Power pop

Power pop is a musical genre, referring to a synthesis of hard rock rhythms with pop hooks and sharp melodies. The first power pop band was the Raspberries[?] in the early 1970s; they drew heavily on the Who, the Byrds, the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Along with the Raspberries were pioneers Big Star and Badfinger. Though power pop had never crossed fully into the mainstream, its fanbase slowly decreased during the 70s, and eventually only a few cult bands remained.

In the late 1980s, though, power pop returned with bands like Teenage Fanclub[?], Material Issue[?], the Posies[?] and Jellyfish. Drawing heavily upon Big Star, these new bands eventually broke into the mainstream more than ever before with the success of Weezer in the mid 1990s.

See also: List of power pop musicians