Customer Reviews
400 Million And Counting - By: Martin A Hogan, 31 Jul 2008 
Nineteen of ABBA's best songs are plenty, but you won't tire of them. It is amazing that four Swedes (Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus as writers & Anni-Frid Lyngstad & Agnetha Fältskog as the main singers) could take such simple English cliches & turn them into pop music magic. Despite sometimes maddeningly simple lyrics, the song arrangements were unnervingly catchy & the multi-level layered compostions are fascinating. The keyboards & synthesizers were usedin some of the more ingenious ways during the seventies to produce that unmistakeable ABBA sound. The energy & nearly anthemic enthusiasm eminating from each song marked them all as instant classics, no matter how jaded or synical the listener. It is doubtlful if you read the song list here that you would not know the melody. The one ironic thing about this groups phenomenal success, is that of over 400 million album sales, they only had one number one hitin the US - "Dancing Queen". But it is one heck of a great song.
Every home should have a copy! - By: sam155, 14 Jul 2008 This CD can change your day, your washing up, your chores & your mood into an all singing, all dancing feel good experience. It starts, no messing, straightin there, with Dancing Queen, surely one of the best dance floor fillers of all time. There's no dead wood on this album, all the old favourites are here: Chiquitita, Mamma Mia, Voulez Vous, Thank You For the Music & the beautifully written Winner Takes it All. I admire Benny & Bjorn so much as songwriters since not only do they produce perfect ageless pop songs (and there is such an art to it) but don't forget, their lyrics are writtenin their second language, not their first. Their talent amazes me & their music makes me feel grrrrreat. I defy anyone to play dancing queen & stand still & not feel that life is good. Worth the money & better than therapy.
Extremely pleased with this CD - By: Kurt A. Johnson, 02 Mar 2005 ABBA was formedin 1972 by four great Swedish musicians (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson & Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad - ABBA, get it?). Featuring wonderful vocals & bouncing instrumentation, plus enjoyable (if somewhat lightweight) lyrics, the group shot to international stardom, dominating charts around the world until their final breakupin 1982. This album was put togetherin 1993, & contains many of ABBA's most memorable tunes. As an added bonus, the paperwork contains a short history of the group, plus many colorful pictures.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this CD, & highly recommend it to everyone! By they way, I used this CD to introduce my own children to ABBA, & now they walk around singing some of the same songs that I did at their age!
THE BEST GREATEST HITS ALBUM EVER - By: , 12 May 2004 I recently read an article on the most reputable American music magazine, Billboard Magazine, about this album being one of the top sellers worldwide of all time. It has sold 30 Million copies around the world, & herein UK it has sold almost 4 million copies! Then I learned that ABBA has sold over 350 million albums worldwide. Wow! Only the Beatles & Elvis have sold more, accoring to the article. I knew they had many number ones herein UK, but did not know they were so bigin the world. The article explained that ABBA was bigger than the Beatlesin many Latin American countries,in Russia, Viet Nam, Netherlands (where 3 out of every household owns an ABBA record) &in Australia.
I figured out I should give ABBA a try. i needed to understand why so many liked this group, & I did not even own one of their CDs.
I had only heard Dancing Queen, Waterloo, & Take A Chance On Me, so I bought this album. I am now an ABBA fan. I usually don't like pop, but ABBA has finally won me over. After several listens, I decided that I have never EVER heard melodies this good. They are fresh, timeless, & like U2's Bono said, "I think ABBA have a pure joy to their music, & that’s what makes them extraordinary!" The music is so joyous even when there is melancholy & drama added. The music is so much more complex than I had given ABBA credit for --- before really listening.
My favorite music acts are U2, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, & Bob Dylan. Now ABBA has joined them.
I did some research & found other quotes about ABBA from U2 members & others:
Bjork: “ABBA saved my life, it’s undeniable. Arrival is a happy record. ‘Dancing Queen’ is the biggest songin pop-music history, pure ecstasy, it makes you want to fly!”
Richard Ashcroft, from The Verve: "‘Dancing Queen’ is one of my favourite songs of all time’," "In ‘Dancing Queen,’ taking it as a songwriter, it’s just one of the most perfectly crafted pieces of pop music. It makes me feel good. Life is just moments, you know what I mean? And music’s about capturing those moments. Every time I hear ‘feel the beat of the tambourine/oh yeah’ it makes a chemical reactin my brain. Something happensin my body & I feel good!"
Elvis Costello: “We stole them like crazy, & they dragged these things into pop music, these big double octave flourishes on the piano that seemed right straight out of Rachmaninoff”
The Edge, from U2: “ABBA have written the best pop music of all time.”
I agree completely. ABBA is way up there.
This Review is Directed to Chris from Newtownards, N Ireland - By: SHAUN, 29 Mar 2004 Chris from Newtownards, N Ireland obviously has a very tunnel visioned view about ABBA's music/songs. Just because they were a pop group does not devalue their craftmanshipin constructing & producing some of the catchiest melodious hook laden pop (ROCK) has ever heard. Incidentally their last two studio albums Super Trouper & The Visitors showed that they had matured considerably since "Dancing Queen" & "Mama Mia". The title track "Visitors (crackin up) is about russian dissidents & musically would put OASIS to shame.
