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Is Baker Street the perfect pop song? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 24,419
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Is Baker Street the perfect pop song?
Now, you lot know me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist as it stands.
However, the other day I revisited 'Baker Street' as a musical entity in its own right, and what occurred to me was that it's actually perfect. I cannot find a single fault in the song in respect of its beat, pitch or meter; it just flows from beginning to end. Is it the perfect pop song perhaps? Link for the uneducated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSIw...ature=youtu.be |
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#2 |
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 949
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Quote:
Now, you lot know me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist as it stands.
However, the other day I revisited 'Baker Street' as a musical entity in its own right, and what occurred to me was that it's actually perfect. I cannot find a single fault in the song in respect of its beat, pitch or meter; it just flows from beginning to end. Is it the perfect pop song perhaps? Link for the uneducated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSIw...ature=youtu.be |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 18,070
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Nope, the greatest pop record ever is Safety Dance - http://youtu.be/T7hHx7gdN68
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#4 |
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,733
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It's always been far too drab for my tastes.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Belfast
Posts: 7,287
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It has a fabulous sax riff and some sweet sounds on the verses but the lack of any real interesting lyrical hooks spoils the overall effect.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
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No doubt to some people it's a classic but to me it's too slow, funkless and a bit bland.
i always thought it was music for 'squares', falling in between the cool sounds of punk/new wave, of no interest to the disco dancers, too bland for the rockers, and too 'adult' for pop lovers. so who did like it?.... think it was mums n dads or christians (lol) who had little interest in what was going on in the bigger scene. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
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ps...id nominate spencer davis groups 'keep on running' as the best pop song ever!
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#8 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 949
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I'm going to say The Isley Brothers This Old Heart of Mine.
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#9 |
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Belfast
Posts: 7,287
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I know there are a few contenders but this is hard to beat.
A wondrous riff that builds and could last forever, a brilliant melody, a bit of melodrama, a kiss, a girl group, awesome, pop at its best.... This is top Premier League compared to Baker Street's mid-table Championship! The Crystals 'Then He Kissed Me' ( The Ronettes - 'Be My Baby' is up there too.) |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
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I think 'Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)' by Steve Harley is pretty perfect pop.
Not to mention 'Dancing Queen' by Abba. They should have the iconic sax riff played on every tube train as it approaches Baker Street station. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,663
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What do people define as the perfect pop song?
catchy? http://youtu.be/0coygxMWniU?t=1m1s able to dance to it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k Sing along to? http://youtu.be/moSFlvxnbgk?t=46s envoke emotions from deep inside? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNyKDI9pn0Q |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Belfast
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Quote:
What do people define as the perfect pop song?
catchy? http://youtu.be/0coygxMWniU?t=1m1s able to dance to it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k Sing along to? http://youtu.be/moSFlvxnbgk?t=46s envoke emotions from deep inside? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNyKDI9pn0Q All of those things and maybe none of them. The perfect pop song has to have a hook of some sort. A hook that will stand up to repeating to different audiences over time. Like this - The Temptations - 'My Girl' |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 987
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Quote:
Now, you lot know me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist as it stands.
However, the other day I revisited 'Baker Street' as a musical entity in its own right, and what occurred to me was that it's actually perfect. I cannot find a single fault in the song in respect of its beat, pitch or meter; it just flows from beginning to end. Is it the perfect pop song perhaps? Link for the uneducated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSIw...ature=youtu.be |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
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Quote:
All of those things and maybe none of them.
The perfect pop song has to have a hook of some sort. A hook that will stand up to repeating to different audiences over time. Like this - The Temptations - 'My Girl' So what the OP meant was " A perfect pop song" as opposed to "THE perfect pop song" which suggests there is only one.
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Derby
Posts: 7,366
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Its good but a bit 'of its time'. I think the sax solo ages it a bit (as classic as it is)
IMO, the most perfect pop song is One Day Like This by Elbow, closely followed by Never Forget by Take That. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
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Quote:
All of those things and maybe none of them.
The perfect pop song has to have a hook of some sort. A hook that will stand up to repeating to different audiences over time. Like this - The Temptations - 'My Girl'
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#17 |
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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Dreaming by Blondie.
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#18 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 337
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It has a brilliant intro.
I love "Sittin' on the dock of the bay" - Otis Redding. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PyxLaHmOaYM |
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#19 |
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I'm old enough to remember it being in the charts and as I recall it was massively overplayed on the radio. I can appreciate it more now.
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#20 |
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 17,413
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Blimey, I feel like a proper spring chicken here
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#21 |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Medway, Kent
Posts: 1,182
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Foo Fighters version of Baker Street is fabulous
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#22 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,708
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The saxophonist in Baker Street admitted that his playing was out of tune. Apart from that it's a bit dreary anyway.
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#23 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 753
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Undercover's version of Baker Street is more upbeat and makes a good pop song.
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#24 |
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 6,522
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Quote:
i always thought it was music for 'squares', falling in between the cool sounds of punk/new wave, of no interest to the disco dancers, too bland for the rockers, and too 'adult' for pop lovers. so who did like it?.... think it was mums n dads or christians (lol) who had little interest in what was going on in the bigger scene.
While I had been a rock fan, embraced punk/new wave and enjoyed a bit of disco (not so keen on the pop of the time), I liked "Baker Street" as a laid-back track, something to chill out to. It's the sax that does it, mind. |
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#25 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 14,765
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Quote:
I liked it! and certainly didn't fall into any of those categories.
While I had been a rock fan, embraced punk/new wave and enjoyed a bit of disco (not so keen on the pop of the time), I liked "Baker Street" as a laid-back track, something to chill out to. It's the sax that does it, mind. ![]()
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So what the OP meant was " A perfect pop song" as opposed to "THE perfect pop song" which suggests there is only one.