PPP (Pop Production Perfection):

I'm talking about songs in which the production/mixing is masterful, and just as integral to the song as any instrument playing.

My suggestions:

Penny Lane - Beatles

Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...) - Queen

Ahead - Wire

You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby - Kirsty Maccoll

Tusk - Fleetwood Mack

Teacher - Jethro Tull

Postmortem/Raining Blood - Slayer

Stella Maris - Einsturzende Neubauten

Being for the Benefit of Mister Kite - Beatles

Paranoid Android - Radiohead

The Wizard - Black Sabbath

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

Wild Wild West - Joe Jackson

Runnin' with the Devil - Van Halen

How Soon is Now? - The Smiths

Anita - Nuns

2000 Light Years from Home - Rolling Stones

Time Has Come today - Chambers Brothers

In Every Dreamhome a Heartache - Roxy Music

Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads



Others?

'Sing Me Spanish Techno' by New Pornographers
'Wish I Was The Moon' by Neko Case

Otherwise I would have listed Editions of You, Flesh + Blood, Dance Away (I can't stand Manifesto, but I love that track), Ladytron, etc etc etc.... Even "Let's Stick Together", as grating as it can be, is one slick record!

'More Than This' was the first sound I heard coming out my my new stereo system (1982) which featured a $700 CD player (wowser!)

So it's a sentimental favorite.

If I remember correctly, the disc cost $40.00 way back in 1983 or 84. That was back when only Phillips had the technology to press CDs. Remember how the price was supposed to drop to "below LP cost" once Phillips licensed the CD process to other manufacturers?

I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting....

Even though I just don't buy into the Cult of Brian Wilson's Genius, that's a good'un.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:169sa9cgb23d

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0m6zefykhgf3

Both are Lost Masterpieces, and producer Lenny Waronker was a huge part of how great the records sounded.