The Guess Who vocalist Derek Sharp recently shared ten albums that changed his life in an interview with Goldmine. Among the notable artists on his list were The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Steely Dan, but for a power pop album, Sharp chose Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Loves a Happy Ending.’ He compared it to The Beatles’ iconic album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’:
“I could have easily listed ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ anywhere on this list, and few people would argue. However, this 2004 offering from one of the greatest bands in history, Tears For Fears, is their ‘Sgt. Pepper.'”
Derek then highlighted the influence of famous power pop bands and stated that Tears for Fears managed to incorporate the best elements of these bands:
“The songwriting and arrangements on this album define what the ultimate power pop record should sound like. With honorable mentions going to bands like Badfinger, Wings, ELO, and Jellyfish. These guys took what is great about all the bands in this genre and made the perfect album from start to finish.”
He also described the album and mentioned his favorite tracks:
“The cohesion of the music, lyrics, and arrangements is something any aspiring musician should pay attention to. My favorite tracks are ‘Closest Thing to Heaven’ and ‘Ladybird.'”
Furthermore, Derek named The Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ and emphasized its influence from his childhood:
“This is the first record I ever fell in love with. It inspired me at such a young age that I actually taught myself how to play guitar from this record. By the time I was 10 years old, I could play all these songs note for note; well…according to a 10-year-old. (laughs) I recall my first reaction was how amazing they all sang together! I had no idea what The Beatles were or what they would eventually become, but I was sold from the get-go.”
The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band formed in 1965, and they released 11 albums before disbanding in 1975. The band’s former bassist, Jim Kale, allowed current band members to continue using the name, resulting in the release of 6 more albums, with the latest being ‘Plein D’Amour.’ You can listen to their whole album below. Also, check out Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Loves a Happy Ending’ below.