You can POLL, you can jive, having the time of your life -- ILM Artist Poll #20 -- ABBA (RESULTS THREAD)

http://blog.kievukraine.info/540d.jpg

Välkommen till ILX ABBA enkät!*

19 ballots were submitted to determine ILX's favorite ABBA tunes and albums. I will roll out just the top five albums today as a teaser and the top 45 tracks over the course of the next three days (so, 15 tracks a day til Thursday). I had fun organizing this poll so I hope you guys enjoy the results!

*apologies to actual Swedish-speaking people for the Google Translate butcher job

Hurra!!!

#5 (tie) - 4 points and 2 votes each
Waterloo (1974)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/ABBA_-_Waterloo_%28Original_Polar_LP%29.jpg

and

Gold: Greatest Hits (1992)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/30/ABBA_Gold_cover.png

#4 - 6 points, 3 votes
Voulez-Vous (1979)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/61/ABBA_-_Voulez_Vous.jpg

#3 - 16 points, 7 votes
ABBA: The Album (1977)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/ABBA_-_The_Album_%28Polar%29.jpg

I will always love that guitar in the top pic.

I really like Voulez Vous, and was surprised to see it described as weak & stilted somewhere. I like them relentless and mechanical, it's like the disco equivalent of power pop. It was my mum's Abba album that she had too, I recall the cool azure hue with fondness.

ABBA: the album is my favorite of their album covers

#2 - 18 points, 9 votes
The Visitors (1981)

http://img12.nnm.ru/b/c/6/3/c/7f68ce119095a91d833c48a2b0c.jpg

#1 - 20 points, 8 votes
Arrival (1976)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/ABBA_-_Arrival.jpg

I thought The Visitors would win at a canter.

Benny's holding a light sabre on the VV sleeve? Why?

tracks start tomorrow!

I had Arrival at no.1. That's quite a consensus that those are the top three.

all of their albums received at least one vote, except for "more abba gold" which didn't get any

and um, neither did 'gracias por la musica'

:( i would have voted for that if i had voted
my high school spanish teacher used to play it for us de vez en cuando and it was heaven -- "chiquitita" es mil veces mejor en español.

i think one of my current best friendships was cemented by a mutual love of "ABBA oro"

Arrival wins why bcz helicopter

I remember Bill Magill grumping when Arrival beat Black Sabbath's Vol. 4 in the alt 70s album poll. Fun day!

On what planet is some Abba record better than Black Sabbath Vol. 4????

― Bill Magill, Tuesday, January 5, 2010 3:13 PM (2 years ago)

I prefer the French cover of Arrival:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/ABBA_-_Arrival_%28France%29.jpg

That's the back cover of all the other issues. Is the back cover of the French issue the front cover of the others?

Arrival is not better than Vol. 4. The Visitors might be better than Paranoid though.

ok, time for the tracks! 45-31 today

:D

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/abba-madonna-gal-431.jpg
45 (tie). Soldiers
The Visitors, 1981
(59 points / 3 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec2dCvoext0

http://members.multimania.nl/abbadfs/hpbimg/LP%20Honey%20Honey%20(1974).jpg
45 (tie). Honey Honey
Waterloo, 1974
(59 points / 3 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg7ZsOFSV7c

love Honey Honey!

I find Soldiers kinda boring? idk

if nothing else this poll allows me to present the dizzying array of amazing outfits they wore over the years

I love "Soldiers" so much! lovely chorus, overlapping vocal lines, like a much better version of "Fernando" which i don't care for a ton.

but i got drunk and didn't get my vote in so :(

yeah of all their "war" songs it's probably my least favorite

that's ok! i hope there is a lot of discussion here anyhow

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iOCgghMIKjE/0.jpg
42 (tie). Two for the Price of One
The Visitors, 1981
(63 points / 3 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2APDCyVZ2zA

such a funny little song, that groaner of a punchline undercutting the beauty of the melody itself almost. i dig it a lot.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/0/0f/ABBA_-_That
42 (tie). That's Me
Arrival, 1976
(63 points / 3 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP_dk429rbc

whoops, that img should be

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/0/0f/ABBA_-_That

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5CU6hthppL4/0.jpg
42 (tie). I've Been Waiting for You
"So Long" b-side, 1974
(63 points / 3 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ7C127Q-GY

love the beginning of the "that's me" video so much when everyone's heads peek out from behind agnetha's

also that song's grown on me quite a bit since doing this poll

aw I love That's Me -- I used to play Arrival all the time on Mum & Dad's stereo as a kid.

