There is only one ABBA so in honour of this once in a generation band I am hereby declaring this week as ABBA week. Rather than spend the week going through the history of the band and merely touching on some of their great songs, I have decided to do things a little differently.
This week will instead be about celebrating the 25 greatest ABBA songs of all time. With over 100 songs to their name this is no easy feat. On second thought, maybe the top 50 would of been easier... Anyway, onwards we push with day two of ABBA week which will explore numbers 20 through 16 of their 25 greatest songs.
20. Ring Ring - 1973
Ring Ring is the epitome of a pop banger... if only the word 'banger' had been used in 1973. Loud instrumental music? Check. Killer harmonies? Check. Catchy lyrics? You guessed it- check.
The history of Ring Ring is just as good as the feel good song. Written in 1973, ABBA had high hopes for this song. This is because Ring Ring was meant to cement ABBA as Sweden's entry into Eurovision.
Despite possessing a quintessential Eurovision vibe, ABBA would miss out on qualifying for the world renowned competition. It was back to the drawing board for the group, however, such is the power of ABBA that Ring Ring will nevertheless go down as a great pop song.
19. Honey, Honey - 1974
Honey, Honey is early ABBA and yet it holds up against all their other songs. Sung with precision and using the vocals of all four band members, the power this group has is just being realised in this song.
Fans had gotten used to the girls singing their hearts out, but the boys provide noteworthy vocal contributions to this song. This is important because without Benny and Bjorn's voices, this song wouldn't be a well rounded or balanced record.
Honey, Honey explores a relationship from a male and female perspective. Agnetha and Frida sing of the soaring possibilities of love while the boys, through their deep vocals, provide a grounding feature. Once again nailing the back and forth of love.
18. Rock Me - 1975
Rock Me is intended for a bit of light-hearted fun. The heavy guitar and vocals from Bjorn act as a subtle message to the world that this band is far from done. This style of song would also help ABBA become inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Rock Me is a message to the world that ABBA is a band that has so much to give. They can excel at producing pop hits and dance music but they can also venture into rock and pull it off. Just when we thought we had ABBA worked out, Rock Me entered the charts to show us all just how wrong we were.
While being a song that gets the body moving, Rock Me is really included in this countdown because I believe it to be an underrated example of just how talented this band is. Their music and their individual ability knows no bounds. This record shows the enduring and far reaching appeal of this Swedish supergroup.
17. Dum Dum Diddle - 1976
Dum Dum Diddle is 2.54 short minutes of unadulterated fun. This song is yet another example of when Benny would use double tracking to have the music break the barrier between the CD and the listener.
Lighthearted and fun, this song has none of the emotional pathos that listeners would love, but instead it's a track that has the power to uplift the mood of its listeners. Once again Frida and Agnetha shine. To be fair it's hard to find a song where the girls don't shine.
This song in particular has elements that remind me of Celine Dion. Celine is renowned for her unparalleled ability to sing a long note without wavering in pitch. In Dum Dum Diddle Agnetha and Frida also showcase this ability.
While not being a song that gets a lot of attention, I truly believe Dum Dum Diddle to be worthy of its spot in this countdown. It shows for one, how versatile ABBA is when it comes to the style of music they produce.
Finally, I think this song speaks volumes as to why this band is a powerhouse. They were literally singing about someone improving their fiddle playing ability, yet they did so in a way that is just so catchy. If I listen to Dum Dum Diddle on a Monday you can be sure that it's still in my head come Sunday.
16. Our Last Summer - 1980
Our Last Summer is a truly moving track from the album Super Trouper which would later signal the beginning of the end for this phenomenal band. Bjorn and Agnetha had split and the writing was on the wall for Frida and Benny.
What ensued was arguably one of the greatest albums of all time- Super Trouper. Our Last Summer is just one standout track on this album. It also happens to be ABBA at their storytelling best.
Frida is a force in this song. The way in which she sings the lyrics allows her to paint a picture in the minds of the listeners. So much so that one could think they were actually there, experiencing this last summer of love.
There is longing, a tinge of regret and the underlying feeling that perhaps, in the face of the personal breakups, things for ABBA were never going to be the same. This song is beautiful on its own and almost haunting in the way it foreshadows the last swan song for a group the world adored.
I feel this song in the depths of my heart and that's my favourite kind of music. The end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s was a time where ABBA slowly but surely ushered their music into covering emotional ballads. Our Last Summer, however biographical it may actually be, is a song that will be remembered for so much more.
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