Ok, Abba folks, just how good were they? Will anyone even admit to liking them? Were they more than just clean, shiny europop? Is there any other band of their ere to compare them with? There's certainly no one out there in the pop market today. And is Dancing Queen their greatest ever song (I honestly can't decide as I think I love them all equally)?

Personally I think they wrote some of the greatest pop tunes of all time (The Winner Takes it All, Chiquitita, Take a Chance On Me etc.), but for some reason I only seem to listen to them around this time of year. I'm by no means a hardcore fan. I only got into them around '98 when my brother bought Abba Gold and then I saw Muriel's Wedding, but I still think they're genius. I think I'm also starting to appreciate them more given the current decline of what I consider good pop music in the last decade or so.

Abba Gold is still the only disc of theirs I own. I always got the impression they were more of a singles band, but I might feel inclined to purchase one of their studio albums if I see any on sale. Maybe someone here can recommend one...

I Loved them.. Damn this is Old stuff but Did Erasure do some of their songs? I have an album who is it by? Refresh my memory peeps..
[Edited 12/27/05 20:06pm]

nah, dont like them. They are well crafted pop songs, but i still dont like them. And dancing queen is vile.

thesexofit said:

more of an Ace of Base type a guy

thesexofit said:

Well, shit, no wonder you don't like 'em.
[Edited 12/27/05 20:43pm]

lilgish said:

thesexofit said:

[Edited 12/27/05 20:24pm]

love them

Take A Chance on Me, Momma Mia, Waterloo, Fernado, Money, Money, Money, Name of the Game, Gimme Gimme Gimme, S.O.S, Knowing You Knowing Me

I love ABBA, I had Waterloo stuck in my head for like a week last month...

One of my all-time favorite tunes is Chiquitita...in Spanish. Growing up all I heard were the Spanish versions.



One of my all-time MOST embarrassing moments was in High School when I was telling someone that ABBA did good "for a Latin American band".

She was good on "Angel," but only passable in "The Fantastic Four."

I think they're supreme!

Huge ABBA fan here!!!

When I think of "pop" I think of ABBA and not some lame, soulless crap like today's chart ruling Britney Spears.

They created some of the greatest pop music ever; I mean pop MUSIC!!!
Amazing vocals, fantastic arrangements, huge sound and THAT mixing still kicks ass !!!

Great musicians, great singers!!!

Their magic will live forever!!!

Always have, always will

PANDURITO said:

What's your favourite album and song???

Cheek said:

The album / The Name of the Game ... maybe

I really couldn't pick just one though. They were my first favourite group as a kid and it has always been very special to me.
I love the sound they were getting when they split

PANDURITO said:

"The Album" is my favourite album too!!!
Fav songs are: "One Man, One Woman", "Hole In Your Soul" and "The Day Before You Came".

Cheek said:

"One Man, One Woman" has wetted my eyes occasionally when I haven't listened to it in a long time and it takes me by surprise

PANDURITO said:

Awww...

It shows you have a beautiful soul!!!

classic

I can take them or leave them.

Love ABBA. Adored them when I was a kid. Have all of their albums. I had such a major crush on Agnetha Faltskog. I ran a thread on "Dancing Queen" long time ago and folks on here acted like I was crazy for even liking the song. So I thought no one on here dug ABBA at all. Now I see that someone else does. They had great production on their tracks.

Funny thing,they were never really accepted in Sweden
when they were productive in the 70's.
They were much more succesful over the world.
Altho in the 90's they got extremely huge in Sweden.
Suddenly everyone claimed that they grew up on Abba
/peace Manki

VoicesCarry said:

Just 'cause critics love them dont mean i have to.

thesexofit said:

ABBA are billionaires because of their music - somehow I don't think it's just the critics that like 'em.

VoicesCarry said:

Well, ok, i just find their music too happy.

thesexofit said:

I thought you loved happy music.

VoicesCarry said:

well, if its funky enough. Madonna is generally too poppy as is or was mariah for example. Abba are so sickly sweet and mega cheesy.

I have at least a lose spot in my heart for them. Though I always thought their sound is - thanks to historical reasons - "cheesy" and maybe hides their qualities a little bit. There IS a lot in that music that could brought to the light of the day with the help of some production boost. But, yes they were good, very good.

And the sample in Madonnas latest single showed that this simply was well crafted work.

Today I popped into HMV to see if they had any cheap ABBA albums available. They had a few, but before I forked out I saw Madonna on the cover of Record Collector. After reading her section I then noticed a review of The Complete Studio Recordings of ABBA, a box set that includes all 8 studio albums remastered, a rarities cd, 2 dvds, a lyrics booklet, and a picture timeline booklet. 5 stars they said. Sounds cool. I find it hidden away amongst the box sets section on sale for 129 euro. Now I own pretty much everything ABBA ever recoreded. I must say I'm very impressed. It's nice to pick up everthing in one clean swoop, unlike other artists where I end up buying the same stuff 5 times over. Every serious music lover who appreciates ABBA should look into this...

Amazon description:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/e...84-1698839

The box set comprises 9 CDs & 2 DVDs, plus a full colour booklet with photos, etc. A separate booklet will contain lyrics to all the songs contained in the box set. This will mark the first ever release of a complete ABBA studio recordings set since the band's formation 33 years ago, and the first set to tell the ABBA story both through audio and video content.
The first eight CDs will include each of the band's studio albums, plus all the B-sides, versions in Spanish, German, French and Swedish, etc. CD 9 will contain a selection of rarities, most of which were originally released after the band's heyday.

The lavishly packaged box set will also include 2 DVDs, featuring all the promo videos ever released by the band, THE HISTORY documentary which covers the overview of the ABBA story, and a previously unreleased concert, which was originally a part of the television special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA.

Well, I met their music when I was about... 7 years old, yeah Dancing Queen...

I really became a fan after a TV special with the concert at the Wempley Arena in England...

The winner takes it all blew me away. Bought all their records...

The Visitors is probably my fav. A dark record that is not the bes commercial success they had, but I think one of their finest.

And, yap, I was lucky enough to see their movie when I was still at elementary school. TWICE!!

Ain't that luck?