Category: Top Ten of 2024 Candidate

The Power Popaholic Top 25 albums of 2025 + More

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Power pop in 2025 sits in a strange place. While power pop encourages exploration, streaming platforms prioritize familiarity. When you go beyond algorithms and follow authors, labels, live performances, and reliable listeners, you discover the best tunes. The music is still driven by short hooks, crisp melodies, and emotional clarity, but the voices seem more expansive than before.

This list exists to point you toward new bands, overlooked records, and albums you missed while relying on algorithms. You will disagree with the order, and you should. If you find one new artist you love, the list did its job.

The audience is also constantly evolving. Songs that recreate the excitement they had decades ago are what devoted listeners crave. New listeners want energy without excess and lyrics that feel human. Power pop meets both needs by staying focused on craft. A great chorus still matters. And as always… strong melody still wins.

This year I actually had to cut more albums out off my list to keep it at 75, and I did not want to expand it to 100 this year (that may change next year.) Anything I did not directly review that is on my list (a few) I will highlight in the next 2 weeks as part of the “albums I missed.” Overall, more music has been flooding my inbox and “separating the wheat from the chaff” becomes more important each year.

  1. Sloan “Based on The Best Seller”
  2. The Gnomes “Introducing… The Gnomes”
  3. Joe Giddings “Stories With Guitars”
  4. The High Frequencies “The High Frequencies”
  5. The Grip Weeds “Soul Bender”
  6. Chris Lund “Surveillance”
  7. The Toxhards “Your Neighborhood”
  8. Sharp Pins “Balloon Balloon Balloon”
  9. The Wellingtons “Baby Moon”
  10. Ricky Byrd “NYC Made” 
  11. Nick Frater “Oh Contraire!”
  12. Iain Hornal “Return to the Magic Kingdom”
  13. The Lolas “Big Hits and Freak Disasters”
  14. Sorrows “Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow”
  15. Eureka Machines “Everything”
  16. The Bablers “Like The First Time”
  17. Greg Pope “The Roar of Silence”
  18. The Prize “In The Red”
  19. The Jellybricks “Dreaming in Stereo”
  20. Bird Streets “The Escape Artist”
  21. Cheap Trick “All Washed Up”
  22. Davey Lane “Finally, A Party Record”
  23. Cody Piper “Revealed”
  24. Silk Cut “Corridors of Light”
  25. Beauty “I’d Do Almost Anything For You”
  26. The Modbeats “Ballad of a Starving Artist”
  27. Benny J. Ward “SUPER!”
  28. Enuff Z’nuff  “Xtra Cherries”
  29. The Peppermint Kicks “Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum”
  30. The Honeydogs “Algebra for Broken Hearts”
  31. Eytan Mirsky “All Over the Map”
  32. Danny Ayala “Only Fools Love Again”
  33. The Goods “Don’t Spoil The Fun”
  34. Dom Mariani “Apple of Life”
  35. Humbug “Open Season”
  36. Ryan Allen “Livin’ On A Prayer On The Edge”
  37. 20/20 “Back to California”
  38. Small Yards “Small Yards”
  39. Willie Nile “The Great Yellow Light”
  40. Shake Some Action “Top Gear”
  41. Tom Henry “Songs to Sing and Dance To”
  42. Static Jacket “The Grape Lady Falls”
  43. Tristan Armstrong “The Lonely Avenue”
  44. Splitsville “Mobtown”
  45. The Webstirs “High Up In The Trees”
  46. The Nines “Echoes of Past Future”
  47. The Toms “Sound Bytes”
  48. The Minus Five “Oar On, Penelope!”
  49. Vanilla “Cookiewow”
  50. Icecream Hands “Giant Fox Pineapple Tree”
  51. Seth Timbs “Idle Hands”
  52. The Airport 77s “Don’t Let Go”
  53. Shortwaves “Mental Health in the Information Age”
  54. The Black Watch “For All the World”
  55. Dropkick “Primary Colours”
  56. Mary Strand “I Don’t Need Your Permission”
  57. Jim Trainor “Listening To Understand”
  58. Coke Belda “C8ke”
  59. The 1910 Chainsaw Company “Everything’s Better”
  60. Star Collector “Everything Must Go!”
  61. The Davenports “You Could’ve Just Said That”
  62. Fortitude Valley “Part Of The Problem, Baby”
  63. Chris Stamey “Anything Is Possible”
  64. Strange Neighbors “People Pleasers Pleasing People”
  65. Caper Clowns “Without A Safety Net”
  66. Tamar Berk “ocd”
  67. Ok Go “And the Adjacent Possible”
  68. The Campbell Apartment “(510)”
  69. The Dogmatics “Nowheresville”
  70. Vanity Mirror “Super Fluff Forever”
  71. Hidden Pictures “Well Hell”
  72. Rome 56 “Pony Tales”
  73. Glowbox “Bland Ambition”
  74. Them Elephants “Sugar”
  75. The Manic Standstill “Moving”

