Baroque Pop roundup
The Best Baroque Pop Songs Right Now
The genre's essential recordings are spread across singles, album tracks and overlooked deep cuts. Here is a guide to the recordings that define the style.
The essential recordings in the baroque pop canon span a narrow window of time but cover a surprising range of approaches — harpsichord-driven singles, orchestral album tracks, and pop songs built on Bach counterpoint. This guide covers the tracks that best represent the style, from the most famous to the most overlooked.
The Definitive Singles
Three singles stand above the rest. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum (1967) is built on a Bach cantata and is the baroque pop recording most widely known outside the genre's dedicated audience. "Walk Away Renée" by The Left Banke (1966) places harpsichord at the centre of a pop melody — it is the most overtly baroque recording in the genre. "Time of the Season" by The Zombies (1968) arrived too late for the original movement but captures its essence completely: organ counterpoint, vocal harmonies, an undeniable pop structure.
From Albums: Essential Tracks
"God Only Knows" from Pet Sounds (1966) is the single most praised baroque pop recording — Paul McCartney has called it the greatest pop song ever written. "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles (1966) uses a string octet arranged by George Martin with no other accompaniment. "For No One" from "Revolver" (1966) uses a French horn obbligato over a harpsichord. "She's Not There" by The Zombies predates the genre's naming but is a key baroque pop recording. Each of these recordings illustrates a different aspect of what the style could do.
The Hidden Recordings
Beyond the canonical tracks, several recordings are worth seeking out. "Pretty Ballerina" by The Left Banke (1967) improves on "Walk Away Renée" in compositional complexity. "Hung Upside Down" by Buffalo Springfield uses baroque counterpoint within a rock arrangement. Scott Walker's "Jackie" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (Walker Brothers) show the orchestrated pop approach in its most commercially successful form. For the albums these tracks come from, see our albums guide. For the artists, see our artists guide.
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