A serious question - is this the best song ever?

[Jordi Culé]

When I was a young lad, this song stood out as being better than anything I had heard before.

I am a person with exquisite taste, and as weird as it may seem, I don't think this song has ever been beaten as a pop masterpiece.

OK, you've had a few too many drinks last night, you're reminiscing on lost loves and past mistakes, you're feeling a little bit too emotional and you feel the need to communicate.

We're here for you mate but please don't burden us with your shit taste in music and don't try to justify it.

Try 116 123

[Wales-Bales]

OK, you've had a few too many drinks last night, you're reminiscing on lost loves and past mistakes, you're feeling a little bit too emotional and you feel the need to communicate.

We're here for you mate but please don't burden us with your shit taste in music and don't try to justify it.

Try 116 123

I'm with Pete Townsend, Ray Davies and John Lennon on this one, three top drawer songwriters who know a thing or two about writing a cracking tune.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

I have just discovered that Steely Dan's 'Do It Again' is about someone who stole 'your water'.
I always thought it was 'wallet'.

[ian gibson]

I have just discovered that Steely Dan's 'Do It Again' is about someone who stole 'your water'.
I always thought it was 'wallet'.

Up until recently I thought the same too, I always sang ' in the morning you go gunning for the man who stole your wallet'

[Vimana.]

I have just discovered that Steely Dan's 'Do It Again' is about someone who stole 'your water'.
I always thought it was 'wallet'.

Wallet doesn't rhyme so well with " .. border"

Edit:
we should have a misheard lyrics thread (which my wife would win hands down ;) )
I will start one

[ian gibson]

"in the morning you go gunning for the man who stole your wallet,
and you fire 'till he is done in but they catch you at the ballet"

[Jordi Culé]

I'm with Pete Townsend, Ray Davies and John Lennon on this one, three top drawer songwriters who know a thing or two about writing a cracking tune.

You're still feeling a little bit emotional then.

Was it a lost or unrequited love or the overwhelming feeling that you're useless?

As I said, we're here for you.

p.s. Don't agree with everything Townsend says or does or expect a knock on the door from CEOP.

[Wales-Bales]

You're still feeling a little bit emotional then.

Was it a lost or unrequited love or the overwhelming feeling that you're useless?

As I said, we're here for you.

p.s. Don't agree with everything Townsend says or does or expect a knock on the door from CEOP.

Neither, it was the song structures that interested me, the same ones that are still being used 40 years later

[lardy]

Neither, it was the song structures that interested me, the same ones that are still being used 40 years later

Which structures did ABBA use that weren't being used before?

[Gofer Blue]

The OP asks a serious question. The serious answer is NO. Many more better songs - too many to list, although poster Kris has listed several that I would agree with.

[Wales-Bales]

Which structures did ABBA use that weren't being used before?

Who said they were never used before? What ABBA did was fuse rock, pop and dance elements, used globalised lyrics, had hooks all over the place, scaled back the drums and bass, took the production of pop music very seriously, and in the tradition of Swedish music they focussed heavily on the melody. The result was a recipe for chart success that has been copied ever since.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Who said they were never used before? What ABBA did was fuse rock, pop and dance elements, used globalised lyrics, had hooks all over the place, scaled back the drums and bass, took the production of pop music very seriously, and in the tradition of Swedish music they focussed heavily on the melody. The result was a recipe for chart success that has been copied ever since.

What elements of rock did they incorporate? Must have been a weak element as they were always very poppy.

[lardy]

Who said they were never used before? What ABBA did was fuse rock, pop and dance elements, used globalised lyrics, had hooks all over the place, scaled back the drums and bass, took the production of pop music very seriously, and in the tradition of Swedish music they focussed heavily on the melody. The result was a recipe for chart success that has been copied ever since.

Well you've talked a lot about structures and a blueprint that they put in place - but to me, they didn't do anything particularly original in that department (it's pretty hard to).

But the elements you mention here, that's where the ABBA magic is. Mamma Mia has about half a dozen hooks and the listener is bombarded with them all in the first minute or so.