My favorite “Best of” compilations of 2025

Vegas with Randolph “Drops Of Gold: The Best of Vegas With Randolph”

Nelson Bragg “Mélodie de Nelson: A Pop Anthology”

Jeffrey Foskett “Something There – Remembering Jeffrey Foskett”

Brad Marino “On The Brink”

My favorite Tribute Albums

Various Artists “Play On: A Raspberries Tribute”

Various Artists “Second By Second By Minute By Minute: The Songs of Rick Springfield”

Michael Simmons “Fun Where You Can Find It”

The Well Wishers “Covered II”

IPO Vol. 25 and thoughts on David Bash’s Top 25 of 2024

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“Ed

Assorted Artists “International Pop Overthrow: Volume 25”

With a lot of personal issues getting in the way, and cleaning up my yearly music list, most of January is comparing and contrasting with other sources for good stuff I missed. New 2025 reviews after this post, I promise!  This year many artists from both our lists are included, but also bands you wouldn’t expect across Vol. 25’s three discs.

Disc One adds heavier pop rock gems like Armchair Oracles “Undertow” and Dixon’s “Into the Ocean,” along with more traditional power pop sounds like Dave Cope & the Sass “Precious Heart” and The Pozers “Ease Off My Heart.” You’ll always end up some odd tracks here and there, but quality is generally good. New artists I enjoyed include Curtis Suburban and Mark Malibu & the Wasagas.

Disc Two had more 60s-influenced elements starting with Fox Paloma’s “Madame Bay” and Captain Easychord’s “Happy Times.” But I really loved the mix here with great pop songs like Bruce Moody’s “I’m Gonna Tell Her Tonight” and the jaunty XTC-ish “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Stoke Barehills Town Band. Add in the heavy fast-tempo gem of Vegas With Randolph’s “N.S.A.” and you’ve got a great playlist. You even got a great Who-like Spanish tune by Jose Estragos.

Disc Three had more great tunes, and surprises like Michael Roberts “We Are Stars (In a Roundabout Way)” and 80’s power pop of Iron City Houserockers playing “Rock and Roll Heart.” The last disc had less I liked overall, but I enjoyed Matt Purcell and thick riffs of The Deep Drags. Overall highly recommended as always!

Amazon

David Bash of The International Pop Overthrow Festival and Mark Hershberger of Pop Detective Records

Watching Material Issues with David Bash of The International Pop Overthrow Festival and Mark Hershberger of Pop Detective Records, they reviewed David’s TOP 25 albums of 2024. Here are some comments I need to mention, as we had some overlaps. But more importantly, some great releases did not show up on my list that deserve a mention:

Sparkle*Jets U.K.”Box Of Letters”

Truly a great album that belongs in my top ten, but I mistakenly thought it was a cover album and miscatagorized it. It deserves much more attention as it is a successful reunion of the band sounding better than ever, and with multiple listens it improves. Don’t hesitate to pick this gem up. Review here. Buy it on Amazon.

Telejet “Spiritual Age”

While this was number one on Dave’s list, a few things knocked it off my list for 2024. Firstly, its a remaster of music from 2004, so it’s not “new.” In addition, the remaster was officially released in 2023. That said, it is an excellent album and deserves to be in every power pop fan’s collection. Review here. Buy it on Amazon.


