[Closed] ABBA - Come on fess up

No no no.

Worst band of all time (IMHO)

Can't understand their popularity

Worst band of all time? You have got to be kidding! Milli Vanilli? Spice girls?

A brilliant euro pop band. Catchy songs, lots of hits, longevity. No pretensions to be anything but a catchy pop band but boy were they good at it.

Its the only LP that I nicked off my Mum and played.

Awful dull soulless music for dizzy blonds.

A mate of mine is in an Abba tribute band, Abbalicious or something 😆

Its just an excuse for you to get your white flared jumpsuit on again, isn't it?

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[i]Milli Vanilli? Spice girls?

A brilliant euro pop band.[/i]

And those 2 weren't brilliant pop bands? Ok Milli Vanilla weren't brilliant, but give me the Spice Girls over Abba any day.

ABBA developed and used quite remarkable production and sound reproduction techniques that have very rarely been surpassed since, especially considering the recording technologies available at the time.

Kind of Phil Spector for the 70's/80's.

uselesshippy - Member
No no no

scaredypants - Member
No no no

uselesshippy - Member
there's no limit

Edit - OMG, WTF, LOL, ... look at Barnaby/Bertram/Billy (left of shot) in Binners' pic up there ! The guy on the right looks alright but, jesus, that look wouldn't have worked even on children's TV of the time.

I've lived through 3 Abba revivals I have no intention of enduring another one. Stop now.

How can you compare the Spice Girls to Abba? Just because Abba's 'break' was the Eurovision song contest shouldn't in anyway dent their credibility.

One is endearing with immense longevity and the other is a manufactured UK-centric pop act that was good at the time for little girls to bop to.

Yes Abba's music hasn't aged well however as a package its eternal. They also retired at the right time.

...then I read the Milli Vanilla alongside and realised you were trolling 😉

SOS is a brilliant song. I read an interview somewhere that said that Joe Strummer cited it as his favourite pop song.

Worst band of all time? You have got to be kidding! Milli Vanilli? Spice girls?

Sorry, what I should have said is "worst band of all time that are considered credible"

I like them. Got most of their stuff on CD [b]and[/b] vinyl.

I've lived through 3 Abba revivals

Revivals? ABBA never really go away, they just flare* up from time to time. Like herpes.

My mum and dad played ABBA Gold endlessly in the car whilst I was a kid, along with Richard Clayderman and various Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, which I think inoculated me completely against cheesy 70s music for the rest of my life. Can't stand 'em.

*sorry.

Even worse, I kinda like the film. Its one of those things thats soooooooooo stupidly bad that you can't take you're eyes off it!

[i]How can you compare the Spice Girls to Abba?[/i]

You might want to read the posts again. Nobody did that. Although I can compare them if you wish - Abba had 9 UK number ones, Spice girls had 9 number one singles.
Thats about as interesting they are to me.

This popped up on my playlist last week:

Abba has double the album sales worldwide but (I admit) what is amazing is even in SpiceGirls short window- their total is amazing in itself.

My mum and dad played ABBA Gold endlessly in the car whilst I was a kid, along with Richard Clayderman and various Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, which I think inoculated me completely against cheesy 70s music for the rest of my life. Can't stand 'em.

Yep that about sums up my childhood, I still haven't forgiven my parents.

I love ABBA, genius song writers and producers - the boys

Fantastic voices, diction - the girls

I was so in love with the brunette girl when I was a kid

Plum

My dad used to play Sergio Mendes and Brazil '77 in the car, as his concession to children and "pop" music, and if we were very very lucky and especially well behaved (or if I had vommed enough to get some sympathy) the soundtrack from Grease. It was better than 8 hours of Beethoven all the way to Auckland.

I would have loved a bit of ABBA !!

Everyone likes Abba, just like everyone really likes the Beatles.
Some are too scared to admit it to themselves though 😀

Music is great.
Musical snobbery is sad and pathetic.

It's great music, you can't deny the advances and quality IMO.

Everyone likes Abba, just like everyone really likes the Beatles.

wrong - I for one don't like either, or Queen...

