For I know I hear a bittersweet song

22. I Still Have Faith In You | 7.4



Highest Scores: 11: (Herbs,___∆___), 10: (Qween, Nina West, gooddelta, Eduardo), Lowest Scores: 1: (Dante77)


At #22 is one of ABBA's comeback releases - I Still Have Faith In You, released in September 2021 as a dual single alongside 'Don't Shut Me Down', both of which featured on their 9th studio album Voyage. The track was recorded back in 2017 as one of two new songs & key parts of the melody was based on a Benny Anderson "Kyssen" (The Kiss), from the soundtrack to the Swedish film 'The Circle'. The song has been described as "an ode to their friendship and to the bonds that have matured and survived despite divorce and heartbreak".

Upon release it was praised by critics & became a commercial success by hitting top 10 peaks in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland & Finland, as well as top 20 peaks in Hungary, Norway, UK, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland & Austria. The song also received a nomination for Record of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

During the first half of the rate this was in the top 20, but started to slip during the middle due to some middling scores. However it still maintained a decent average for such a recent song & its counterpart is stil in the running. This made for a stunning comeback release after nearly 40 years away & simply shows that ABBA still has what it takes to make great music. Okay they may have not moved with the times, but I think that is part of its charm with a complete sense of reflection and nostalgia embedded within the lyrics. This could have easily been a simple & straightforward piano ballad, but with ABBA there is always musical ambition, construction & different elements to keep you interested. The production is rich & layered with beautiful strings, strong melodies, all of which are blended nicely with synths & electric guitar. Then there's of course Anni-Frid's superb lead vocals which is what really brings everything together wonderfully. This & its counterpart (which I will talk about later) marked a triumphant return for ABBA.

Edited December 10, 20213 yr by Nina West

Without a song or a dance what are we?

21. Thank You For The Music | 7.43



Highest Scores: 10: (Herbs, Aaron, J00prstar, Eduardo), Lowest Scores: 2: (JulianT)


Just outside the top 20 at #21 is ABBA's swansong Thank You For The Music. It was originally featured on the group's 5th studio album ABBA: The Album, and was released as a double a-side single with 'Eagle' in May 1978 as the album's 3rd & final single in limited territories. It wasn't released in the UK & Ireland until 1983 where it was used to promote their compilation album of the same title there. The first recording of the tune had a jazzy cabaret feel with Agnetha Fältskog on solo song, inspired by artists in the style of Doris Day and similar. The group later made another arrangement of the same melody, which became the more widely known version. The song was also used as a final melody in the film "ABBA - The Movie". The title itself is often also taken to signal the end of ABBA, leading it to be considered a farewell song.

Upon it's original release the song charted well by reaching top 10 peaks in South Africa, Germany & Switzerland. However on its re-release it peaked at #33 & #17 in UK & Ireland respectively. he low chart placings could be attributed to ABBA's declining popularity since their last Top 10 hit in 1981. Because of the song's inclusion of 'The Album' & 'Greatest Hits Vol 2', as well as being performed by the band on their world tours and it can be said that this track had been heard many times up to this point.

Who'd have thought that song ABBA recorded several years before their breakup could act as their swan song & a fitting on at that. This is probably one of ABBA's most well known & beloved songs of their careers with beautiful heart-felt melodies & vocals full of warmth and humility that really hits those emotions that the song needs perfectly. Of course this could have easily bordered on the cheesy side, but thanks to the stunning arrangements & production it somehow avoids this fate & emerges as a real tribute to music.

A couple of my faves going :(

Before we head into the top 20, here is a re-cap of the results: 21-33:

21. Thank You For The Music - 7.43
22. I Still Have Faith In You - 7.4
23. Head Over Heels - 7.328
24. Under Attack - 7.294
25. Does Your Mother Know - 7.236
26. Summer Night City - 7.228
27. I Have A Dream - 7.128
28. The Visitors - 6.661
29. Honey, Honey - 6.652
30. Just A Notion - 6.56
31. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do - 5.902
32. On and On and On - 5.833
33. Ring, Ring - 5.625

Edited November 30, 20213 yr by Nina West

Thank You For The Music does have really heartwarming lyrics and it’s very well composed but I don’t generally go for the ones that sound like they belong in musicals so much.

 

Pretty pleased with the Top 20! Great that Don’t Shut Me Down has made it when there are so many monster classics to compete with. Also great that Angeleyes is there which I feel is the unjustly forgotten yet vastly superior half of that double A side.

Thank You For The Music is undeniably catchy and a wel written, well sung song but it’s one I never, ever want to hear ever again.

I Still Have Faith In You is such a gorgeous song

No huge shocks so far, interested to see how these results play out.

Here's to us. One more toast, and then we'll pay the bill

20. When All Is Said and Done | 7.6



Highest Scores: 11: (Hide&Seek), 10: (Qween, Nina West, gooddelta, LM Fan, ___∆___, J00prstar), Lowest Scores: 1/1.5: (King Rollo, JulianT)


At the #20 spot is When All Is Said and Done,released in December 1981 as the lead single in the USA, from ABBA's 8th studio album The Visitors. The song was written during a time of emotional turmoil, about the divorce between Benny & Frida, similar in vein to their 1980 single 'The Winner Takes It All' which was about the split between Agentha & Bjorn. Although most countries got 'One of Us' as the album's lead single, ABBA's American record label Atlantic Records instead opted for 'When All Is Said and Done', where it became a modest hit for the group by peaking at #27 on the US Billboard charts, making this their 14th & final top 40 hit there. It was also released as a single in Australia where it became a very minor hit there by peaking at #81 there.

