It takes only one listen to “Popular,” Nada Surf’s signature hit from 1996, to realize the song’s message is delivered with vocalist and guitarist Matthew Caws’ tongue planted firmly in cheek. There is not much mystery as to the meaning of that message. Throughout “Popular,” Caws dispenses advice to young women on dating and how to be, you know, popular.
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Through each verse, Caws’ delivery becomes increasingly aggressive, giving away his lack of sincerity. But what possessed him to come up with eerily specific suggestions like washing your hair “at least every two weeks” and maintaining a “one-month limit on going steady”? While Caws and Nada Surf bassist Daniel Lorca wrote the choruses and music for “Popular,” the counsel presented in the verses came from another source altogether. In fact, if not for the book that provided those nuggets of advice, “Popular” probably wouldn’t exist at all.
Dating Advice from a TV Star
The inspiration for “Popular” was a 1964 book by Gloria Winters called Penny’s Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity. Penny was the teenage character that Winters played on the 1950s TV series Sky King. Caws picked up Winters’ book at a Salvation Army store and realized he could use passages from it for a song he was writing. He wrote a chorus that embodied the perspective presented in Penny’s Guide. Caws told Motif magazine the chorus is in the voice of “someone who approached life … in a very competitive way.” He also wrote it from a straight male perspective.
I’m head of the class
I’m popular
I’m a quarterback
I’m popular
My mom says I’m a catch
I’m popular
I’m never last picked
I got a cheerleader chick
The verses, on the other hand, come directly from Penny’s Guide. (Winters, of course, receives co-writing credit, along with Caws and Lorca.) The song begins with Catherine Talese—a friend of Caws who gets credited for “Popularspeak”—saying, “No, I don’t care. I mean, hey, I got Penny.” Then Talese proceeds with reading some of Winters’ prose.
There comes a time in in every girl’s life
When she’s really got to ask herself deep down inside
Is she ready to be going steady?
Rules for Breaking Up and Being Attractive
Talese ponders whether to date “Johnny,” and then her voice is faded out, just as Caws interrupts with Penny’s “three important rules for breaking up.” In the first verse, Caws lays out each of these rules while elaborating on how and why to execute them. First, Don’t put off breaking up when you know you want to. Second, Don’t make a big production. Lastly, If you want to date other people, say so.
In the second verse, Caws moves on to reciting Winters’ advice about being attractive.
Being attractive is the most important thing there is
If you wanna catch the biggest fish in your pond
You have to be as attractive as possible
Make sure to keep your hair spotless and clean
Wash it at least every two weeks
Caws also shares a couple of other suggestions from Winters on how to “catch the biggest fish.”
And if you see Johnny Football Hero in the hall
Tell him he played a great game
Tell him you liked his article in the newspaper
The One-Month Limit
The last bit of Winters’ advice that Caws shares is her proposed one-month limit on going steady. Caws assertively makes Winters’ case, outlining the benefits of the cap on dating time.
I think it would keep people more able to deal with weird situations
And get to know more people
Then Caws shares Winters’ assurances that implementing the one-month limit will work out for the best. She suggests that Johnny will “appreciate your fresh look on dating” and reassures her readers that “once you’ve dated someone else, you can date him again.” Caws presses on with Winters’ pitch, making several more points to support the notion of boyfriend term limits.
You’re so novel, what a good idea
You can keep your time to yourself
You don’t need date insurance
You can go out with whoever you want to
Every boy, every boy in the whole world could be yours
Caws whips himself into a frenzy as he closes the pitch with If you’ll just listen to my plan / The teenage guide to popularity! Peter Gabriel once sang, “I’d rather trust a man who doesn’t shout what he’s found.” It’s probably safe to assume that Caws subscribes to that philosophy as well. His shouting feels more like a warning about Winters’ vigilant perspective on dating than an endorsement of it.
The Impact of “Popular”
“Popular” was not only Nada Surf’s first single—it was their first and only single to reach a Billboard chart. It topped out at No.11 on the Alternative Airplay chart and No. 51 on the Radio Songs chart. And here’s a fun meta moment: According to Songfacts, “Popular” is the most popular song to have the word “popular” in its title. It also helped to land Nada Surf’s debut album High/Low on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 63.
The Brooklyn, New York-based band Pom Pom Squad covered “Popular” and released it as a single in 2021. Caws contributed backing vocals to the Pom Pom Squad version.
Because of “Popular’s” enduring popularity, Nada Surf has been labeled as a one-hit wonder. That doesn’t mean they haven’t continued to make music that has resonated with fans over the ensuing decades. In addition to High/Low, the band has placed three albums on the Billboard 200, and their most recent album, Never Not Together (2020), is their highest-charting album (No. 44) on Billboard’s Top Album Sales rankings. Even with the lack of a second hit single, Caws has called the renown of “Popular” a “blessing,” adding “I’m sure we caught a lot of fans” due to its extensive airplay.
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Photo by John Shearer/WireImage for KROQ-FM
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