Classic rock doesn’t often veer into pop territory. After all, classic rock fans are pretty particular about the hard rock elements of their favorite genre. Still, a few big bands through the years have tried their hand at making pop music; and quite a few of them were successful. Let’s take a deep dive into four pop songs that were recorded by classic rock stars!
1. “Better Man” by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam will always be associated with the golden age of grunge. In fact, Eddie Vedder was determined to pull the band away from massive stardom by introducing weird elements that would likely not resonate with mainstream audiences. Vitalogy is one example of that effort. The song “Better Man” from that album is about as pop as the band ever got.
Videos by American Songwriter
Vedder actually wrote this tune when he was just a teenager, and it’s a lovely and somewhat optimistic song about heartbreak.
2. “Big Me” by Foo Fighters
Out of all the pop songs written by classic rock stars out there, “Big Me” by Foo Fighters isn’t exactly surprising. The alt-rock band was on the up and up, and Dave Grohl didn’t have much of a plan for the direction the band would take. Why not make a song inspired by cheesy Mentos commercials?
“Big Me” was a pretty substantial early-career hit for the band, and it sounded quite different from the band’s usual repertoire with power pop and jangle pop elements.
3. “Time Stand Still” by Rush
Rush has a pretty diehard fanbase, but even the most dedicated fan will admit that the early 1980s was a time of significant change for the classic rock band. Their music was still on another level, but the introduction of synths left some fans feeling almost betrayed. It was a true Bob-Dylan-goes-electric moment.
However, change is good, sometimes. “Time Stand Still” is one of the band’s most pop-leaning songs of the 1980s, and it’s a total banger. Introducing Aimee Mann as a vocalist was an excellent choice, and this song took a power pop direction that works beautifully.
4. “Invisible Touch” by Genesis
Genesis is not really known for pop music. Phil Collins certainly is, though. When he took over for Peter Gabriel, the direction of the band definitely changed at least a little bit. But many fans didn’t love the direction toward pop that Genesis took in the 1980s.
Still, there was no shortage of creativity. “Invisible Touch” is one great example of Genesis’ best pop songs. The instrumentation on this track is still quite complex and unique, and that keyboard solo from Tony Banks is killer.
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.