# The Essential Music Library: Pop **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041 "2005-11-21T05:25:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/1 "2005-11-21T05:25:08Z")
The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what’s out there. This thread’s topic is pop. Anything ever recorded is fair game–don’t just stick to the Beatles and on. Previous threads: [Project Planning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335665) | [Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336834) | [Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337956) | [Jazz](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339051) | [Modern Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340081) | [Blues](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341203) | [Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342310) | [Opera/Choral Music](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343551) | [Rap/Hip-Hop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344056) | [Gospel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344690) | [Electronica](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345226) | [Contemporary Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345831) ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/2 "2005-11-21T05:42:12Z")
How about Prince? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/3 "2005-11-21T06:05:04Z")
_Hot August Night_ - **Neil Diamond** _Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack_ - **BeeGees and others** _What’s Going On_ - **Marvin Gaye** _Goodbye Yellow Brick Road_ - **Elton John** _My Name Is Barbra_ - **Barbra Streisand** By the way, I absolutely _loathe_ two of the albums listed above. But they are essential to a complete collection. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/4 "2005-11-21T06:33:03Z")
**Silenus** , which two? I just got What’s Going On yesterday and would have added it, but I wasn’t sure if it belonged. It’s a great album though. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/5 "2005-11-21T06:39:21Z")
**Thriller** and **Off the Wall** by Michael Jackson should absolutely be at the top of this list. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/6 "2005-11-21T07:04:13Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > **Silenus** , which two? > > I just got What’s Going On yesterday and would have added it, but I wasn’t sure if it belonged. It’s a great album though. Personal taste only, mind you. _Saturday Night Fever_ and _My Name Is…_ Just not to my taste in music, but I recognize the place in musical history each holds, and acknowledge the professionalism of the artists involved. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/7 "2005-11-21T07:29:41Z")
The thing is - what is pop? There’s good pop by good artists (Squeeze - Tempted), and there’s good pop by One Hit Wonders (Edison Lighthouse, Lipps Inc.) Finding solid Pop albums is very very hard, as many of the very best songs are from OHW. Anyway, for very good Pop Albums, I nominate (and I’ll have to include some Greatest Hits compilations, as including the original albums would add too much dreck): Blondie - Parallel Lines Prince - 1999 Bee Gees - [Their Greatest Hits: The Record](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ie3zefik2gf2) ABBA - The singles: The first Ten Years The beach Boys - there are too many compilations, pick a good’un. Carpenters - [The Singles](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:aq17gjvr86ix) Phil Spector - [Back to Mono](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ta9gs33ba3pg) The Supremes must have a place here, but there are too many crappy compilations - make your own. Frank Sinatra - Come fly with me Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swinging Lovers (or good compilations from the Capitol years and the Reprise years, there are excellent, but pricey box sets out.) Have to get to work - will come up with more. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/8 "2005-11-21T08:27:47Z")
Every woman I’ve ever known has worn out at least two copies of Carole King’s **Tapestry**. I tend to dislike “pop” music, but I think you have to include something by **Genesis** , **Fleetwood Mac** (Rumours, maybe?) and **Sting**. Off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/9 "2005-11-21T09:19:11Z")
New Order - _The Best of New Order_ Stevie Wonder - _Songs in the Key of Life_ The Beatles - _The Beatles_ Madonna - _True Blue_ ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/10 "2005-11-21T11:12:44Z")
For the pure joy of “pop” and everything that much maligned term represents, there’s nothing better than a decent Dusty Springfield best-of. She was just superb and so cruelly underrated. mm ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/11 "2005-11-21T14:05:08Z")