Everyone likes Abba, just like everyone really likes the Beatles.
Some are too scared to admit it to themselves though

Music is great.
Musical snobbery is sad and pathetic.

Spot on!

Oh and plumber, I too had a crush on the brunette...

Abba, the carpenters, simon and garfunkel, mantovani were the mainstay of my early years and I still like them now. 😳

ABBA are like a musical lobotomy.

spicegirls = hollyoaks
abba = coronation street

pop music and soap operas = suicide

Luv abba. Great music

When i was in high school the bloke running the youth block at dinner time where i played pool would only play abba. Every single day, i became used to. Not fussed either way now

Guilty. 😳 Strangely enough, it's always the first album to pop up on my iPod. 8)

Rusty Spanner I loathe the Beatles just awful. They were good though cant deny that, I just hate them.

Calling ABBA crap is just daft, classic pop they wrote themselves. One of the drummers got to drive in F1 and another died in a bizare accident very rock and roll 😆

Everyone likes Abba, just like everyone really likes the Beatles.
Some are too scared to admit it to themselves though
Music is great.
Musical snobbery is sad and pathetic.

I think you're confusing "snobbery" with "taste"

Agnetha (the blond one) featured in most of my teenage fantasies 😯

just like everyone really likes the Beatles.

The beatles were alright when they went through their "stoned off their heads" phase, maybe abba should have done the same.

I like a lot of crap music, and have no problem admitting it. Well, maybe there's some I'd rather keep to myself.

But I honestly don't get how Abba are still so popular. Music for people that don't like music? Dunno. Always thought of it as being the kind of stuff your Mum and Aunty's would dance to at a wedding, but no-one actually [b]likes[/b]

I was brought up listening to ABBA as it one of my dad's favourite bands. Not something I'd particularly listen to by choice these days, but I probably know most of the words to most of the songs these days.

Caught Bjorn Again at Download (I think, might've been Sonisphere) a couple of years ago; they went down surprisingly well.

The reason ABBA are still popular is that they made well crafted inoffensive pop songs with catchy lyrics. Just very good at what they did

One man's well crafted inoffensive pop song is another man's catterwauling dirge.

heh, they're alright. Just music that's catchy and sounds ok, I wouldn't purposefuly listen to it, but I wouldn't say they are crap, same goes for the beatles and queen. I have pink floyd and lady gaga on the same ipod... so?

I have pink floyd and lady gaga on the same ipod... so?

Ooh. Eclectic...

😆

I can't stand Abba, I appreciate what is and what it's for but personally I'd ram the CD or LP down your throat if you tried to play it to me for too long!

I prefer hardcore though or something with a bit more edge to it.

Don't get me wrong I'm not a snob, I even listened to Radio 1 once 🙂

One of my friends visited from Peru once and I counted my pennies and jumped on a train to go meet them her in the big smoke. Her one request was to go and see a "show", while not my thing I agreed, I mean how bad could it be??

Mamma Mia!

Turns out my parents use of Guantanamo Bay tactics were successful and I knew every word of the songs.

Yup. Abba were ace. Proper musicians, making quality pop songs and non of that dreadful manufactured cowell owned crap.

You do have to look passed drunk aunts dancing at weddings and cheesy musicals though to see it.

Does your mother know. 😀

Love Abba ,another guilty pleasure is Barry Manilow!

Was listening to the Carpenters on the radio the other day and really enjoyed it ,must be cos I'm knocking on the door of 40.

Love em \m/

Was listening to the Carpenters on the radio the other day and really enjoyed it

i think that the carpenters material is sickly sweet shmaltz of the worst possible kind - but karen carpenter's voice is one of the most beautiful things i've ever heard.

I love Abba, they are masters of pop music. Great hooks, melodies, voices, lyrics, production techniques etc. etc. etc.

TS

Oh yeah, I liked the blonde one too 🙂

PS Barry Manilow and the Carpenters are definite no's though!

ABBA were excellent at what they did, and surpass the likes of Spice Girls by far. The proof lies in the fact that we are arguing about them 37 years after 'Waterloo'.

Their music is stage-musical quality, and while I can quite understand that not everyone is going to be into musicals, that they have emotional power can hardly be disputed.

