Music Monday - The Hollies

Truth be told, much of the music from the 1950s and 1960s that we consider to be rock and roll was considered pop at the time. Pop music? Heavens no! Pop music conjures up the idea of heavily processed music, pre-fabricated stuff that's lethal to your brain. It's not necessarily supposed to be so. It was 'popular'. It just needs to be catchy, have hooks and lyrics that burn into your brain.

That's exactly what the Hollies have been for years.



Clearly a pop song from the sound of it, catchy and fun. Yet there's a story being told, there's a depth to it, it's a playful depth, but it's depth nonetheless. And the subject matter of a 'dancing' lady might be common for pop music now, but not of the pop music of the 1960s. There is something different here, something that's not pre-programmed to appeal to the populace.



This just rocks too hard to be a simple pop song. Certainly the subject matter is simple enough in it's love song way, but there's a growl to the guitar, an echo that feeds with the harmonies of the singers that becomes more than the sum of its parts.

I need to give you one song that might be familiar and here it is, the 'what is he singing?' classic - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.



The Hollies are going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today. This is a fine thing, especially as there is no Pop Music Hall of Fame and that building would probably have too much ABBA in it anyway. There's still a version of the band that tours today and they still occasionally record new albums. Outstanding!

Congratulations to the Hollies!