Armchair Oracles “Nothingeveris”

This also ended up as a 2023 release, but coming out so late in the year, it did not receive the attention it deserved. Overall a great power pop album with guitar muscle to spare. Another gem that aged well after multiple listens. Oh, and the band has already moved on to an Americana themed album. Review Here. Buy it on Amazon.

Notable Misses of 2024: Phil Thornalley, Chime School, John Davis

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Every year I miss some really good music. These all came out in 2024 and are highly recommended.


““Phil

Phil Thornalley “Holly Would”

With Phil Thornalley, I was genuinely negligent. Phil’s songs can satisfy your longing for Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and The Traveling Willburys. His songs are looser and more free-form on this album, and his sound pallet remains diverse. Starting with the suite “Holly Would,” its like bonus song from the Xanadu soundtrack. From the bouncy “The Golden Age” to the catchy “Drive Baby Drive,” each is gem hits the mark. Check it out!
Amazon

“Chime

Chime School “The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel”

This San Francisco jangle pop reminded me of Mt. Misery, but this its a lot closer to REM and Teenage Fanclub. Just check out the chiming brilliance of “Why Don’t You Come Out Tonight?” and “Another Way Home.” Lead singer Andy Pastalaniec is a great songwriter, and band is very tight. Plenty of highlights here; “Wandering Song,” “(I Hater) The Summer Sun” and “Points of Light.” Another overlooked gem.
Amazon

“Josh

John Davis “JINX”

John Davis never stopped making music long after Superdrag called it quits. And his solo work has been consistently good, from pop, blues, and heavy rock. He has been able to experiment with new styles since leaving the band, but he never loses sight of what makes a great song. Opening with chugging chords of “The Future,” to the gritty “Please Be My Love” its sure to please Superdrag fans. His maturing vocal isn’t as soaring as was ten years ago, but he’s still got the goods – just check out “Already Drowned” and “Indifferent Stars” to see what’s so great. Deserves repeat listens for sure.
Amazon

The Power Popaholic Top 25 EPs of 2024

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While reflecting changes in technology and distribution, today’s EPs are vital tools for musicians. Back in the old days, 45s usually had one song on the A-side, usually a hit or lead single, and a supplementary tune on the B-side. Conversely, EPs often feature three to nine songs, providing a more complete view of an artist’s work free from the dedication of a full album. Because of their increasing use, I included more EPs in this year’s list. Additionally, this style is advantageous for the many “rookies” out there. Like my albums list, many bands have those melodic and catchy elements rather than being strictly “power pop.” Enjoy!

  1. Softjaw “Softjaw”
  2. The Second Season “Undertow”
  3. The Junior League “Nattering Nabobs”
  4. Shake Some Action! “Trip to Yesterday”
  5. Paul Crane and the Overend Watts “Halfway Home”
  6. The Genuine Fakes “Extended Play Vol. 1”
  7. Peter Freebairn “Silhouettes & Cigarettes”
  8. Big Bad Bobby and the Shoe Horns “Like That, But Louder”
  9. Wyatt Funderburk “Fleeting and Finite”
  10. Wifey “Just a Tease”
  11. Gramercy Arms “The Making Of The Making Of”
  12. Sad About Girls “Sad to Go”
  13. Jordan Jones “And I, You”
  14. The Dynamo Hymn “The Dynamo Hymn”
  15. Daz & The Demons “8 songs”
  16. The Drywall Heels “Today’s Top Hits Playlist”
  17. Big City “Full Service”
  18. Classic Traffic “Turn It Up”
  19. The Leb Trip “Rising High”
  20. The Sunchymes “In the Back of Your Mind”
  21. Secret Molecules “High Tide”
  22. Sweetboy “A Day in The Park”
  23. Housewives “Home At Last”
  24. The Fuzzy Berries “Goji”
  25. Peter Hall “What Are You Waiting For?”

