Your Nomination For the Perfect Pop Song

blobb

Easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC3g0JmKceU

ICBM

breakstuff said:

I'll probably get slaughtered here,but...

Jamelia - Superstar.

Agreed. No criticism from me!

guitarfishbay said:

Maybe cliche/overplayed but my favourite song of theirs is still apologise.

Guy is a good songwriter.

Brilliant. I like Apologise too, but Counting Stars just has something so simple and perfect about it - I could listen to it over and over and not get tired of it.

stickyfiddle

Daydream  Believer
Waterloo
Like a Prayer
I wanna Dance with Somebody

Stone cold classics.

sticker

There she goes - The La’s
I feel fine - The Beatles 
Tempted - Squeeze 
Dancing Queen - ABBA 

Clashman

Lodious

Toxic - Brittney Spears
Biology - Girls Aloud
I Believe in Miracles - Jackson Sisters

Clashman

Sassafras

Heard it through the grapevine - Marvin Gaye version.
Come to that, about a thousand Tamla songs.

Grunfeld

Blondie -- "Union City Blue"

Which is odd, because I've long believed that pop music is totally meaningless
unless you're falling in love or you've been dumped.
At which point stupid and banal lyrics become infused with wisdom. 
That's what I love about pop music:  it's shit or magic depending on your life.
But
Blondie's "Union City Blue" is transcendent.
I've no f*cking idea what it's about.
I don't want to know either.

Oh, good call on "Cathy's Clown"

not_the_dj

The Beatles “Help”

https://youtu.be/CTsB-llTzyc

guitars4you

Can't buy me love

was going to say Love me do - launched a whole industry - but going with can't buy me love

fob

Ignore the silly intro for the video

Neill

"This old Heart of Mine" by the Isley brothers

"There's a Ghost in my House" by R Dean Taylor

"Ruby, don't take your Love to Town" by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

"Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (where did they get these names)

"Walk on by" by Dionne Warwick

guitars4you

Might add

California Dreamin' - by mama's and papa's - and Michelle was one of the best looking girls from the 60's - full stop

Gassage

Skipped said:

Wichita Lineman

 Stuart  Maconie called it "the greatest pop song ever composed"
I cannot argue with that.

When Glen Campbell died, the (excellent) Radio 4 obituary asked one of his close friends to explain why Wichita Lineman was massive and exactly what it was that grabbed the public.
He answered: "The catch in his voice".

So true.

It's the most played commercial song in history.

Plus- who else could look cool wearing a yellow roll neck?

richardhomer

Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House.

Sassafras

eSully

Nitefly

Some good calls here, but I'm amazed nobody's mentioned the astonishing voice and out-of-this-world songwriting of the Big O - Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman" is hands down the best pop song ever written.  Bar none.  Followed swiftly by "Not Alone", "You Got It", and "I Drove All Night".

On the original criteria from the OP, Oh Pretty Woman has an intro (good riff, too), a hook, those quirky 6-beat bars under the opening riff, a middle 8, and a powerhouse ending (watch people get it wrong time after time on karaoke!) - perfection!

proggy

Kylie - Spinning Around.

I'll never forget those gold shorts.