The following is a healthy list of good pop artists.Music 

So don't tell me that all pop sucks. Because you're wrong.

Belle & Sebastian
Papas Fritas
Blur
Depeche Mode
Dinosaur Jr.
Charlatans UK
Jesus and Mary Chain
New Order
Shins
Smiths
Pavement
Stereolab
Stone Roses
U2

Plus a near infinite more I don't know of. I'm sure I know of them, but just don't classify them as pop for whatever reason.

I suppose a lot of those are open to interpretation, but they all show glimmers of great pop at some point.

Enter neon_duke to add 17 dozen more artists.

Is Good Charolette considered Pop? I heard some consider them pop, but I don't. How does one classify "pop." What makes a band a "Pop" band?

Is Good Charolette considered Pop?

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Doesn't matter. Even if they were, we're discussing good pop, not that trash.

Am I the only one who likes a few Good Charolette songs?

I suppose you could call them pop. They certainly do suck, so they shouldn't be included in this thread.

Pop music has a catchy melody, and usually has a repeated section like a chorus. It's like rock, just softer. Pop is rock that doesn't, erm, rock. Pop is more centered around the production and songwriting than Rock is, but otherwise, they're very similar.

I guess Pop is just Rock with more emphasis on harmony, arrangements, and the songwriting. I guess you could say Pop is a subgenre of Rock. If you wanted to say that sort of thing.

If any of that makes any sense to you, you deserve a prize. Genres are hard to describe, they have to be heard. Or something like that.

I guess Good Charolette is pop, at least a few songs. What about the Beastie Boys? I have no idea what they're classified as. They concetrate on lyrics.

The Beastie Boys are probably more Rap than anything. I'd say their music is more centered around the layers of beats and samples. The lyrics play an important role, but I'd have to say the beats and samples they use are more important to the music.

Klostrophobic

Papas Fritas

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Papas Fritas? how would one even try to find any of their stuff.

Phobic

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Saturn, haha.

Sorry, double post, I accidently hit tab and enter.

My idea of pop is music that is directly aimed at a particualar audience, and instead of making their own style of music they make music which they have been told will get them a No.1.
Now alot of you will probably argue that all bands that release a song are doing so so that they can attain a No.1 and the big bucks. True, but I believe some try harder than others.
And so the ones that try their hardest to creat a record that is more to the consumers liking than theirs should be classified pop.

Do you understand?...I don't.

lemme add some, right?
-Bôa
-HEM
-Loop
-The Cranberries (sometimes)
-The Cardigans (also sometimes)
-for some old stuff, The beach boys
-the early Beatles
-Badly drawn boy
-Contratiempo (argentina)
-Café Tacuba (México)
-Kynky (México)
-Legiao Urbana (Brazil)

there are tons and tons more, anyone care to add more? Im always looking for stuff like this

Cano

and indeed pop is a genre that's open for big interpretation. what is, then, pop rock, popnk, hip-pop and all that **** that has been mentioned lately?

Blur is rock. Song No.2 is not POP, by any means.

I didn't say it was. Blur on the whole is a pop group.

Song 2 is the most un-Blur song that Blur has ever recorded. It's a parody of grunge music.

I'd add The Police.

I think Klos has pretty well described pop. Some of his bands I might question, but in every case I can see where he's coming from, so I won't call any of them out. Remember, he's pre-qualified this as good pop, which automatically dismisses 99% of the Top 40 stuff that you're thinking of. OK, I need to add 17 more bands...

I'll second Cano's nomination of Badly Drawn Boy
Michael Shelley - Mix Tape alone is a great pop song
I'm going to add They Might Be Giants, nominating They'll Need A Crane and Everyone's My Friend (In New York City)
Tanya Donnelly - both with Belly and as a solo artist. Her album Love Songs For Underdogs is an indie-pop masterpiece
The Breeders - almost anti-pop
The The - who knew pop could be this depressing?
Tagging Satellites
Quasi - Genetic Science is great cranky anti-pop
The Rapture's Sister Saviour is a great pop song; too bad the rest of the album sucks
Zen For Primates - though I don't even know if they got an album recorded
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Guadalcanal Diary

These last ones are getting oldish - late '80s. Dang, I couldn't even get to 17, let alone 17 dozen. I'll have to ruminate a bit more.

I'll post some random thoughts on your list...

Belle & Sebastian - This is well constucted pop music, but it does not agree with me in any way. Arrangements are too sugary and I would describe it as "giggle-pop" perhaps. Not really for me.

Papas Fritas - I have not heard of this band.

Blur - Definately a fine Britpop band, but again, not to my taste.

Depeche Mode - The pentultimate syth-pop band. Their catalogue is spotty, but when they hit the mark they really nail it. I have several of their albums.

Dinosaur Jr. - A typical 90's alt-rock band. Never really excited me alot, but they make a nice racket.

Charlatans UK - A vastly underrated band, combining elements of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and many other "classic" bands, along with many tracks with danceable beats and club-oriented tracks. A giant Brit-pop melting pot. One of my favorite bands.

Jesus and Mary Chain - Not really pop IMO. Much more devoted to the stoner rock/ noise rock category. Lots of loud waves of distorted and layered guitars behind sorted tales of debauchery in the vein of Velvet Underground. I have 3 of their albums.

New Order - The first band to make the jump from post-punk to synth pop/club pop and probably the best in the genre. Some of their album cuts are spotty, but almost all of their singles are absolute perfection.

Shins - I dowloaded 'Chutes Too Narrow' to test the waters here, and I was not too impressed for now. I have meant to listen to this agian but have not found the time.

Smiths - You just can't go wrong with the wonderful layered guitars of Johnny Marr combined with the biting wit and sarcasm of Morrissey. Too cool for school. Highly influntial and essential for any serious music collection.

Pavement - Indie Alt rock. Not a pop band by any stretch. But who doesn't love 'Slanted and Enchanted'?

Stereolab - Probably too experimental to be called pop. From what I have heard of their catalogue, anyway. I really enjoy the band Air, which is somewhat similar, so I should look deeper here sometime.

Stone Roses - Now we're talkin'. The debut album was probably one of the best pop albums of all time. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head that would be better are 'Rubber Soul' and 'Revolver'. I'm sure there are more, but not many. I own everything they ever released.

U2 - Was never really pop as such until 'Achtung Baby', which is a defining album of the 1990's. A near perfect record. They will never record an album this good again. 'All that You Can't Leave Behind' is close, but no cigar.

The The (from Neon Duke's list) - Matt Johnson can make even the most cynical social commetary sound like a good pop tune. He includes such a wide instrumentation into his arrangements it can be hard to describe, but always good. 'Infected' is a bit dated for me, but 'Mind Bomb' and 'Dusk' are wonderful, especially with a bit of help from Johnny Marr. Thinking man's pop.

It's nice to know there are a few people left with good taste.

does David Usher count for pop...or is he rock?