Comments for Men Without Hats, Pop Goes the World

I recall reading a local newspaper review of this album when it was released. The reviewer called it "quite possibly, the perfect pop album." In my opinion, they were right. Every song is catchy, with quirky lyrics and enthusiastic delivery. Unfortunately, it didn't catch on as well as it deserved to. Note: one song on the album (On Tuesday) features Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull fame).

Pop Goes The World is the best pop-album available. Here are the arguments: It is catchy It has good lyrics It has beautiful tunes It is definitely varied It is well-produced Ivan has a great voice It makes use of syntesizers in a perfect way It is a great concept album It is definitely _THE_BEST_ALBUM_ you could bring along if you were to spend the rest of your days alone on an island.

Every song on this album is amazing. I've got five hundred C.D.s and this remains one of my top 5 listened to of them. Ian Anderson's flute cameo is perfect. Jenny Wore Black is my favorite song on the album. I have a feeling one day this album will be recognized for its brilliance. It'll probably happen in the way distant future, but our great-grandchildren will enjoy it.

I stumbled onto this cassette in my sisters cassette collection, and then spent 5 years trying to get it, whe still doesn't know I have it, but she'll have to kill me to get it back this is one of my top ten all time albums and i REALLY want them to release it on CD, there are no bad song on it and as i try to put a few on my various mixes, i feel I'd do MWOH and injustice if i didn't just put the whole album on, PLEASE release this on CD PS I'm also a HUGE Tull fan, BTW this is the only MWOH I have heard except for their best of CD featuring safety dance, if any other albums are this good, please e-mail me and let me know.

I agree with everyone's comments - this is one of the best pop albums EVER! The title track is probably the weakest song on the album, and it's still a great pop song. My favorites are "O Sole Mio," "Lose My Way," and "In The Name Of Angels." For those of you who love really good, catchy pop music, I HIGHLY recommend tracking down the self-titled album by Bounce The Ocean. It came out in 1991 and as far as I know it's their only album. You can probably find it in the used CD discount bin (I got it for 99 cents - "I'll buy that for a dollar!"). I plan on adding it to the database someday (it's not on there).

This is absolutly the BEST ALBUM EVER MADE!! All the songsare perfect! I do agree that Pop Goes the World is one of the weaker tracks, however still an awesome song! I absolutly love O Sole Mio and Jenny Wore Black. And On Tuesday with Ian is a most wonderful song! If I could only have one album in my collection this would be it. It's is the best!!

When I was a freshman in college in '88, my friends and I must have played this album every day for months. We never tired of it! It really is the perfect pop album. But it's not just catchy tunes and lyrics. I love the way the songs come together to tell a story. There's also considerable variety from one song to the next. There's not a bad song on this album! I love them all, and it's really hard to pick a favorite, so I'll only mention one that I really like and nobody else has mentioned yet: "Bright Side of the Sun". But "Moonbeam" and "Jenny Wore Black" and the rest are all awesome as well. To this day, I have two friends from that era who have desperately tried to purchase this album on CD for years! Too bad it's out of print. Fortunately, I got mine back in '88, and I treasure it. It's such a great album. It really deserves to be available. I really hope some label gets the rights to it and reissues it. I know my two friends would be extremely happy.

Can there be a more perfect pop album? Safety Dance was a clever little creation which had me amused and humming along back in the early eighties. However, my first listen to a bargain bin copy of this album left me understanding that Ivan is a song writing master. Thanks to my friend Jeff for telling me to give it a heartelt listen!

There is no other album like this on in the whole world if you ask me. I got it by accident for my 16th birthday from some friends of mine. At first I thought it was a stupid gift and I was going to try to return it. I listened to it first thank goodness and now it is by far my favorite. I am still trying to get it on CD. For those of you that love this album I suggest that you buy Ivan's new solo album. It too is a killer.

If I were trapped on a island with a stereo and a power supply and only 10 discs, let me tell you this would be one of them. Not only MWH's best album, but one of the best album's ever. Unfortunately overlooked by the mainstream who don't see to take notice of pure pop music, this album is perfect in all aspects of it's execution. It contains the most beautifully melodic songs written since the Beatles, the production by Ivan Ivan is rich and full-sounding, and it goes through a large canon of mood swings and swoons. By the end you realize that POP GOES THE WORLD is the pop music equivalent of PINK FLOYD's DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. The 39 second song BRIGHT SIDE OF THE SUN gives it away. 5 Stars.

Can someone pass on the lyrics from "Bright side of the sun" to me, please? 3/18/98

This album is definitley the best pop album ever! I heard it was no longer being released, please tell me it is not true. the introduction and jenny wore black are the best in my opinion. The tape i have now is so eaten up from being played tirelessly, i need a cd to make it last the rest of my life. I hope they will stay alive even after i am gone.

I origionally bought this cassette in 1987 and fell in love with it. The lyrics, coupled with the great voices make it my all-time favorite selection.

