Pop Hit Box
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Slightly more successful than its fellow Rock Hit Box, the German, three-disc set Pop Hit Box presents a wide array of dance-pop, synth-pop, new jack, and club/dance singles from the ’80s and ’90s. Maybe it’s because it draws from a smaller period of time, or maybe it’s because pop music has a more formulaic approach, but this collection flows much better, especially on the first disc, which includes guilty pleasure dance-pop classics like La Bouche’s “Be My Lover,” Culture Beat’s “Mr. Vain,” Haddaway’s “What Is Love,” and Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” along with tracks by M People, Vengaboys, Take That, and Outhere Brothers. There are still some strange inclusions on the set — Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” chief among them — but overall the collection spans pure pop like Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” and Jennifer Paige’s “Crush”; dance novelties like Los del Rio’s “Macarena” and Rednex’s “Cotton Eyed Joe”; and smooth club-oriented singles like Lisa Stansfield’s “Been Around the World” and Londonbeat’s “I’ve Been Thinking About You” seamlessly. While there might be too much pop here for the casual listener to handle, Pop Hit Box certainly offers a lot to choose from.
- Heather Phares, All Music Guide