The introduction is somewhat upbeat before the simple ostinato synth bass kicks in & despite the unhappy lyrics, its catchy yet effective as hell & along with the occasional strums of acoustic guitar adds that extra kick in the fantastic production. Frida's passionate vocals sound brilliant as she details all her sorrow & pain. The song has certainly remained a song of exceptional emotional power. This should have been the album's 2nd worldwide single in my opinion, as this could have easily been another top 10 smash hit for the group, but as it stands this track is an absolute hidden gem in ABBA's amazing discography.

Great song. I honestly find the choice to release 'Head Over Heels' over that in the UK baffling!

Glad that 'Thank You For The Music' missed the top 20 - it's a sentiment as bold as a swan song but falls flat for me in execution :nocheer:

 

'I Still Have Faith In You' is lovely but I wouldn't put it amongst the ABBA greats so that feels about right

The next to drop will be a massive #1 hit

 

Any guesses?

I feel like I win when I lose

19. Waterloo | 7.75



Highest Scores: 11: (Run For Cover), 10: (Nina West, Aaron, n4yr), Lowest Scores: 3: (JulianT)


At #19 is ABBA's breakthrough hit Waterloo, released in March 1974 as the lead single from their 2nd studio album also titled Waterloo, and their first under the Epic & Atlantic labels. This was also the first single credited to the group performing under the name ABBA. This was also the winning entry for Sweden in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest & began their path to worldwide fame. The song was written specifically to be entered into the Eurovision Song Contest, after the group finished 3rd with 'Ring, Ring' the previous year in the pre-selection contest. The original title of the song was 'Honey Pie' & was originally intended to have simultaneous rock music and jazz beats before being influenced by Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound'. They'd had also considered submitting another song to the contest 'Hasta Manana', but decided against as that only had Agnetha's vocals, while the other had equal vocals from both the ladies. In 2005 the song was chosen as the best song at the 50th Anniversary Eurovision song contest.

Upon release the song became a huge commerical success by topping the charts in many countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, UK & Germany, while reaching top 3 in Spain, Sweden, Austria & France. The song was so popular in their native Sweden that both its English & Swedish language versions both reached the top 3. It also reached #6 in the USA, an unusual feat for a Eurovision act. In the UK this would be the first of 9 chart toppers there & was re-released again in 2004 to mark the 30th anniversary of their Eurovision win where it peaked at #20. To song went onto sell over 6 Million copies worldwide.

Thought that this would have done a little better on here, but anyway this song is what made them & if it wasn't for this then we wouldn't have had ABBA & wouldn't be a world that I want ti live in. Hell this even had the group call themselves ABBA (literally). Obviously this was the standout moment on their otherwise uneven 2nd album with its masterful melody, driving rhythm, piano crashes & intricate arrangements, then there's of course those earworm hooks that will stay inplanted into your brain for eternity. Still to this day this is a fantastic catchy number that yes got overshadowed by what came after, but this is still a great introduction to a wonderful career.

Edited December 2, 20213 yr by Nina West

No great loss, whilst it’s iconic and “the one that started it all” it’s clearly overshadowed by a large potion of what came after.

Sad to see 'The Visitors' finish so low but somewhat expected. I really like the production and composition of this one, an interesting musical journey and experimentation with new sounds.

 

'Does Your Mother Know' deserved better too, really fun track and always makes me think of Johnny English and Mamma Mia. 'Summer Night City' finishing so low really is a wtf moment! I don't know what went wrong there - it was released at the height of their career and has strong disco influences so it can be put down to lack of familiarity or sounding un-ABBA.

 

I share similar sentiments towards 'Thank You for the Music' as everyone else - a good swan song but not one I'd listen too much myself.

 

'Waterloo' is obviously iconic and a great tune but, as John said, I think they surpassed it many times. #19 is probably just right for it.

I know I gave Waterloo my 11 and I do love it, but after revisiting it maybe it’s a 9 or a 10. Oh well, happy it made the top 20.

Agree about Waterloo, it's a good song but it's annoying to me that it always easily tops 'best Eurovision song ever' polls. It certainly is NOT that, despite launching the greatest act to ever shoot to fame via the contest.

 

When All Is Said And Done is a masterpiece and in my top three ABBA songs, I'm just glad it made the top 20 as it has always been hugely underrated.

I'd fool around and have a ball

18. Money, Money, Money | 7.833



Highest Scores: 11: (Hide&Seek), 10: (Aaron, Lukuzz, slowdown73, Cameron, Eduardo), Lowest Scores: 1: (JulianT)


At #18 is Money, Money, Money, released in November 1976 as the 2nd single from ABBA's 4th studio album Arrival. It was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus with Frida singing lead vocals. The song was recorded in May of that year at Metronome Studio in central Stockholm & was originally titled 'Gypsy Girl' with the them of a woman who, despite hard work, can barely keep her finances in surplus, and therefore desires a well-off man. Bjorn then decided to change the theme & title to his original instinct of 'Money, Money, Money'. Upon release the song was the 2nd worldwide hit from the album by topping the charts in Australia, Belgium, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand & Germany, while reaching top 3 peaks in Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, Norway, Austria & the UK. By peaking at #3 on the UK charts it was their only single between 1976 (starting with Mamma Mia) to 1978, not to top the charts.

Another strong ABBA number that opens with that brilliant pizzicato intro combined with with a loop of cascading piano parts & the sinister guitar lines underneath the catchy chorus is fantastic. The lyrics may be a bit generic, but in the context of the song they totally work & it helps that the arrangements & melodies are perfect & helps gives this song that timeless feel.

I didnt expect waterloo to be top 5 but did think it would be closer to the top 10 than it is.

I've grown to really like Money, Money, Money over the past few years.