# What is the best power pop album of all time?

> Bristling guitar hooks and Beatles-worship collide across five decades, from scratch-and-sniff 70s debuts to jangly indie throwbacks. Which record nails the perfect three-minute hook?

*By YPB Team · Published August 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-power-pop-album-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **#1 Record** — score 1000/1000
   Big Star's 1972 debut, the foundational power pop album blending Beatles-esque hooks with Memphis soul.
2. **In Color** — score 927/1000
   Cheap Trick's 1977 second album, widely cited as the quintessential power pop record.
3. **Stands for Decibels** — score 877/1000
   The dB's 1981 debut, a jangly, hook-filled cornerstone of American power pop.
4. **The Records** — score 709/1000
   The Records' 1979 self-titled debut, a British power pop touchstone built around Starry Eyes.
5. **Neurotica** — score 709/1000
   Redd Kross' 1987 album fusing glam, punk energy, and bubblegum pop hooks.
6. **Mass Romantic** — score 709/1000
   The New Pornographers' 2000 debut, a modern power pop supergroup breakthrough.
7. **20/20** — score 600/1000
   20/20's 1979 self-titled debut, an LA power pop gem released the same year as The Knack's breakout.
8. **Straight Up** — score 600/1000
   Badfinger's 1972 album produced by George Harrison and Todd Rundgren, featuring Baby Blue and Day After Day.
9. **Get the Knack** — score 600/1000
   The Knack's 1979 debut led by the smash hit My Sharona, a commercial peak for the genre.
10. **Welcome Interstate Managers** — score 600/1000
   Fountains of Wayne's 2003 album featuring Stacy's Mom, a modern power pop breakthrough.
11. **Raspberries** — score 466/1000
   The Raspberries' 1972 debut that helped define the genre with hook-laden singles like Go All the Way.
12. **Twice Removed** — score 466/1000
   Sloan's 1994 sophomore album, a Canadian power pop landmark blending 60s and 70s influences.
13. **Bellybutton** — score 466/1000
   Jellyfish's 1990 debut, a lush, Queen- and Beatles-influenced power pop showcase.
14. **Frosting on the Beater** — score 300/1000
   The Posies' 1993 album mixing grunge-era guitars with intricate melodic songwriting.
15. **Jesus of Cool** — score 300/1000
   Nick Lowe's 1978 solo debut, a witty, hook-heavy pub-rock-adjacent power pop favorite.
16. **Bandwagonesque** — score 300/1000
   Teenage Fanclub's 1991 album mixing fuzzy guitars with irresistible melodic hooks.
17. **International Pop Overthrow** — score 300/1000
   Material Issue's 1991 debut, a Chicago power pop classic named after the genre's own ethos.
18. **Present Tense** — score 300/1000
   Shoes' 1979 major-label debut, a DIY power pop favorite from Zion, Illinois.

Tags: music, rock, 70s, power pop