Today is Agnetha Fältskog's birthday. Or, perhaps more descriptively... it is the birthday of the blonde girl in ABBA. And try as I might I "Can't Shake Loose" (Children of the 80s may recognize the reference --the rest of you are SOL) ABBA is, as you may have read or heard for yourself, the most ingenious pop band in the history o' the universe. Even if there are bands churning pop hits out in other galaxies, I feel completely confident in saying that there's no way any group anywhere -- ever -- has produced as consistently catchy a discography as the beloved Swedish quartet.All that said it's important to acknowledge that you'd be completely justified in being sick to death of them. I think it was Mamma Mia that did it for me. I had to put the ABBA CDs away for a few years. Many of my friends from high school still wonder how I, such a huge ABBA fan, have not seen Mamma Mia onstage. My answer: I never will. ABBA was perfect as is. I don't need some soulless jukebox musical to further overplay the songs at me.
My all time favorite ABBA songs for those who have valiantly made it to the end of this post (six of them just for "par3182"):
1. The Name of the Game
2. Knowing Me Knowing You
3. One of Us
4. Summer Night City
5. The Way Old Friends Do
6. Under Attack
As to the sex quotient of ABBA? Well, I'll just say this: Remember how Fleetwood Mac and Culture Club disintegrated due to interband romances? Remember how No Doubt looked shaky for awhile when whatshisname dumped Gwen? Copycats! ABBA did it first.
ABBA did it best.
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tags: abba, broadway, music, celebrities
other atypical HDH selections:
"Lady Tottington" , Tim Gunn, "Starbuck", and La Streep
and something more traditionally piping hot
