"Power pop is a prayer offered by atheists to a God who exists but doesn’t hear." Michael Chabon reviews last year's Big Star box set, and in the process gives the best summing-up of the joyous, tragic music (and history) of power pop I've ever read. Also, here's a streaming 21-track power pop mix that includes many of the bands Chabon mentions. Track listing and downloadable link inside.→[More:]

I tried to include both some classics, and some songs I hope aren't as familiar.

1. The Rubinoos - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
2. Secrets - Radio Heart
3. Mark Johnson - I Like the World
4. Big Star - September Gurls
5. The Nerves - When You Find Out
6. The Raspberries - I Wanna Be With You
7. Scott McCarl - I Think About You
8. Plimsouls - I'll Get Lucky
9. Boys - Bad Little Girl
10. Material Issue - I'd Wait a Million Years
11. Martin Luther Lennon - Nobody I Know
12. Badfinger - Baby Blue
13. The Finns - Sky Vue
14. The Nines - I Would Never
15. The Paley Brothers - Come Out And Play
16. The Knack - Good Girls Don't
17. The Romantics - Tell It To Carrie
18. The Beat - Walking Out On Love
19. Secrets - Daddy's Girl
20. Breakaways - One Way Ticket
21. Shoes - I Miss You

If you'd rather just download the bunch, you can do that here.