The thing here is, that I would consider Belle and Sebastian to have much more “pop” talent than either Neutral Milk Hotel or The New Pornographers. I have not heard a band that could catch a tune like Belle and Sebastian in years. I am completely ignorant of Magnetic Fields though that won’t last for long thanks to you.
Being a fan doesn’t make that music essential. Without firmer evidence of a direct influence, your statement is pretty much impossible to argue against, but that doesn’t make it true.
Eeek. I almost shudder to pop (ha!) my head up in a thread with the likes of the afficianados on this board, but if you can stand a contribution from someone with less than sophisticated or learned taste, I just happened to be singing the praises of Oingo Boingo to someone mere hours ago. Sweet jeebus, the talent embodied by Danny Elfman (that goes so far beyond that band, though I think that in itsef could stand alone, IMHO)and company is truly an example of true musical craftsmanship. I’m not sure I know the terminology; the arrangements, the harmonies, the technical skill (?) Even I can see the fierce talent behind what is ususally perceived as a faddish 80’s group.
I’d also offer Queen as a band that truly had some incredible, genuine talent that surpassed most of the other popular bands in their time.
I am now feeling out of my element and shall slink off to look at kitten threads :smack:
Yeah, if Jeff Mangum was working in any specific idiom when he made the two Neutral Milk Hotel records, it was that of pyschedelic folk in the tradition of Syd Barrett, Kevin Coyne, Etc. moreso than “pop.” Not that those two NMH records aren’t great, but I don’t think of them when it’s time to discuss pop music.
As one of the aficionados, I wholly agree with both.
This is all good. Most of these are bands I haven’t listened to (or, in many cases, haven’t even heard of). I was an Oingo Boingo fan back in the day, and the Smiths are up there with the Cure as my favorite band of all time (I’ve never decided which I like better). I’m definitely going to bust out my I-Tunes and do some serious music sampling.
Yes, I’d definitely rank Queen up there with the best of them. All nearly virtuosi on their instruments (including Freddie’s voice), wonderful songwriters, awe-inspiring live performers, and they could play anything from hard rock to vaudeville to rockabilly to operatic ballads, and all points in between. I’ve liked Queen ever since I was a pre-teen, but only now I am really learning to appreciate their album tracks and realizing they are one of the finest bands of all time, regardless of genre.
Well, I don’t have the article with me - it may have been a Lester Bangs piece - but I do recall Lou saying he had been studying George Harrison’s guitar line for “Strawberry Fields Forever” and trying to figure it out, as well as stating how much he enjoyed the Beatles’s recent albums (this being around '67). Anyway, if you can’t see the influence The Beatles have had on damn near everyone who followed, or understand how it was essential to rock/pop as we’ve known it for the past 40 years, I guess no amount of evidence is going to persuade you. That doesn’t mean you personally have to enjoy them, BTW.
I feel almost like one of the dudes now. Thanks VC03 and Lou 
When talking about “pop” one shouldn’t overlook country music. I nominate Hank Williams and Willie Nelson, two composers whose best compositions transcended genre labels (Tony Bennet doing Hank Williams songs, for example.)
The Zombies were a lot more sophisticated than most of the British R&B bands of their era.
Then there are those musicians who aren’t at all pop, but for some reason by design or accident put out a song that gets traction in popular culture, such as Laurie Anderson
That’s a good point–I don’t turn up my nose at country music. In fact, I’m a fan of a lot of traditional music (Doc Watson, the Carter family, Bill Monroe, etc.).
Or Yes. Or Kraftwerk for that matter. But I don’t think this is what the OP was asking…
I’m-a go with Fountains of Wayne. Interesting but accessible arrangements, clever lyrics and irresistable hooks. I dig 'em.
I was going to come in to suggest the Zombies, especially for their seminal work, Odessey and Oracle, a perfect pop masterpiece. You can also throw in The Kinks there, for sure, and Big Star.
They’re kinda on the border of pop, but I think the sheer amount of work and studio time that by Tom Scholz that went into Boston’s albums shows some genius.
But then, I’m a fan.
Some artists performing popular music today that I’d consider ‘musical geniuses’:
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco
Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs
John Prine
A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers
Prince
Bruce Springsteen
Warren Zevon (well, he’s dead, but he’s made lots of recent music)
Beck
Paul Simon
Eminem
Ryan Adams
I know that a lot of folks don’t get the appeal, but I think Nirvana qualifies. Particularly on Nevermind, there was an overall sound that I’d call pop run through a DS1 distortion pedal. Kurt always said he was a fan of the Beatles, and that sensibility really came across in a lot of his tunes (instrumentally, especially.)
It doesn’t hurt that they actually cut a song called Verse, Chorus, Verse either.
Perhaps to an even greater degree I’d nominate Foo Fighters, probably because Grohl and Cobain shared a lot of the same influences. Although Nirvana’s my favorite band ever, I think Grohl is the more talented musician/vocalist. The Foos have always struck me as being sort of alterna-pop.
I also kinda dig on the crunch-pop of Green Day and Weezer, though I’m not sure I’d call them genius. They’re both very good at what they do, though.
I’d argue that Tom Waits is a musical genius, but what he does is definitely not pop by any definition.
No one ever names Mick Jagger on these lists, but his lyrics were better than The Beatles and he and Keith wrote tunes that could compare with anyone. And both Pete Townshend and Ray Davies merited their positions as the reminder of the top four of British pop.
I also agree that it’s impossible to leave Lennon-McCartney off this list. Whether you like their work or not you have to respect the fact that virtually every knowledgeable observer of pop music over the last nearly five decades have considered them to be geniuses. Not just Jagger, but Dylan and Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell and lots of their contemporaries were better than they were lyrically, but as creators of pop songs they are without peer.
I’d place Steely Dan second as the total package. The jazz aspect of their compositions make them more timeless than almost any of their contemporaries, although Dire Straits and Roxy Music also feel much less timebound than most 70s acts.
Bruce Cochburn is a singer/songwriter who is also a composer of fine music. His instrumentals are brilliant. Again there’s a jazz influence, such as a stunning duet with vibraphonist Gary Burton on the Clarity of Night album.
And I have to add in Van Morrison. He used jazz musicians instead of a rock band on the Astral Weeks and *Moondance * albums and created classics.