Soldiers is great, and narrowly missed my ballot. But I LOVE I've Been Waiting for You!

That's Me is almost great but for some reason I feel like it comes up a bit short on the payoff...

http://abba_music.tripod.com/solong_s.jpg
41. So Long
ABBA, 1975
(64 points / 3 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbRB2Cjr_Wo

yaaaaaargh

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/3841266768_ce1bd1a149.jpg

Incredibly rocking song. That's a little low!

"rockin'" ABBA is kind of a mixed bag to me (my disco sympathies lie deep) but "so long" is a scorcher

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Thank_You_ABBA.jpg
40. Thank You for the Music
ABBA: The Album, 1977
(66 points, 4 votes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dcbw4IEY5w

one of these days i'll format like a real boy

40. Thank You for the Music
ABBA: The Album, 1977
(66 points, 4 votes)

So Long: another one that narrowly missed my ballot

wd've left off "Thank You", too stage-y for me

i tend to really like songs that are about how other songs (or how music in general) are great so i love "thank you for the music"

I don't like Thank You For The Music as such, but the way the long melody is constructed in the chorus is nothing short of masterful.

My ballot:

The Day Before You Came
The Winner Takes It All
SOS
Summer Night City
The Name of the Game
Knowing Me Knowing You
Move On
My Mama Said
Slipping Through My Fingers
Take a Chance on Me
Under Attack
As Good As New
Angeleyes
Soldiers
Rock Me
Like an Angel Passing Through My Room
What About Livingstone?
Fernando
Tiger
Just Like That

I missed this!!!! "Lay All Your Love On Me" was my No. 1 - I know it's Geir's favourite ABBA song too, so he obv. didn't contribute to this.

Embarrassed about the great songs I left off - there's so many of them.

1. Lay All Your Love On Me
2. The Name Of The Game
3. SOS
4. Dancing Queen
5. One Of Us
6. Knowing Me, Knowing You
7. Fernando
8. Take A Chance On Me
9. I’ve Been Waiting For You
10. Should I Laugh or Cry?
11. That’s Me
12. The Winner Takes It All
13. The Day Before You Came
14. The Visitors
15. Chiquitita
16. Move On
17. Under Attack
18. Money, Money, Money
19. Summer Night City
20. Mamma Mia

When I was choosing the albums I originally placed "The Visitors" at no. 1, then I systematically went thru the ratings for the songs I'd chosen and found that "Arrival" won it easily and that "The Visitors" wasn't even in the Top 3! But I overruled myself...

1. Arrival
2. The Album
3. The Visitors

Super Trouper was so low!

disappointed in lack of "lovelight" votes personally. also i'm the only one who voted for 'happy new year'!

BANG A BOOMER BOOMERANG
DUM DE DUM DUM DE DUM DE DUM DUM
BANG A BOOMER BOOMERANG
LOVE IS A TUNE YOU HUMMY HUM HUM

that is all

Been getting into ABBA for the first time this week. I couldn't agree with you more.

yeah someone started talking about them when I got to work this morning, and I've been on a kick since then

I was amusing myself by wondering how ABBA would sound if Frida's voice was replaced by Marlene Dietrich, in particular on 'Tropical Loveland' :D

My picks for twenty-five good 'uns.

'Watch Out' was robbed in this poll, IMO.

I didn't submit a ballot but it would have been this:

The Day Before You Came
The Visitors
I’m a Marionette
Head over Heels
Summer Night City
Voulez-Vous
On and On and On
Lay All Your Love On Me
SOS
Eagle
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Lovelight
Ring Ring
Disillusion
Cassandra
I Am the City
The Name of the Game
Hole in Your Soul
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Slipping Through My Fingers

'I'm a Marionette' fucking rules.

Was amazed when SOS won this. Was it on an ad in America or something? One of their most forgettable singles to me, had to remind myself how it goes.

I can completely understand why 'S.O.S.' won... it's absolute perfection.

