Welcome back to my deep dive into the 108 albums that Duff McKagan says you should know. For this second installment, we’re taking a turn from the hard rock and punk sensibilities you might expect, and diving headfirst into something truly… golden. We’re talking about ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits.
First, a brief history for those who might not know the full story of this pop phenomenon. Hailing from Sweden, ABBA—an acronym of the first names of its members: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad—burst onto the global scene in the 1970s, winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with “Waterloo.” They quickly became one of the best-selling music acts of all time, known for their catchy melodies, rich harmonies, and extravagant costumes. Despite their phenomenal success throughout the ’70s with hits like “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Fernando,” internal tensions, particularly between the two married couples within the band, eventually led to their hiatus in the early 1980s, though they never officially disbanded.
Like many in my generation, I grew up with ABBA playing on the 8-track player in the car or home. For me, it was a Ford LTD Station Wagon 8-track player that was probably used the most. Yes, ours was like the one pictured with the wood paneling. We had a case that held 18 or so 8-track tapes, and I remember ABBA and Kenny Rogers always being in the case or the player. I know so many of the lyrics and music by heart on this album even though I never owned an ABBA album myself, but someone I know always seemed to have it. For the purposes of this review, I borrowed a copy from the library system in Chicago.
It’s funny how ABBA was probably the last musical group that my mom and I connected on, and now ABBA is the first musical group that I connected with both of my daughters. Years later, “Mamma Mia” still gets sung pretty loud in the car when we are all driving around. That says a lot about the music that this group released. The timelessness of it. Every generation seems to find something there. They are one of the few bands to have hits in every decade since they started. Every songwriter hopes to be that impactful.
Listening to these songs again, you realize they are a master class in pop music production. Everything is mixed perfectly, and there is always a melody to sing, or a beat to tap. The harmonies are always spot on, and lyrical counter parts weave in and out in so many songs. There is nothing flashy in the playing, and there are no guitar “heroes” in this band. Just solid songwriting, masterful production, and a timeless sensibility to the lyrics.
I too, think that an ABBA collection like this or similar belongs in every musician and music lovers library.
Stay tuned for more…..