Suggestions
Suggestions
Power pop brings hard-rock guitar weight together with the melody and economy of classic pop. Early-1970s bands including the Raspberries, Big Star and Badfinger helped establish the style, while the late-1970s bands came up at the same moment as punk and were pulled into new wave, which had room for their short, catchy songs. Later generations carried the same hook-heavy approach into alternative rock.
Chicago trio Pet Symmetry have built their songs around power-pop anthems since 2013, apart from the heavier bands their members play in full time. Denver’s GOOEY COOKIE discuss a local power-pop blind spot around their debut EP. Bay Area trio Super Cassette released the single “Hurts, Don’t It?” independently in June 2025, sharper and more direct than the 1990s-leaning power pop they started from.