Plenty of good lyrics in pop. Especially when written by an actual decent artist instead of a "team" of writers all trying to throw in their 2 cents worth and trying to get points on royalties.

 

Good lyrics in pop? Most all of the songs by XTC. So well written, performed, and produced. 80's - 90's pop/rock with a clever edge, both musically and lyrically.

Here's a great Showtime documentary on the band and their music, "XTC: This Is Pop"

 

Also, Steely Dan lyrics. More oldies but goodies. They were "pop" in the 70's - 80's (at least on FM radio), and Fagen and Becker were quite the wordsmiths, though frequently obscure and obtuse. Luckily, there's The Steely Dan Dictionary, which is "an A-Z glossary of over 140 obscure words, people and places — all taken from the lyrics of Steely Dan songs". It provides some additional insight into the lyrics and sometimes reshapes the songs a little.

 

"Ready" — Sam Fischer

 

I expected these two would have received honorable mentions at least by now, perhaps in the cryptically good pop lyrics, and both were million dollar sellers in their contemporary pop/rock era... These were played regularly for many months on popular radio.

LED ZEP

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to Heaven
When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.

AND - Jethro Tull

Really don't mind if you sit this one out
My word's but a whisper, your deafness a shout
I may make you feel but I can't make you think
Your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink

 

"Slow Fade" — Ruth B

 

Ive had a few fan moments with Andy.

Love the man.

 

Fagans lyrics were gret...but his DELIVERY was even better (IMHO).

"Is there gas in the car?.....Yes, theres gas in the caaaaar." Kid Charlemagne.

So fucking funny. So beautifully delivered....and no, its not the greatest guitar solo ever, not if I have anything to do with it.

 

Here's a link to the finished song

https://whyp.it/tracks/266316/the-escape-worms-suite

 

Greetings from UFO XY 23-R, just as I was scanning your planet Earth for new music, I came across "The Escape-Worms Suite" by Lois Lane. I recorded the song in Glac format, which is the successor to Flac, which doesn't exist on your Earth but will be invented soon. Lois Lane's songs are very popular on our planet.

 

欅坂46 - Silent Majority