Thrill Power!
Tom from Freaky Trigger (and also I Love Comics) writes about the idea of Thrill Power in pop culture. Give it a read.
Though I'll note that I've got examples which don't jibe with his, and that a lot of Thrill Power can be chalked up to newness and shinyness of a particular piece of cultural output (also known as "Their early albums were better.") Give it a look and let him know what you think.