ABBA GODS OF POP

ABBA may be the best pop group ever, and they are certainly among my favourite artists of all time. And especially in a cold and grey season like this, where I may feel a bit down and uncomfortable, I turn to them and they make me alright again.

I spent a big part of this weekend listening to all ABBA studio albums and watching the Definitive Collection DVD, and it's not only time to worship their genius, but also time to - as usual - make lists.



The 10 best well known ABBA songs:

1. summer night city
An epiphany of disco, pop and atmosphere - 3:35 minutes of sheer perfection.

2. dancing queen
The smooth disco beat cannot be done better, and even considering how marvelous Frida and Agnethas voices sound together on every single ABBA song, here the term "angel voices" is still an understatement.

3. s.o.s.
Amazingly composed hit. The piano intro, the addictive lyrics and the strong guitars in the chorus - straight from pop paradise into the homes of people all around the planet.

4. gimme! gimme! gimme! (a man after midnight)
A dramatic intro takes us to a disco song produced so perfectly, that even the Goddess Madonna has sampled this track. Just put the song on and let it take you: each and every time you'll see how wonderful and stunning the vocals work their way into our hearts, and how the beats work their way to your body. And you cannot hold still.

5. knowing me, knowing you
We should not forget that unlike other pop artists, also the lyrics almost never failed in any ABBA song, this maybe being a prime example. Incredibly powerful, filled with beautiful melodies and guitars that have just the right sound and carry the song from chorus to verse without taking it over. And yes, it features pop's most famous "ahaaaaa".

6. money, money, money
Frida's darker toned vocals fits this tune so perfectly that it takes many many spins until you can actually pay attention to anything else than her voice. When you finally can, you'll hear Benny's piano taking the lead, and especially the precious bass guitar that has (like on so many other ABBA tracks) a warm and groovy seventies sound that you will get hooked on.

7. fernando
Yes, you might want to label it cheesy at first (yes, you hear pipes even..). But this is exactly what a ballad should be: powerful, sensitive and featuring a stupendous and majestic chorus. Once heard, forever loved. It just sticks, but in the best possible way.

8. lay all your love on me
A swift pop sensation, strong beats and fantastic synthie experiments. Fantastic production (an attribute that simply has to be applied to all of ABBA's later works).

9. take a chance on me
The first ABBA song I have ever (consciously) heard, fantastic and creative with Benny and Björn providing the famous background vocals. A tremendous hit.

10. waterloo
The perfect pop/rock song: propulsive, young and ready to conquer the world.


The 10 best lesser known ABBA songs:

1. eagle
Incredibly atmospheric and a bit unusual for Sweden's finest - a manifesto of ABBA, the artists (not "just" the pop group).

2. watch out
ABBA's Heavy Metal song. Sharp guitars, bumping bass and driving female vocals: you know what to do!

3. tiger
Very strong and vibrating tune with a chorus so great that Gods must have written it. And Gods did: Benny and Björn.

4. disillusion
Early ABBA ballad, melancholic and utterly perfect.

5. why did it have to be me
ABBA boogie and a back-and-forth duet between Björn and Frida. Maybe I don't really know why I like this so much, it has sax interludes, is moderate and this boogie piano. But especially the melody after the chorus makes me wanna bounce through my room until I'm out of breath.

6. the visitors
Their last album's title track is an atmospheric masterpiece and so untypical for ABBA that it really makes you see the whole spectrum of their genius. Fantastic how they have arrived in the 80ies on this album, the sounds still sound fresh and addictive as if we had 1981 and would just begin to wear mullets and shoulder pads.

7. hey, hey helen
Rock guitars, vocals to die for, a thick bass and melodies taken right out of space: it's so easy to write a hit. Why can't other bands do it?

8. get on the carousel (live)
This song was never released on CD, but is featured in ABBA: The movie. It's speed speed speed, it's spinning, it's acceleration until you drop or leave the earth's orbit. Must have been amazing to hear this live in concert...

9. that's me
Notable lyrics wrapped in a fantastic bounce - upbeat and straight forward, with angel choirs on top of it.

10. hole in your soul
Built on the fragments of the unreleased 'get on the carousel', this was the intro to ABBA: The Movie and therefore the intro to my progressed ABBA worship. Driven and cool, with great guitars and extraordinary vocal additions.


--Sapnish--