The Power Popaholic Top 25 albums of 2024 + More

powerpopaholic

Like I mentioned before, last year, I heard a lot of really amazing music, though not all of it was power pop. Unfortunately, I was unable to review each one, but I did grow my main list to 75 albums this year, and each of them is a recommended listen. Coming Up Next: The top 25 EPs for 2025.

  1. The Lemon Twigs “A Dream Is All We Know”
  2. Redd Kross “Redd Kross”
  3. Extra Arms “Radar”
  4. Nick Piunti “Up and Out of It”
  5. The Yum Yums “Poppin’ Up Again”
  6. Wesley Fuller “All Fuller No Filler”
  7. Dave Cope and The Sass “Hidden From The World”
  8. Joy Buzzer “Pleased to Meet You”
  9. Valley Lodge “Shadows in Paradise”
  10. Yours & Mine “The Shadow You Cast”
  11. Mark Ward “Let’er Rip”
  12. Ward White “Here Come The Dowsers”
  13. Emperor Penguin “Gentlemen Thieves”
  14. Bloody Nora “Fun While It Lasted”
  15. The Junior League “Our Broadcast Day”
  16. The Embryos “Selling What You Want to Buy”
  17. Kate Clover “The Apocalypse Dream”
  18. The Well Wishers “Just So You Know”
  19. The Cynz “Little Miss Lost”
  20. Laughing “Because It’s True”
  21. The Reflectors “Going Out Of Fashion”
  22. Cowboy Boy “Lipstick On A Pig”
  23. 2nd Grade “Scheduled Explosions”
  24. Ed Ryan “Along for The Ride”
  25. Paul Collins “Stand Back and Take a Good Look”
  26. Dolour “Daylight Upon Magic”
  27. Ducks Ltd. “Harm’s Way”
  28. The Armoires “Octoberland”
  29. The Martial Arts “In There Like Swimwear”
  30. Young Scum “Lighter Blue” 
  31. TV Pins “Aircutter”
  32. Dan Miraldi “Ulysses”
  33. Lunchbox “Pop and Circumstance”
  34. Bruce Moody “PopCycle”
  35. Willie Dowling “The Simpleton”
  36. Lenny Kravitz “Blue Electric Light”
  37. Mothboxer “Timelines”
  38. Tamar Berk “Good Times for a Change”
  39. 8×8 “Life During Wartime”
  40. The Pearlfishers “Making Tapes for Girls”
  41. Bad Moves “Wearing Out The Refrain”
  42. The Low Sixes “The Oshawa Tree”
  43. Wishy “Triple Seven”
  44. Liquid Mike “Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot”
  45. Teenage Frames “Everything Has Led To This”
  46. Caddy “Caddy”
  47. Sour Ops “Evangeline”
  48. Steve Robinson “Window Seat”
  49. Mt. Misery “Love In Mind”
  50. The Junipers “Imaginary Friends”
  51. Polite Company “Please Go Wild”
  52. Colman Gota “Don’t stop playing guitar”
  53. Brian Ray “My Town”
  54. Vinyl Kings “Big New Life”
  55. The John Sally Ride “Melomaniacs”
  56. Silk Cut “Silk Cut”
  57. Vegas With Randolph “The Future Store”
  58. David Woodard “Get It Good”
  59. Your Academy “#2 Record”
  60. Ethan Beck & The Charlie Browns “Duck Hollow”
  61. The Real Numbers “Thank You”
  62. Drew Neely & The Heroes “Inner State”
  63. Brent Seavers “Exhibit B”
  64. Real Estate “Daniel”
  65. Kevin Robertson “The Call Of The Sea”
  66. Norm Archer “Verb”
  67. The Rills “Don’t Be A Stranger”
  68. The Campbell Apartment “Under The Influence Of Love”
  69. Rich Arithmetic “Pushbutton Romance”
  70. John Faye “The Long Game”
  71. The Cheap Cassettes “They’ll Never Forgive You For Pop”
  72. Minky Starshine “Boozers Gloom and a Pinch of Anxiety”
  73. Sharp Class “Welcome To The Matinee Show (Of The End Of The World)”
  74. Motorists “Touched By the Stuff”
  75. The Heats “The Heats”

SPECIAL MENTION: BEST COVER ALBUMS