Why are ABBA so popular?

[pinball1970]

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[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 :

 

[pinball1970]

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.

Paul McCartney dreamt "Yesterday" and woke up with it in his head. He sang it to the others because he was convinced he had pinched it.
He put chords to the tune and called it scrambled eggs as a place holder.

My feeling is that these guys just lived and breathed music and things were popping into their heads all the time.
ABBA were as good as any of them in my opinion.
They had so many great ideas and would put so much into one track.
Some good songs have a catchy bit, the part you sing along to or that catches your ear, the hook.
ABBA would have three or four killer hooks in one track, just a few notes sometimes.

An example, SOS, intro, interesting pretty. Verse very pretty and sad, hook, Keys run to Chorus hook -sing along -hook, "When you're gone" totally different change, four chords hook.

Now your hook may not be mine but they place them in and none of them sound contrived. One or two will find you.

Seeing them live in the 1970s would have been something else.

 

[DennisN]

An example, SOS, intro, interesting pretty. Verse very pretty and sad, hook, Keys run to Chorus hook -sing along -hook, "When you're gone" totally different change, four chords hook.

Yeah, they stuffed A LOT into that song (and others).
I definitely don't remember when I heard it the first time (I was probably younger than 10), but I reckon it must have been surprising to hear it the first time, with a sort of rock chorus with fuzz guitar coming in after that sad, mellow verse and pop chorus .

 

[DennisN]

Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters (US)) talk open-heartedly about other artists (Queen, Black Sabbath, Kiss, ABBA, Prince, James Brown, The Beatles)...

They talk about ABBA at 1m 10s...

[ABBA] ...It's like the best pop music ever made, I think.

Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins talk about bands (60 minutes)

 

[DennisN]

A lot of good snippets of ABBA covers from various people in this clip...

There were particularly two that stood out for me:

• A duo (a guy and girl) playing "Dancing Queen" live on a street at 6:43 (sounding great)
  
  
• A guy playing rock guitar to "Gimme Gimme Gimme!" at 8:35 and 10:17 (great feel and sound)

ABBA in Rock'n Roll Hall Of Fame (03.15.2010) - acceptance by Frida ft Dave Grohl & fans

 

[pinball1970]

Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters (US)) talk open-heartedly about other artists (Queen, Black Sabbath, Kiss, ABBA, Prince, James Brown, The Beatles)...

They talk about ABBA at 1m 10s...



Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins talk about bands (60 minutes)

"How can you not love ABBA?"

Dave Grohl summed it up perfectly.

 

[DennisN]

I just saw a fun "recent" (3 years ago) clip from BBC...
...Björn and Benny being very relaxed and joking around...
...and they were asked if they would consider writing for a UK entry in the EuroVision contest, and surprisingly (to me) they were not against the idea (* see edit below)...

I post it here for fun:

Abba on new album Voyage: 'We don't need to prove anything' - BBC News


* Edit: the interview above was a slightly different cut.
In the one below they talked about UK and EuroVision:

Abba on new album Voyage: We don't need to prove anything (BBC)