Whatever you might think about the Mamma Mia movies, you can’t watch them without acknowledging what a treasure trove of hits the ABBA catalog provides. Song after song, the hooks just keep on coming, seemingly without end.
That’s not bad at all for a group whose main recording period together didn’t quite last a decade. Here are the five ABBA songs that did the best on the U.S. pop charts.
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5. “The Name of the Game” (No. 12 in 1977)
Just pay close attention to the structure of this song, and you can start to understand how elite the songwriting chops were. There’s a slinky verse, an urgent pre-chorus, and then the ringing refrain. The refrain then folds out seamlessly into a sort of middle eight, which then contains its own separate section that leads back into the chorus. Then the whole process unfolds all over again. And the amazing thing is that, unless you’re kind of charting it, you might just miss it all (and it’s OK if you do) because you’re getting lost in the emotion of the lyrics.
4. “The Winner Takes It All” (No. 8 in 1980)
Because the music is so inventive, the lyrical aspect of the ABBA songbook can sometimes get pushed to the background by those assessing their work. But we defy you to find too many pop songs with the lyrical depth of “The Winner Takes It All.” Björn Ulvaeus was responsible for the lyrics, likely channeling them in the wake of his marriage struggles. But the lyrics on the page can only go so far. It took Agnetha Fältskog to bring them to riveting life with a performance that seems to encompass all the stages of grief (and then some) for a crumbling relationship.
3. “Waterloo” (No. 6 in 1974)
Those folks who watch the Eurovision song contest these days and roll their eyes about the spectacle of it all might not realize that it was in many ways responsible for the ABBA phenomenon. We’re guessing the group would have eventually found its way to stardom anyway. But “Waterloo” fast-tracked them in Europe, as millions were exposed to their brilliant chemistry. The ebullient song with the clever metaphor also conquered U.S. audience members, most of whom were completely oblivious to the contest success.
2. “Take a Chance on Me” (No. 3 in 1978)
Sorrow is a much easier emotion for songwriters and artists to evoke then joy. The Beatles had a knack for great songs that could stir up immediate happiness. So too did the Motown artists benefiting from the songwriting available from folks like Smokey Robinson and Holland-Dozier-Holland. Perhaps no other artist embodies that quality in the ’70s as well as ABBA. “Take a Chance on Me” is a prime example of this ability. Right from the a cappella opening, it’s just a wave of positivity and good feeling, as the narrator’s unstoppable optimism rubs off on all listeners.
1. “Dancing Queen” (No. 1 in 1976)
It’s not always the case that a band’s biggest hit is their greatest artistic achievement as well. But how can you deny “Dancing Queen,” and why would you ever try? Songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (with an assist from group manager Stig Anderson) managed to combine pop and disco in airtight fashion. The chord changes in the chorus take the song to ridiculous heights. And that’s especially the case when Agneta Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s harmonies elevate them even higher. Simply one of the finest singles of all time that deserved every bit of its success.
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