**ABBA** –Thank You For the Music. The four volume set. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/12 "2005-11-21T16:01:32Z")
Constructing an “Essential Music Library” is a terrific project, but I’m disappointed with the way it’s been undertaken thus far, to the point where I’m reluctant to post any more recommendations until what I see as a fundamental organizational problem gets straightened out. Frankly, the way the OPer is only gradually unveiling his categories is steadily pissing me off. What I want to see is a list of forthcoming EML thread topics from the OPer before he solicits any more musical recommendations. A while back, I posted a crapload of early-80’s suggestions to the “Alternative Rock” thread, not realizing that a new thread for Post-Punk/New Wave would soon cover those same bases. Had I known that, I would have held off for the more appopriate rubric… I’m sure that as soon as I post a recommendation for, say, Blur’s **Parklife** , there’ll be the announcement of a new Essential Music Library thread on “Brit-Pop”. :rolleyes: :mad: And while I’m on a tear, it’s worth mentioning that the term “Pop” is ridiculously over-broad – so much so that it signifies _nothing_ in a precise historical context. “Pop” encompasses everything from 60’s girl bands (like The Chiffons) to the Japanese girl bands of the 90’s (like Shonen Knife), to just cite the range and extent of the international “girl band” phenomenon. A lot of what’s already been suggested as “pop” could more narrowly be classifiable as 70’s Singer-Songwriters, Classic Soul, Post-Motown R&B, etc. So, how about it? Are you going to show us your cards now, or are you going to continue to let us fall over our own feet guesstimating the eventual parameters of your precious music categories? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/13 "2005-11-21T16:15:48Z")
The categories have always been listed in the project planning thread. If you want to know what’s going on with the project, you could read that. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/14 "2005-11-21T17:48:12Z")
A few albums over a range of decades: Beatles, Revolver Nick Lowe, Basher Michael Jackson, Thriller Britney Spears, Greatest Hits Something from the Carpenters belongs here, but I don’t know what. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/15 "2005-11-21T18:11:40Z")
Where’s David Bowie? His early 70s albums seem to be regarded as massively influential on subsequent pop music; Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust etc. He’s one of the architects, maybe you have already got him covered him in an earlier rock category? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/16 "2005-11-21T18:14:24Z")
Green Day - _Dookie_ No Doubt - _Tragic Kingdom_ \*NSYNC - _No Strings Attached_ ELO - _The Essential Electric Light Orchestra_ Chicago - _The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning_ ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/17 "2005-11-21T19:20:52Z")
Don’t know if it’s Pop or Rock, but I’m partial to **Bloc Party** ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/18 "2005-11-21T19:54:22Z")
> [@Myler Keogh](#): > > Where’s David Bowie? His early 70s albums seem to be regarded as massively influential on subsequent pop music; Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust etc. He’s one of the architects, maybe you have already got him covered him in an earlier rock category? Yep, he’s in rock. “Pop” is such a nebulous, all-encompassing term that there’s bound to be substantial overlap between this and some of the other genres (such as rock). An attempt to define “pop” or its precise relationship to “rock” would probably derail this thread (plus I think it’s been discussed before around these parts). I’ll just suggest to anyone planning to post here that, if anything clearly and obviously belongs in one of the other “Essential Music Library” threads, it not be mentioned here too. And if **ultrafilter** or someone else is feeling really ambitious, they could go back later and sort through all these threads and maybe move some around so that all the suggestions appear in the thread in which they most belong. I can think of nothing to add right now, but I endorse many of the selections already mentioned. I notice there are a lot of compilations listed, which makes sense, since pop in general is more oriented towards singles than albums. I hope some people who know what they’re talking about will come along and make sure the first half of the 20th century is adequately represented. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/19 "2005-11-21T21:37:11Z")
Billy Joel - _The Stranger_, _River of Dreams_, and pretty much his entire library. (I see Billy already was mentioned in the Rock thread, but he’s right in the mainstream of pop, while showing that ‘pop’ doesn’t have to mean ‘infantile.’) John Mellencamp - _Scarecrow_ and _The Lonesome Jubilee_ for starters. The Turtles - _Golden Hits_ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041/20 "2005-11-21T22:35:31Z")
_A New World Record_ & _Out of the Blue_ - The Electric Light Orchestra _The Singles 1969-1973_ - The Carpenters _Super Hits of the 70’s - Have a Nice Day_ Vol. 1-25 - Rhino Records [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-pop/332041.md?page=2)