"Smart" pop songs

[WobblySam]

There is probably a better adjective or descriptor for this, but it eludes me at the moment.
I was listening to an old playlist I made about 4 or 5years ago, generally as background music, and I kept being distracted from what I was doing by several songs. I just had to stop and listen.

I am talking about purely pop songs here - no protest anthems or deep social messages.

The combination of the music, arrangement and lyrics were "perfect". Yeah, I know. That is and always will be a matter of personal preference. But, here's a couple that just struck me.

Tears of a Clown - Smokey and the Miracles
Kentucky Rain - Elvis

While not perfect, a lot the stuff from Cream still grabs me like Badge and White Room. Not so much with the lyrics, but the music. It caught me off guard when I was a kid hearing for the first time and it still gets my attention today.

So, what pop songs strike you as "smart"?

 

[bobsvinyl]

If it's okay to stretch the pop music criteria into the edges of other genre like folk, rock, soul, country, etc., I have some to offer. I've always had a hard time with the pop category. Growing up I always thought of it as light weight, middle of the road, radio friendly music. There were some tunes that just stuck in your head because they were infectious, foot tapping fun. Maybe not on the top hundred songs ever written, but very enjoyable. My contributions:

Brandy- Looking Glass

Chelsea Morning- Joni Mitchell

Rock the Boat- Hues Corporation

Spooky- Classics IV

Stoned Soul Picnic- Fifth Dimension

Vehicle- Ides of March

 

[SA-708]

I always have to stop what I'm doing and listen when I hear "The Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys. The lyrics, the song, the way the arrangement keeps adding instruments and voice as the song moves along, it has long been a favorite of mine.

 

[loopstick]

Smart is cool. Brainy is not cool.

See also The Turtles.
.

 

[tubed]