spent most of our time eating takeout from the excellent barbeque place a short walk into town and watching movies; we didn't know when we'd be able to move into our own place. It was like a vacation in the middle of our real lives.

I prefer "Don't Worry Baby" to "Good Vibrations".

I prefer "God Only Knows" to both of them. But they're all good examples of what we're talking about.

I like the Bangles version a tad better than Big Star, though.

I prefer Mandy Moore's version of "Senses Working Overtime" to XTC's. I don't know why.

The Decsendants always takes me back to High School. Probably around 10th grade.

Simple Minds takes me back to 9th grade.

Simply Red - Picture Book, that album takes me to the drama class in High School.

I prefer Mandy Moore's version of "Senses Working Overtime" to XTC's.

Heh. And I prefer Mandy Moore's version of "God Only Knows" to the Beach Boys'. t /heretic

More Perfect Pop: "Mendocino" by the Sir Douglas Quintet.

This song reminds me of our 2003 California vacation, where Susan finally had an In-N-Out burger and we both first visited the Bay Area and drove up the NoCal coast.

High school (1985-1989): lotsa showtunes, actually -- particularly Brigadoon, the soundtrack to Beaches, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables; Violent Femmes for driving around after getting my license, the Rave-Ups, Nik Kershaw, lots and lots of Sting, Prince (mostly Purple Rain), everything INXS ever recorded, Simple Minds, U2, the Beatles, Talking Heads, and a lotta jazz....man, this is serious PTSD here.

College (1989-1993): Milli Vanilli (shut up), TMBG (specifically Flood), REM....man, if WOXY played it, we listened to it; Sinead O'Connor, Squeeze, Stone Roses, Cocteau Twins, Elvis Costello in every possible permutation, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Jane's Addiction, the Cure, 10,000 Maniacs, for some reason the Grateful Dead, Harry Connick Jr., Lyle Lovett, Lou Reed, Peter Murphy, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Midnight Oil, Robyn Hitchcock, the Housemartins, Paul Simon, the Sundays, Cowboy Junkies....

You know, I had a much much broader musical palette 15 years ago than I do now. That's sad.

Wow, crazy Mandy Moore love.

Oh well, I prefer The Records cover of "Darling."

Beach Boys songs that make me singalong: "Farmer's Daughter" (again, there's a great cover by Double Date which was Peter Holsapple, Susan Cowsill and Vicki Peterson from the Bangles); "Let Him Run Wild" (which we've discussed here before); "Don't Worry Baby," and "Hang On To Your Ego." (aka, "I Know There's An Answer").

Favorite Archies Song: "Jingle Jangle" - pure pop bliss. Toni Wine's best vocal.

Favorite Abba: "Dancing Queen" - probably for the association of it with Gary and Dancer!Nicole's wedding. "Knowing Me Knowing You" might be their best song though. "Waterloo" gets me bouncy.

Favorite Beatles Pop: "And Your Bird Can Sing," "It Won't Be Long," "8 Days A Week," "Daytripper."

Motown Pop: "My Girl," "Hitch Hike" - Marvin Gaye; "You Can't Hurry Love."

New Wave Days: "Is She Really Going Out With Him" - Joe Jackson, (also "I'm the Man" by Joe), "I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass" - Nick Lowe, "I've Got Your Number (Written On The Back Of My Hand)" - The Jags, "Whole Wide World" - Wreckless Eric, "Another Girl Another Planet" - The Only Ones, "This Town" - The GoGos.

Power Pop: "Survival Car" - Fountains of Wayne; "Baby's Coming Back" - Jellyfish"; "Surrender" - Cheap Trick; "Beach State Rocking" - Game Theory; "Bittersweet" - Hoodoo Gurus; "There She Goes" - The Las...and so many more.

Jackson Pop: "Together Again" - Janet; "I Want To Rock With You" - Michael.

Unlikely Pop: "Here Comes Your Man" - Pixies; "There She Goes" - Velvet Underground.