The In-Sect - article - feature - music

The Best of ABBA

Clockwise from the upper left: Most recent photos from Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

ABBA is the most famous pop group from Sweden ever, they sold 370 million records from 1972 to 1982. They were the first act from Continental Europe to score in the anglophone countries. And they were my personal entrance in popular music. And I had a crush on Anni-Frid. ABBA wasn’t really popular in my school, Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin would have been more trendy, so I listened to their music secretly. Though fashion may have changed a little their music is still perfect pop. I collected the best clips from YouTube for you. In no particular order:

Knowing me, knowing you

“Knowing me, knowing you, there is nothing we can do. We just have to face it, this time we’re through. Breaking up is never easy, I know but I have to go. It’s the best I can do.” Both marriages were divorced.

Take a chance on me

One of their most successful singles and Elton John’s favourite ABBA song!

Honey, Honey

Not one of the best songs, but a wonderful cheesy video! Yes, we thought they dressed cool in the seventies. I can’t explain it myself.

SOS

Pete Townshend declared “SOS” the most perfect Pop song of all time!

Waterloo

This one started their success. Watch them winning the national heat for the Eurovision song contest 1974.

Money, Money, Money

Lasse Hallstrom, who directed all of the ABBA videos, acknowledged this clip as the best ABBA video he ever made.

Mamma Mia

This is the song which replaced Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from the top spot of the UK’s single charts in January 1976. (Why this song also contained ‘Mamma Mia’ in its lyrics slumbers deep down in the British unconscious.)

So long

This is ABBA trying to prove they can play rock numbers too. It was their personal chart disaster and is the worst performing ABBA single – it failed to chart in the UK completely. It’s a real good song anyway.