I'm playing an Abba tribute night (not a big fan but thought it should be fun).

It's on the 4th of may at the Rising Sun Arts Centre in Reading from 8 if anyone's interested. 10 bands, 24 songsand all procedes to support the arts centre.

(appologies for shameless plug)

ABBA, Bee Gees and Blondie ... they are the best bands in the world end off.

Everyone likes Abba, just like everyone really likes the Beatles.
Some are too scared to admit it to themselves though
Music is great.
Musical snobbery is sad and pathetic.

Beatles? ... shite. Paul McShite is still alive I think ...

I have to say all you have very poor maggot music taste ... pink floyd ... shite ... who else? Oh they are shite too.

Queen is alright but now it is shite without Freddie Mecury ...

What say you? Shite ...

What rap music? Shite ...

SaxonRider - Member
that they have emotional power can hardly be disputed.

They had as much emotional power as an episode of On the Buses.

There are a good few tracks ABBA did really well, y'know the popular stuff, singles mostly. But have you really listened to some of the albums, well some of them there songs ain't the best thing this side of the ranch.

Soooo for that reason I'm a fan of the singles and popular stuff, appreciate all they have done for the PoP world, without them we'd be in a slightly non harmonic place, which if you've listened to a band called Cancer (yes I'll have to admit I have, as I know the bass player/drummer and singist) you'll understand the beauty of harmony.

See what I mean..

Thanks ABBA

Lifer - Member

SaxonRider - Member
that they have emotional power can hardly be disputed.

They had as much emotional power as an episode of On the Buses.

I was talking about musicals having emotional power.

Oh, in that case 😆

bikebouy

Funny thing is that my cousin is a drummer for a death metal band ... lol ... his music taste is still shite regardless of his machine gun drumming technique ... bloody nancy boy ...

such beautiful music..they dont make it like that no more.

Well the Drummer in that band is called Carl (surname held for obvious reasons) He's actually pretty good all told, started out in a band I used to play in and out of all of us I have to say he was the one with the drive and initiative to become a pro at it.
He's pretty handy with a spray gun too.
He's a nice bloke n'all.

Music stinks mind.

No Dancing Queen though, Drama Queen well yes.

PS Barry Manilow and the Carpenters are definite no's though!

Was a kid when Abba were really popular, and did not get them then, apart from the dark haired lady who has matured elegantly.

However Summer Night City is fantastic.

That said I also enjoy Chic and loved Spacer by Sheila B Devotion. Earth Wind & Fire. Donna Summer.

Part of an eclectic music appreciation.

Some of the STW massive chill out and accept (also not a bad band in my opinion.....) that other tastes are also valid.

Ah, this thread is superb.
From the young, way too cool hipsters to the failed, cynical, bitter ex musos, it's got everything.

Music is just noise - some of it you like, some you don't. 😀

Dez & benz are right, it's simply a matter of taste - and no one's is more valid than anyone elses.
Sorry for stirring, but when it comes to music I can't help it. 😐

I'm off to listen to a bit of The Band:

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G'night Levon.
Ta.

Always loved ABBA tunes. Bit of a contrast with my usual diet of folk, metal and prog!

And don't dis Karen Carpenter.

Bitter ex muso, what moi? I'm having none of it, "slams guitar on floor and storms out of forum"

My mates older sister took us to see 'ABBA the Movie at the flicks in Stourbridge, (showing my age now), and I've been a fan ever since. (should admit at this point that I was quite a fan of his older sister, in a young crush kinda way).

[I like a lot of crap music, and have no problem admitting it. Well, maybe there's some I'd rather keep to myself.]

Colnel Wax - if [b]you[/b] like it, why's it crap??

I'm not sure I actually like Abba though I don't particularly dislike them either. I think what I like [i]about[/i] them is the mnemonic effect; their songs instantly take me back to my childhood. It's odd, I like the effect of the music but not the music itself. Even weirder though was hearing John Denver's Country Roads the other day - I dint even know that I knew all the words. In fact, I didn't even realise iwas having a good old sing song until someone pointed it out.

the winner takes it all..
beautiful song,superbly produced and written masterpiece