Regarded as one of the most popular pop groups of all time and the most popular one to come out of Sweden, ABBA is a name known to people of all ages.
Whether they’re people in their thirties or forties singing along to their classic hits, or people in their teens and twenties praising the musical Mamma Mia! One thing’s for sure, this Swedish pop group has a place in everyone’s hearts.
ABBA is an acronym of the first letters of each group member’s names: Angetha, Bjorn, Benny, and Anni. From 1974 till 1983, the group topped charts with every single one of their releases. Their songs weren’t just popular in the late 90s but picked up on in recent years with fan followings for each song.
With all that said, it’s pretty hard having to decide on the top five songs released by one of the most commercially successful groups in history. Most of their albums have been certified platinum and topped charts in several countries.
Top 5 ABBA Songs
Here’s a list of some of their most popular and beloved songs:
1. Mamma Mia!
Starting with their most notable song because of its hit musical namesake. Mamma Mia is an ode to love lost, but not in the traditional melancholic way that you’d assume. With Bjorn and Benny’s genius on the xylophone, listeners go through a wave of twists and turn in under three and a half minutes.
2. Waterloo
Perhaps one of their most clever songs, Waterloo is a metaphor for an unfortunate turn of events in a romantic endeavor taking on inspiration from the French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte’s final surrender during the Battle of Waterloo. The song is upbeat and hypes up the listener to give their luck a go.
3. Lay All Your Love On Me
Lay All Your Love On Me has been resurrected thrice: in 1981 when ABBA first released it, in 2008 when it was performed for Mamma Mia the musical, and recently in 2020 when the song was picked up by content creators on TikTok.
The song follows the theme of chasing after someone you love, albeit with sexual connotations. Lay All Your Love On Me can be categorized under some of ABBA’s more racy songs.
4. Knowing Me, Knowing You
Equally as memorable as the lyrics would be the music video that accompanied this song. It embodies two things: heartbreak and skintight pantsuits – something that was popular in the late 1990s music era.
The song came at a time when both marriages in the group (yes, ABBA was a group with two married couples) were somewhat on the rocks. The music video shows both women scavenging and reminiscing as they walk past their respective houses and then taking one last look before leaving for good. A masterpiece in its own right.
5. Dancing Queen
Dancing Queen deserves the top spot for several reasons: it’s one of ABBA’s most popular songs, their most commercially successful ones, the one beloved by critics, and their most lyrically and musically skilled ones.
Dancing Queen memorialized the pop group and cemented their position in the world of music as one of the greatest pop groups to have ever come out. It also pays an ode to the disco era of the late 20th century with its fancy disco balls and flamboyant prom-like costumes.
Conclusion
While ABBA never really disbanded, it has been made quite clear that the group isn’t looking towards touring any time soon. They’ve recently released a few collections and have come on stage a couple of times together, but all fans can hold onto for now are some of their classic songs and albums.