The energy and exuberance in the melody and the attitude of the rhythm are as powerful to me as any rock 'n' roll song, as energizing as any techno dance music, as driving and thrilling as any punk or heavy metal.
Even though I grew up on metal, punk and hard rock and the majority of my listening to this day takes place within those genres, I still keep a heavy dose of pop music in rotation.
You'll also be hearing a lot of use of the word "grunge, " a label used -- typically to the labeled party's chagrin -- to describe purveyors of the raw fusion of heavy metal and punk rock that emerged from the Pacific Northwest.