Day three of ABBA week is a doozy. I researched songs and put them in the countdown only to change my mind at the last minute. So, it's an eclectic mix today. There's songs from the early days right through to songs that were amongst the last ABBA ever recorded.
Unintentionally I've picked songs where each band member has their moment in the sun. Showing once again the versatility and vast range of music that this supergroup produced in their all too short 10 year run.
15. Andante, Andante - 1980
Andante, Andante. Again, no idea what it means but nevertheless I would like to thank ABBA for introducing this phrase to me. This is a stellar moment in the discography of ABBA. Frida takes the reins and the song is so much better for it.
In some songs, Frida and Agnetha have the tendency to really go at the lyrics. Attack is too strong of a word, but you can hear them really shooting for every syllable. Instead, with Andante Andante, Frida lets her superb tone do the heavy lifting.
You can really feel the notes and therefore the lyrics in this one. Frida speaks of a softness in the lyrics that is also evident in her approach to this song. It's a beautiful song with a terrific performance from ABBA's most seasoned performer.
Agnetha joins in at the chorus, taking the song to a whole new level. Andante, Andante is slow and moving. Faster songs like Dancing Queen take hold of you immediately, yet even the slowness of Andante, Andante is gripping. Perhaps this is because of the story it tells.
14. Angel Eyes - 1976
No two ways about it, I love Angel Eyes. This song really makes you wonder: has there ever been two voices that join together more beautifully than Agnetha's and Frida's? Those harmonies at the top of the song signify that we are about to be in for a bop.
Angel Eyes is ABBA storytelling at its finest. Not that I'm a song writer but I do love me some pop music. I've heard great songs and some pretty ordinary ones over the years. What the ordinary ones fail to do is simultaneously share a story while also being catchy.
This is a problem that Angel Eyes doesn't have. The girls are letting us all in on a betrayal while the boys have crafted lyrics that are catchy enough to stick in your head after the first listen.
You can see how great of a story Angel Eyes tells in the second Mamma Mia movie. Tanya and Rosie can tell the story of Bill's betrayal by simply speaking the lyrics at first. As the tale progresses, the music starts because after all, it is a musical. But you see what I mean.
13. My Love, My Life - 1976
My Love, My Life is ABBA at their emotional best. I mean, is it really a moving ABBA song if your soul doesn't feel crushed? While coming relatively early in the career of ABBA, this song has the signature pathos that fans of the band love.
I've said before how Benny and Bjorn are master lyricists and this song is just one more example of that. The boys have an uncanny ability to dig deep within themselves to find lyrics that perfectly describe any emotional situation.
There is a depth to the best of ABBA songs and My Love, My Life is one of them. Agnetha takes charge in this one. Navigating the low and subsequent high notes with a precision that can take your breath away.
Frida joins in on backing vocals, providing the sort of emotional gravitas that a song of this caliber demands. The noticeable instrument in this song is Benny's piano. His choice to remain so restrained shows what a seasoned professional he is.
Rather than hijacking the song and therefore the sound with his signature double tracking, Benny instead chooses to play second fiddle to the vocals. Which in turn results in a completed record that is quite simply perfect.
12. The Name of the Game - 1977
I'm going to break from the precedent I have set so far and use The Name of the Game's film clip in order to show how deserving it is of spot number 12 in this countdown. The song is great, as are the vocals and instruments, however the film clip ties it all together.
This is a song about relationships. There's feelings of insecurity, love and a general pleading to work out the future of the said relationship. What better band to explore this notion than ABBA? A band that is made up of married couples.
I can really feel and understand this song when I put it on Spotify, but I really enjoy it when I watch the film clip. When posing the all important question - what's the name of the game - Frida and Agnetha look into the eyes of their respective partners, Benny and Bjorn.
The musicality of this song doesn't usurp the lyrics. Instead, the fragility of a new relationship plays out. From the high notes to the low, every word is sung with feeling. Growing in confidence until it's realised that, to all parties involved, the name of the game actually means a lot.
11. Waterloo - 1974
One has to wonder where ABBA would be without Waterloo. Despite only being 2 minutes and 50 seconds long, this song has a monumental place in history. Firstly, it helped a little known group win Eurovision. Secondly, it introduced that little known group to the entire world.
If Ring Ring was a quintessential Eurovision song. Waterloo is a Eurovision song for the ages. In fact, in 2005, Waterloo was crowned Eurovision's best ever song. It's loud, it's upbeat, it's catchy and my god is it a pop hit. More than 40 years later Waterloo is still an example of pop brilliance.
When listening to this song it's hard to know what its best element is. Perhaps that's because every single note sung, piano key tapped or guitar string strummed, combines together to create something spectacular. A word that forever came to be associated with the musical stylings of Sweden's great exports.
Everyone is at the top of their game in Waterloo. Benny is creating the beat with those magical pianist's fingers. Bjorn is adding the emphasis with every strum of his guitar. Meanwhile the voices of Agnetha and Frida are combining- both in the upper and lower registers- to provide listeners with an entirely new sound.
Waterloo is the perfect example for when it comes to describing ABBA's sound. To sound like ABBA you have to be them. There's no vocal lessons you could take or songwriting seminars that could even get you close to their brilliance. ABBA are a once in a generation band who produced a song that would define Eurovision for generations to come.
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