The idea of it being "forgettable" is just completely alien to me!

yeah SOS is beautiful cmon

so... you wish you understood

there are not many songs better than "SOS".. so i would say that WeWantMiles is wrong

was it in an ad in america or something... phhbbbttt how insulting!!

i also did not vote in this but my boring ballot would contain (unordered)

hey hey helen
sos
dancing queen
knowing me knowing you
tiger
fernando
take a chance on me
voulez-vous
summer night city
gimme gimme gimme
the winner takes it all
lay all your love on me
should i laugh or cry
the day before you came

+ waterloo
+ honey honey

not surprised to see the first album's songs get zero votes because there is some absolute shit on there (if I go to hell it would probably be a loop of "Me and Bobby and Bobby's Brother" occasionally interrupted by "I Saw It in the Mirror," like that "What's New Pussycat" sketch), but it was my father's favorite ABBA album so I have a soft spot for it

just re-read this thread again, this poll was so much fun

I was amusing myself by wondering how ABBA would sound if Frida's voice was replaced by Marlene Dietrich, in particular on 'Tropical Loveland' :D

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, April 23, 2014 10:17 AM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol that is a perfect choice

i can't remember if i voted in this poll or not but my list now would be something like

soldiers
one of us
tiger
knowing me knowing you
me and i
under attack
on and on and on
that's me
should i laugh or cry
the day before you came
head over heels
does your mother know
lay all your love on me
sos
as good as new

ah god i forgot if it wasn't for the nights

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/29/all-abbas-uk-singles-ranked

Can’t really argue with their top 10 picks. Name Of The Game at 10 is much too low though, that would be my no 1. As soon as I saw the post, it started playing in my head. Love that song so much. Immediately after I’m all: B-b-but... Dancing Queen? ...Knowing Me, Knowing You? ...Winner Takes It All? All three are at least as good, Dancing Queen is one of the best records ever, but I’m NOTG for life, I guess - that song moves me. My only gripe is with Day Before You Came, it’s way overrated imo. I mean, it’s great, but not top-10-great. I would replace it with Chiquitita. Beautiful song, and the coda takes it next level.

(So I checked: ILM’s ranking is quite similar, with one notable exception: where the Guardian has Super Trouper, here it’s Waterloo - better choice perhaps, although I wasn’t mad at ST placing)

Soldiers would be my #1

And of the singles, which one would be your pick?

dancing queen :)

Can’t say you’re wrong

Super Trouper wd make my ballot now

I love Name Of the Game but Under Attack would be number one for. me. NOTG number 2

Gonna have to search some singles bins for that (Day Before You Came too, I guess)

"Angel-eyes" came up on a playlist today and surprised me, I hadn't heard it in years. Good tune.

this poll was such a joy to participate in, and so much fun to put together a ballot. abba are the fucking best

i’m gonna listen to more abba this week

"One of Us" is low-key their best single, IDGAF if no one else but Brad agrees. If not that, it's "The Day Before You Came." And for a supposed singles act they certainly had a lot of great album cuts - Ross and Brad OTM on "Soldiers," which would def make my top 10 ABBA tracks if not top 5.

I mean ABBA got game with deep cuts all the way back to the debut album - "Disillusion" and "Another Town, Another Train" are worlds better than their first two singles ("People Need Love," and "He Is Your Brother," both among the worst songs they ever released). Anybody know why Agnetha never wrote an ABBA song again?

'Soldiers', 'One of Us' and 'The Day Before You Came' are all fantastic, I agree, although I'm not sure I could choose one single that stands above all the rest. I know that 'Dancing Queen' wouldn't be it because I've heard it far too many times at this point.

Yeah actually I don't really have one favorite, it's just that that was my first favorite when I got into ABBA half a dozen years ago. I resent the fact that "Dancing Queen" is the only ABBA song I ever hear on the radio, because I heard it many times before I ever "got" ABBA and though I like it a lot better now than I did before I saw the light, I'm never going to be able to hear it with fresh ears. I mean it's transcendent, but there's always going to be that residue of those benighted years when I thought it was fluff.

"Under Attack" in last place out of all their singles? Löjlig!

"Angel-eyes" came up on a playlist today and surprised me, I hadn't heard it in years. Good tune.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Sunday, July 1, 2018 12:07 AM (eight hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

My three year old and I listen to a lot of ABBA on the way to school and I’m really surprised that out of their entire catalog of hits her favorite song is “Angel Eyes” followed closely by deep cut “Elaine.”

Guardian Top 5 OTM.

Disillusion is a fantastic song

Their best albums.

^ This would probably be my ranking exactly. It's nice that both you and the ILM poll gave a shout out to "When I Kissed the Teacher," which I think is the one ABBA album track that most deserved to be the A-side of a single

Agreed, solid list.

Apropos of nothing, my love of the Mamma Mia movies knows few bounds. There should be a thread for chrissakes.

How I'd rank their British top forty singles.