Abba Arrives as an International Supergroup

From 1974 to 1982, Abba placed 14 chart singles on the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100. They were expert at marrying intricate, melancholy layered pop with bubblegum and a subtle disco beat.

In May 1977, 28 years ago next week, I decided to buy two Abba albums, including "Arrival," because I enjoyed the catchy nature of their music. I liked hook-laden music, and it was a welcome escape from the often monotonous AOR rock and the bland MOR of the time.

The album begins with the maudlin "When I Kissed the Teacher," which I disliked at first but ended up liking more later on. It tells of a 10th grade girl who had a big crush on her geometry teacher. Ironically, I was taking a geometry course at the time, and I was getting a string of mediocre grades. I had a crush on a girl named Annette, who sat in front of me. I thought Abba singer was named Annyeta or even Annette. My sister Beth wasn't too crazy about the song either. We played this album that Thanksgiving, and I can still remember her saying, "Excuse my language, but this is the suckiest song on the album."

Grade: 81

"Dancing Queen" came next, and it was the song that made Abba a household name in America. I first heard the song in December 1976, and I was immediately hooked. It made the Billboard Hot 100 in December, the top 40 in late January, reaching #1 on April 9. It reached the summit exactly three years after fellow Swedish act Blue Swede had reached #1 with 1974's "Hooked On a Feeling." Strangely enough, Roxette, another export from Sweden, would make it to #1 exactly 12 years after "Dancing Queen." And, believe it or not, in early April 1994, Ace of Base was at #1 in early April 1994 with "The Sign."


The song itself is four minutes of pure pop heaven, with impeccable harmony vocals. Last Year our theatre troupe did a parody of this song called "Counselin' Queen," dedicated to the Queen of Hearts, Betsy Glaser.

Grade: 96


"My Love, My Life" was a quieter, more melancholy song with a swirling melody. It reminded me a little of Simon & Garfunkel's "El Condor Pasa" because of the woodwind instrumental hook.

Grade: 87

"Dum Dum Diddle" was a song my sister and I both enjoyed. I was hoping it would be a single from the album, because it was quite catchy. Unfortunately, it wasn't. However, I charted it on my own song chart in August 1977, and it made the top 20. When you have your own chart, you get to chart any recorded song you like, not just the songs that get released as commercial singles to Top 40 Radio. Lyrically, "Dum Dum Diddle" is about a girl who envies a guy's violin because he spends so much time practicing instead of hanging out with her.

Grade: 90

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" is my favorite track on this album. I came across something online a few hours ago saying this song was released as a single 28 years ago today. It made the top 40 on June 4, 1977. It has a melancholy, end-of-school-year feel to it. The song reached #14 in July, but I was hoping it would make the top 10. On my chart, however, it reached the top five and stayed on my top 40 for a long time. Vocally and instrumentally, this song is an impeccable tour de force--about an impending divorce. It is the sort of song that was probably played at many proms in June 1977.

Grade: 97

"Money Money Money" was the third single from the album, and it made the Billboard chart in October. It is a fairly catchy song, but probably a bit ahead of its time lyrically. It tells of a working-class woman fantasizing about marrying a rich guy so she could "fool around and have a ball." Thematically, the song is like Madonna's 1985 hit "Material Girl," the hit that epitomized the Reagan Decade. The song probably would have been a hit if it were released in 1983-85.

Grade: 75

"That's Me" is a song with a lot of honesty--about a girl named Carrie who is admittedly jealous and possessive. She tells a would-be boyfriend that she wouldn't be a good match because she would be too insecure. The song is fairly catchy and was the B-side of "Dancing Queen."

Grade: 79

"Why Did It Have to Be Me" had a carousel-like hook, similar to the 1976 hit "I Do, I Do." It is a fairly likable, if generic recording.

Grade: 80

"Tiger" is another caveat song, about a person who tries to project a fearsome image. It is a generic bubblegum sort of song with a moderate hook--nothing extraordinary, however.

Grade: 77

"Arrival" was the title cut of this album, a swirling instrumental that brings to mind the sighting of land after a long, arduous voyage in cold, salty water. The song features a haunting female chorus, which adds a melancholy effect to the song. Musically, it has a rowboat/canoe-like rhythm--for people reaching their destination at long last.

Grade: 86

The vinyl version of this album had 10 tracks on it, but this version has two other tracks, including the fall 1976 hit "Fernando," a haunting woodwind song praising a man for his valor in fighting a war. The song may have been alluding to Vietnam in the lyrics "Thought we never thought we would lose, there's no regret." The song's autumnal flavor helped it reach #13 on the American pop chart in November 1976.

Grade: 89

"Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" were the two songs that made this album stand out--there are several other good songs, as well as some ho-hum tracks. I give the album 3.8 stars, rounding it up to 4. Abba was definitely a singles band, and some of the songs were definitely filler. Still, it is likable, if banal filler. With Abba, it is advisable to buy their greatest hits CDs.