Music Why are ABBA so popular?

[DennisN]

Darn, I'm having a good time finding history gems...

Here is a RARE interview where the ABBA members reveal who their favorite artists are; I've never heard them talk about this before. They also comment on Swedish language and that many in Sweden know English very well and listen very much to British and US music - I can testify this is true, I really did, and still do. And Agneta calls The Beatles legends.
And they say they started writing music because of The Beatles.

Their own personal favorite artists are:

• The Eagles
• Queen
• The Beatles
• 10cc
• Rufus
• Beach Boys

ABBA• Interview (Career/Sweden/Influences/Personal Tastes) • 1977 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]

 

[Hornbein]

Darn, I'm having a good time finding history gems...

Here is a RARE interview where the ABBA members reveal who their favorite artists are; I've never heard them talk about this before. They also comment on Swedish language and that many in Sweden know English very well and listen very much to British and US music - I can testify this is true, I really did, and still do. And Agneta calls The Beatles legends.
And they say they started writing music because of The Beatles.

Their own personal favorite artists are:

• The Eagles
• Queen
• The Beatles
• 10cc
• Rufus
• Beach Boys

ABBA• Interview (Career/Sweden/Influences/Personal Tastes) • 1977 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]

They all had really good harmony singing, with the exception of Rufus. (I dunno about 10cc). One wonders why this disappeared from music. Rufus had groove, as does ABBA.

My favorite harmony singing is by the Grateful Dead on American Beauty. They didn't know what they were doing, had no respect for any tradition, did it all by ear, but nevertheless came up with some really good and highly original stuff. They were at the time unable to reproduce it live. Many suspected ringers on the recording, but eyewitnesses all claim that it truly was them singing. But not Abba's sort of thing. Abba has some originality too, enough that they don't sound like a copy of anybody.

 

[DennisN]

with the exception of Rufus

I have never heard about that band. I'm heading to youtube now to listen to what kind of music it is.

Edit:

Ah, one of the members was Chaka Khan.
I really like her vocals, and I love this song: I Feel for You.
I loved it the first time I heard it, and I still do.

 

[Hornbein]

I have never heard about that band. I'm heading to youtube now to listen to what kind of music it is.

Tell Me Something Good was their hit record. Very clever rhythmic thing. Chaka Khan was the star, and soon went off on a solo career.

 

[DennisN]

Tell Me Something Good

I am listening to it. Really good. Extremely groovy and funky. I like.

 

[DennisN]

By the way, after ABBA quit making music, both Agneta and Frida recorded some good songs...
I don't know how well known they are out of Sweden...

I actually really like Agneta's album "Wrap Your Arms Around Me", here are three songs from that album:

The Heat Is On (with a sound that feels very tropical/Carribean)


Wrap Your Arms Around me (a very lush slow song, lovely and hypnotic)


Shame (though I don't like the verse that much, but the chorus is really, really good)


And here's one cool song with Frida:

Frida - I Know There's Something Going On

 

[DennisN]

Frida - I Know There's Something Going On

Hmm, I read an interesting comment on youtube:

Frida of ABBA! In case you weren't aware, the song is about her divorce with Benny Anderson and is a continuation of Phil Collin's - "In The Air Tonight" (which was about also about Phil's divorce)

This is why Frida asked Phil to produce the album. She connected with him in this way. It's also why the drums sound like a continuation of "In The Air Tonight."

Try playing "In The Air Tonight" and immediately after play "There's Something Going On." It'll all make sense musically and lyrically.

Just spreading some music history for everyone to enjoy

I wonder if that is correct. I know she knew Phil Collins.
I have to listen to "In The Air Tonight" and then "I Know There's Something Goin On"...

 

[Hornbein]

The Heat Is On (with a sound that feels very tropical/Carribean)

Dang. I thought she was going to cover Glenn Frey. I think a calypso version of that would work. Any takers out there? This could be your ticket to stardom!

 

[jack action]

ABBA Waterloo - Swedish version

Björn looks like a member of KISS :

 

[DennisN]

Björn looks like a member of KISS :

View attachment 353109View attachment 353110​

Haha, I've never thought about that.

 

[rcgldr]

Rufus ... one of the members was Chaka Khan.

Chaka Khan - I'm Every Woman

Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody

 

[rcgldr]

I dunno about 10cc

If you include Godley & Creme (after they left 10cc) two main hits:

10cc - I'm Not In Love

Godley & Creme - Cry (Miami Vice version, better quality audio on this re-mix)

 

[rcgldr]

good harmony

Crosby Stills & Nash - Helplessly Hoping

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

Elle Cordova, Toni Lindgren, Josh Tuner - Cover of The Chain (album version)

Taylor Neita, Carson McKee, Josh Turner - cover of Black Velvet

Blac Rabbit & Josh Turner - cover of Paperback Writer

 

[Hornbein]

Crosby Stills & Nash - Helplessly Hoping

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

Elle Cordova, Toni Lindgren, Josh Tuner - Cover of The Chain (album version)

Taylor Neita, Carson McKee, Josh Turner - cover of Black Velvet

Blac Rabbit & Josh Turner - cover of Paperback Writer

That's some mighty fine harmony. Here's my vote for best sounding vocal harmony ever recorded.



