Yeah, they made great pop songs in those days.
But then again, every now and then I hear great pop songs from this era as well. 
I pulled out Dire Straights “Love over Gold” the other day. I had to put it on after reading your post. What an awesome CD. 
Yeah, that was a killer set of tunes … Telegraph Road can still give me shivers.
Al Stewart - Year of the Cat and Time Passages
Little River band did a couple of good albums in the same time frame.
I’ve never been much for “light rock”, but some of the previously mentioned stuff in this thread actually goes a hair beyond the basic pop rock formula. There are odd meter breaks, counter point, use of simple but effective poly rhythms. In other words, the songs seem simple until you try to play them and you notice those little things …
Great tune!!!
I spent so much time over my life checking out new stuff, I neglected my classic favourites. So over the last year or so I’ve been collecting those classic tunes that were the backdrop to my earlier life and will always remain the favourites.
Good thread, Steve
I suppose that ultimately the Beatles are my main influence, too. And I agree – great tunes in the 70’s and 80’s; still some today but I think it’s diminishing… not sure whether the times have outreached my tastes, or the music has actually gotten worse.
Like you alluded to, I think the most important component of a popular music (Rock, Pop, Metal, Folk, Country, etc.) is in fact the melody. This doesn’t necessarily mean “pretty” melody… it’s actually a bit hard to define, but like pornography, you know it when you see it. The Beatles of course were MASTERS at melody… plus, they could rock. But even the hard Rock of days gone by was more melodically pleasing than today – the Who rocked hard, but is there a more melodically pleasing record – Rock or Pop – than “Who’s Next?”
In contrast, a newer band like Radiohead – largely regarded as today’s Beatles – are decidedly NOT melodic. SOME of their tunes are, but most – and I have every radiohead album they ever put out – are about rhythm, texture, challenging expectation, atmospherics. And they’re a great band, IMO.
BTW – do you have satellite radio? I almost always have it set to channel 7 – “The Seventies on Seven” – fun hearing tune after great tune that I had largely forgotten
And how many bands have I heard that said about over the years I wonder?
Locally I recall Split Enz being referred to as ‘today’s Beatles’ back in the 80’s and then later the same thing was said about Crowded House. Interestingly Neil Finn is the common factor in both those bands and Paul McCartney himself was once quoted as saying Neil was his favourite songwriter.
There’s no doubt that the 70’s was my most influential decade. Meanwhile a couple of friends of mine who are a bit older ( 5 - 8 yrs) were more into the 60’s. I think it largely has something to do with the years you spent as a teenager.
I think the 70s will be hard to beat for the explosion of genres … But, most of the styles were direct line extensions of their 60’s roots. Just like the 60 expansion of soloing and song structure was a direct extension of the heavy melody/harmony approaches of the 50s.
The thing that I don’t see anymore is progression of musical structure. I seriously think the late 70’s to early 80’s is the last time a real different musical change occurred. Rap, HipHop, Alt and the 90 million forms of dance/electro are all derivatives not expansions. My opinion of course. It’s not that any of it is “bad”. It just isn’t different.
I will say this though. I’ve seen an astounding number of AMAZING young musicians over the last few years. Hopefully, the artistic will catch up with the technical at some point and another cross over style of music will become popular where the artists can actually play and not just look good in a tight sweater.
Name one, please.
Great topic, and very close to my heart, and ear.
My older brother left me with a collection of old jazz and big band LPs which was my first exposure to “music”. Count Basie and Duke Ellington to Glen Miller - In the Mood and Moonlight Serenade.
My list of unforgettable and influencial songs and artists:
Count Basie - everything
Duke Ellington – everything
Glen Miller – In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade
Gene Pitney – Town Without Pity
Dion and the Belmonts – the Wanderer, Ruby Baby
The Ronettes (Phil Spector) – Be My Baby
The Beatles – I Wanna Hold Your Hand
The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction
Animals
The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City
Sonny and Cher – I Got You Babe
Donovan/Dylan/Byrds – Tambourine Man
Cream
Simon and Garfunkle
Roy Orbison-Neil Young-America-Moody Blues-Pink Floyd
Harry Nilsson
David Bowie
Mott the Hoople
ELO-Supertramp
Talking Heads-Cyndi Lauper-Willie Nelson
I have left out some due to recall.
Would we be remembering Mr Rafferty if there’d been no sax solo in Baker Street?
Respect to him but my thoughts are more with Mick Karn who played his part in making good, ‘listenable’ songs which also changed the way we listen to music rather than simply reinforcing old patterns.
Er, well, right – it’s the same syndrome as how they pronounce somebody as the “new Dylan” every few years. It’s usually the kiss of death for their careers.
Unless of course Dylan himself turns round and pronounces one of these artists as his personal favourite…
and the Beatles were largely regarded as “todays”-
Don Kirshner
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller-Phil Spector-Howie Greenfield and Neil Sedaka-Carole King and Gerry Goffin-Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil-Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry-Holland, Dozier and Holland ???
Since I am a fairly big Dylan fan and follow his career and own almost all his recordings (except the crummy ones he did in the 80’s) I’m pretty sure that never happened. It wasn’t until recently that Dylan opened up and discussed his favorite songwriters, and they were all long-established guys like Jimmy Buffet and John Prine. Although… he has always been public about his admiration of Elvis 
I must admit to finding the Beatles so, Yesterday…
I’ll get my coat
Well… where do I begin?
It’s all a matter of taste of course, but for instance I like the songs of John Mayer.
‘Need You Know’ form Lady Antebellum is a good pop song IMO.
I also like the songs of Cee Lo Green (have a listen to ‘I Want You’).
And many, many more…
Will these songs stand the test of time?
I don’t know, time will tell…
Yep, same here!
Agreed!
Yeah, I really like John Mayer’s “Heart Break Warfare”
.…but I still…haven’t found…what I’m looking for…