Bicycle Mechanics - what is this creaking sound?

when exert any force on my bike, i.e. up hill riding or standing up while pedaling, i get this creaking sound. the more force the more it turns to an almost popping sound. everything's tight. everything's got lube. i was just sitting outside holding the wall and rocking back and forth slowly on it while applying only minimal pressure to the pedals and it mad this sad little 'grandma in her rocking chair' kinda sound. i know that my options are basically the pedals, the cranks or the bottom bracket. so is there any way to narrow it down and figure out which one it is? or are there other options for creakiness?

It's funny how bad people (myself included) are at figuring out where sounds are coming from. You could take off the pedals, then the cranks, and see if it goes away. Creaks and pops usually come from the saddle. Often where the rails meet at the nose, meaning you can have it bolted on really hard and it will still make noise. You might also want to make sure that the sound isn't coming from your fork that's about to collapse.

Are you sure it is not the stem/handlebar?

I had the exact same problem, fixed it today. Took off the cranks, opened the bottom bracket, cleaned every component till it was sparkling, and repacked with a nice wad of fresh grease. Couldn't be smoother or more quiet. I love it. I have an old crappy MTB, and my brother rode it this afternoon and said it felt like riding on air.