What an excellent album! I first started listening to it when I borrowed my best friend's cassette. My brother fell in love with it, and I found a CD of it for his birthday at a used CD joint. Ever since then I've been jealous that I didn't keep it for myself, because I can't find it anywhere. Well, I just bought myself a CD burner, and one of the first things I plan to do is burn a copy of his disc.

Amazing! and here I thought I was the only one who really enjoys this album. At the time it came out, none of my friends shared my enjoyment, but I'm glad to find out that not only were there others out there, but that they still remember and enjoy this overlooked little gem. God, what else can I say about it that no one else here already hasn't? It's such a charming album, very unpretentious, with lovely melodies, great romantic lyrics, good songs, the lot. The only song I skip through is "The Real World," which sounds like it's trying to be "hard-edged" or something - not that it's *bad*, just that it's out of character with the rest of the album. But even after I've discarded just about every tape I've ever owned, somehow I've hung on to this one because the tunes have stuck with me. Lucky thing I didn't discard it, since it's no longer on CD. (What a shame! Can anything be done about that?! Does anyone know if it's available as an import anywhere?)

One of the greatest albums of all time. Listened to it over and over again with my roomate 12 years ago, and I still listen to it today!

I have this on cd and have a cd burner. If anyone wants a cd copy, just email me. I love In the name of angels, that is by far the best song. All in all ROY is better, but any MWH is good.

this is love. Men Without Hats are my absolute favorite band. I have had their tape laying around my collection for years but i never gave it a chance untill this year , and i listen to them every night without fail. My friend and i get stoned in my car and pop in the trusty MWH's album cause you can hear so much more of the incredible mixing and samples Ivan created. He is so amazing!! I wish they still had the cd's in print so hardcore. Im not even into pop music , except for this album. Sometimes when we are smoking and we eat zingy blueberries , we think they are moonbeams. I then i slip into the mindset that im Jenny ! haha this is the most insane of all the posts , but why not say what i really do when no ones watching! Ivan , if you ever read these , i am your fan forever! you are an amazing muscian with a stream of pure musicial karma! -Lyz

POP GOES THE WORLD is even more to the music of the 80's and 90's than SGT. PEPPER was to the music of the 1960's. That's my story...I'm stickin' to it...so why doesn't anyone else know? Canada keeps this in print...buy it! Share your mwh thoughts @ markythem@yahoo.com

I didn't think anyone had even heard of this album! It's just wonderful, I heard POP GOES THE WORLD a couple of years ago and I just got a hold of the tape not too long ago. If anyone has more (any) info on MEN WITHOUT HATS I would be very thankful if they share it with me... Could anyone e-mail me the lyrics to O'SOLE MIO???

Well what more can be said: it is the greatest pop album ever made. The way the songs are varied--by style, length, instrumental vs. vocal, etc., combined with the sequencing of the songs, is masterful and beautifully balanced. The best moments are the segues from one song to the next. The opening sequence which usually characterizes a MWH album (intro/single/"next" song), is here the best of any MWH album. The only pop album I know of that I would put in the same category as this is Prince's "Parade." If you don't know that one, you should check it out too.

A valid point has been made. MWH do indeed echo the illusive and intriguing element that Pink Floyd introduced to modern music. PS.If someone has the time and can send me the lyrics of pop goes the world,i would be very thankfull.

As far as I''m concern. I agree with everyone here. I''m basically a guy who loves Death Metal, and stuff like that. But this album surpasses any Metal album cd, casstte that I have!! I mean everything is perfect. Its too bad that MWH did''nt get the recognition that they deserved. I fault the music media for that one. They let great talent slip by. Not only is this album is great, almost everything that MWH did was simply GREAT!! What else could I say about it. BRING BACK THE 80''S!!!!!!!

Hello, i like this song.....pop goes the world..its cool but there is no lyrics for it so can someone get them and send m to me! :) tonight! :)

The single Pop Goes the World put Men Without Hats back onthe charts for a short while, but was not quite as big of asuccess as The Safety Dance.

I treasure my vinyl LP of this album, and rarely a month goes by that I don't listen to it from beginning to end. This for me was the pinnacle of pop music in the '80s. Album-oriented songwriting this good rarely even happens in pop. I'm shocked no one else here mentioned "On Tuesday". It really is the climatic end of the album, and one of my favorite MWH songs.

I just finished reading the majority off comments others have left about "Pop Goes The World" and feel I must also leave a little bit as well. I agree that this album is probably one the best, if not THE best pop albums ever written. Virtually every song is wonderfully crafted in instrumentation as well as lyrical. Not many "pop" albums have the old style of a concept album. This one does and works perfectly! I also agree that the title track is the weakest track. Ny personal faves are Walk On Water, O Sole Mio and On Tuesday. When I first heard On Tuesday, I had the distinct feeling that the soloist was Ian Anderson and I had to check the liner notes to make sure. Great performance here even though only one song. Ivan should possibly try again to produce another similar to this. Thanks for letting me post. MWOH is still the best!

it was stolen and i miss it..... POP GOES THE WORLD!!