The utter solidity of the rhythm section doesn't hurt either. If I taught rock I'd tell my students to (try to) play like this.

 

[pinball1970]

One crash? Very minimalistic . Ringo Starr would have been impressed, I think.

 

[jack action]

View attachment 353231

And a lefty!

 

[pinball1970]

And a lefty!

Like the great man himself.

 

[DennisN]

Another fun video...
...a woman who is a great bass player shows how to play the bass on some ABBA songs that have been mentioned in this thread... (spoiler: the basslines are not easy )

• Waterloo
• Gimme Gimme Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
• Dancing Queen
• Knowing Me, Knowing You
• Voulez-Vous

Top 5 ABBA Bass Lines | Julia Hofer | Rutger Gunnarsson, Mike Watson | Thomann​

 

[pinball1970]

Another fun video...
...a woman who is a great bass player shows how to play the bass on some ABBA songs that have been mentioned in this thread... (spoiler: the basslines are not easy )

• Waterloo
• Gimme Gimme Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
• Dancing Queen
• Knowing Me, Knowing You
• Voulez-Vous

Top 5 ABBA Bass Lines | Julia Hofer | Rutger Gunnarsson, Mike Watson | Thomann​

Thanks Dennis I will check later.

 

[Astronuc]

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

I was thinking about the popularity of pop music and Fleetwood Mac came to mind when I recently heard a Fleetwood Mac concert on TV that a friend was watching.

Then the Beatles, Eagles, Heart and many others were popular. It's the music, the melody/harmony, the lyrics, the beat, . . . .

Very little pop music appealed to me. I was more oriented to the classic rock of the late 60s, 70s and early 80s.

 

[pinball1970]

. (I dunno about 10cc).

Wow! In terms of song writers and diversity just fantastic.

 

[DennisN]

Another ridiculously good song by ABBA...
The music, the melodies and the production in the verses are on a magical, sublime level, what can I say... I tip my hat once again...

ABBA - Chiquitita (Official Music Video)

 

[pinball1970]

Another ridiculously good song by ABBA...
The music, the melodies and the production in the verses are on a magical, sublime level, what can I say... I tip my hat once again...

ABBA - Chiquitita (Official Music Video)

The Chorus is so ridiculously uplifting, it sounds like folk.I put this and Fernando together.

 

[DennisN]

I put this and Fernando together.

I agree... they have a similar feel and approach.

 

[pinball1970]

Pure magic...

Benny Andersson plays his favourite Abba song

I dont think we have discussed this one much. What a beautiful piece? It would fit as a classical piano piece.

 

[pinball1970]

Similar to this

 

[DennisN]

I saw a very fun clip from 1976 where Björn and Benny of ABBA describe the song writing process (at 8m 44s and onwards (I tried timestamping the clip but it did not work, edit: correct timestamp link here))...

It's quite unusual to hear artists describe the song writing process, but I think they describe it well; they emphasize that it's not rational nor calculated, it's all based on feeling/intuition and it takes a lot of time to do...

ABBA In London, November 1976 (Young Nation, BBC)

 

[jack action]

 

[Hornbein]

(I tried timestamping the clip but it did not work))...

On PhysicsForums timestamping only works if the link the reader sees is text and the text isn't the URL.

I don't believe there is a common song writing process. Richard Rogers was as good a songwriter as anyone and they say he was very methodical and calculating. He attended many musicals and analyzed what got the audience going and what didn't. Tom Sholtz, I'm told was very methodical and calculating but didn't go out much. Some are fast, some are slow. Tom Petty said it took him weeks to write a song. I'm usually very fast but depend entirely on inspiration and very seldom compose anything. I know Bob Dylan and Lennon/McCartney could and did toss off big hits in a few hours but dunno if that was their usual schtick. Some people write lyrics first, Tom Petty did chords first, others melody first, others do whatever. I once had a song come to me in a dream. It's also usual that pop songwriters lose the knack after a few years, but Nile Rogers and Mick Jagger didn't. Robby Krieger said Light My Fire was the first song he ever wrote (!) Ya never know.

 

[DennisN]

Tom Petty said it took him weeks to write a song. I'm usually very fast but depend entirely on inspiration and very seldom compose anything.

Your post reminded me of a video I recently saw and enjoyed very much, so I'd like to share it...
Tom Petty was talked about in it (and I am a big fan of him) and Rick Rubin hailed him as a great hook writer. He also hailed Red Hot Chili Peppers as among the best musicians on the planet.

The video is a long interview Rick Beato did with the legendary producer Rick Rubin about his diverse career as a producer for various artists (they talk about Tom Petty from 54:24 and onwards). It was very interesting to hear his approach to music and production in general, I personally got a lot out of it, actually.

The Rick Rubin Interview (Rick Beato)


Well, I can't post this without also posting a great song by Tom Petty :