I know an associate company publishes Abba but when I first heard it, long before any but the studio people, tears of joy ran down my cheeks when she held onto those notes near the end. Pure genius and, for me, the best ever Abba track.

The song is a yardstick in many ways: melody, delivery, lyrics, arrangement, timing in the band's career... I could go on.

I also learnt to play the piano on this track: absolutely sumptuous chords. Someday someone will write a very clever book about the influences that went into the best Abba songs.

nm

I'll have to think about the other 8!
Nice weekend thread for regulars?

It is an astonishing record in many ways, but I still feel a bit odd about the scenario of Bjorn getting Agnetha to sing lines like "But tell me does she kiss like I used to kiss you?" post-divorce.

"The Day Before You Came" is my favourite Abba track; how on earth did it only manage to get to #32...?

Brings tears to my eyes every time.

All the greatest music has to have that edge of reality - you have to be able to feel that the singer believes every word he or she is singing, whether it's Johnnie Ray or John Lydon.

Good chart, that 1980 one - Bowie at number one, then the Jam, young Sheena Easton (two records in the 20 for the first reality TV pop star), Abba, everything from Mike Berry to the Clash, and even dear old Kelly Marie, bless her - it would be nice to have an eclectic singles chart again.

And Bow Wow Wow, from that time I presume. Reading your list of tunes there, brought back the most vivid memory of an NME interview with Malcolm McClaren at the time, with the band, in which he was quoted as saying, "Annabelle, could you run out to the car and get my cheque book?" I have ridiculous pop trivia in my brain!
Abbas list of great pop songs is so vast they require there own list really. How many other bands had the respect of the punk generation of the time. 1980 was a great year for music, glancing through my singles collection, the bulk of it is from that year. There were some great Oddysey records as well, and they sit nicely alongside the Clash and the Damned`s waxings.

Personally I like Abba's "Name of The Game", it's like a mini classical piece. I can't think of any "pop" song that has so many "movements" before it returns to the original part:

Movement 1 - Verse
==================
Ive seen you twice, in a short time
Only a week since we started
It seems to me, for every time
Im getting more open-hearted

Movement 2 - Pre Chorus
=======================
I was an impossible case
No-one ever could reach me
But I think I can see in your face
Theres a lot you can teach me
So I wanna know......

Movement 3 - Chorus
===================
Whats the name of the game?
Does it mean anything to you?
Whats the name of the game?
Can you feel it the way I do?

Movement 4 - Post Chorus
========================
Tell me please, cause I have to know
Im a bashful child, beginning to grow

Movement 5 - An alternative verse?!
===================================
And you make me talk
And you make me feel
And you make me show
What Im trying to conceal
If I trust in you, would you let me down?
Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?
Could you feel the same way too?
I wanna know......

Repeat Movement 3 - Chorus
==========================

Then finally we get back to the original verse:

Movement 1 - Verse
==================
I have no friends, no-one to see
And I am never invited
Now I am here, talking to you
No wonder I get excited

10 Best Ever Pop Records
------------------------
In no particular order...

River Deep Mountain High IKE & TINA TURNER
Desperado EAGLES
Memories GLADYS KNIGHT
Don't Know Much... LINDA RONSTADT & AARON
NEVILLE
Stay With Me Baby LORRAINE ELLISON
Stand By Me BEN E. KING
Tracks of My Tears SMOKEY ROBINSON & MIRACLES
Only The Lonely ROY ORBISON
Unchained Melody RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
Drift Away DOBIE GRAY

Bubbling Under...

Cloud Nine TEMPTATIONS
Hey Jude BEATLES
Bohemian Rhapsody QUEEN
Abraham Martin & John DION
Angels ROBBIE WILLIAMS
London Calling THE CLASH
Good Vibrations BEACHBOYS
The Way I Am EMINEM
No Woman, No Cry BOB MARLEY
Everybody's Talkin' NILSSON

Heres mine, but I am only going to do ten, once again in no particular order, and this is of a "pop/fun" clasiffication only.

D.I.S.C.O ,Ottawan
YMCA, Village People
Hi Ho silver Lining ,Jeff beck
American Pie, Don Mclean
Brown Eyed Girl, Van the man
Waterloo, Abba
Anarchy In the Uk, Pistols
Una Paloma Blanca (artist unknown)

Knowing Me Knowing You, Abba
Sugar Baby love, Rubettes.

I love Motorhead, but this would be the wrong list.

More list ideas please!....

Rubettes are a hot band from the 70's; one which ruled in the glam era

I went to see them play the other week.

You've Lost... Righteous Bros
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto
Winner Takes It All... Abba
I Got You Babe... Sonny & Cher
A Roy Orbison track
Gangsta's Paradise... Coolio
I Will Survive... Gloria Gaynor
Anarchy... Sex Pistols
A Noel Coward song
You Shook Me All Night Long.... AC/DC

For starters!!

And these are all on my Juke Box ...

Ghost in My House || R Dean Taylor
Shout || Lulu
Move It || Cliff !
I She Really Going Out With Him || Joe Jackson
Without You || Nilsson
Michelle || Beatles
Maggie May || Rod the Mod
Anarchy || Sex Pistols
No Woman No Cry || Bob Marley
Cum on Feel the Noize || Slade


Obviously there are lots of others too - but I really do like these. Sadly I note that there's nothing in there from the last 20 years or so ... does it take a while to become a classic ? Or is it because that are on 7 inch vinyl (for my juke box)? Or am I past it?

Stretch

1. Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams (one of the nicest and hardest working guys in the business)
2. Living On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
3. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
4. Travelin' Band - Creedence Clearwater Revival
5. Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen
6. Rocket Man - Elton John
7. Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits
8. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
9. Piano Man - Billy Joel
10. Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

I`m sure when it was recorded, they would have been surprised to see it listed as pop.
Interestingly enough, should we do a punk list, the song would be in everybodys.
I didnt include Joe Jackson in my list, as I went for the really massive hits, that get played to excess still at clubs etc. When you are out, and hear "Is She Really Going Out With Him", it`s like a breath of fresh air still though. JJ`s book, is in a list of best ever books about music for another rainy day!

Does the drummer still wear the hat?

the trouble with lists is they never stop growing!

I tried to resist, but sometimes I can't help myself:

1. Talking Heads, "Once in a Lifetime".
2. Aretha Franklin, "Respect".
3. Michael Jackson, "Thriller".
4. The Who, "Substitute".
5. Bruce Hornsby, "The Way it Is".
6. Judy in Disguise, (Can't Remember).
7. The Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations".
8. David Gray, "Babylon".
9. Abba, "Knowing me, Knowing you".
10. The Eagles, "Hotel California".