The greatest pop song ever

[soupytwist]

Take On Me - A-Ha.

 

[Stadler]

Curses...



...foiled again.

That's illegal in like 36 states.   

[Orbert]

I gotta be honest.  A lot of people go all ga-ga over the girls from ABBA, but I never thought they were that hot.  Agneta (the blonde) looks pretty cute sometimes, but Frida (the brunette) never did anything for me.  Sure, show enough skin and you'll get people's attention, but even in junior high I remember thinking that they were playing up the "sexy" angle to boost their songs, and that's just lame.  It's still all about the music.

[ganpondorodf]

I really like We Built This City so I picked that. I like ABBA more overall but Dancing Queen isn't one of my favourites by them

[Stadler]

I gotta be honest.  A lot of people go all ga-ga over the girls from ABBA, but I never thought they were that hot.  Agneta (the blonde) looks pretty cute sometimes, but Frida (the brunette) never did anything for me.  Sure, show enough skin and you'll get people's attention, but even in junior high I remember thinking that they were playing up the "sexy" angle to boost their songs, and that's just lame.  It's still all about the music.

But you have to give Barry Gibb credit for being the lead guy in the Bee Gees AND Abba.   

[Orbert]

It does look like him, doesn't it? 

Confession: I bought Barry Gibb's new solo album the other day.  It was a present for my wife, but we listened to it in the car and it's not bad.



Jefferson Starship, with Kantner, Balin, and Slick was great.  Mickey Thomas has a hell of a voice, but he's still no Marty Balin, and once Kantner and Slick left and they became just Starship, it was Pure American Processed Cheese Food.

ABBA meanwhile always had incredible orchestration and arrangements.  Benny and Bjorn (the two guys, duh) knew their shit.  I admit, I never came to this realization until after I bought the Chess Soundtrack and figured out that it's them.  One Night in Bangkok, The Deal (No Deal), You and I, etc.  Great stuff.

[King Postwhore]

It does look like him, doesn't it? 

Confession: I bought Barry Gibb's new solo album the other day.  It was a present for my wife, but we listened to it in the car and it's not bad.



Jefferson Starship, with Kantner, Balin, and Slick was great.  Mickey Thomas has a hell of a voice, but he's still no Marty Balin, and once Kantner and Slick left and they became just Starship, it was Pure American Processed Cheese Food.

ABBA meanwhile always had incredible orchestration and arrangements.  Benny and Bjorn (the two guys, duh) knew their shit.  I admit, I never came to this realization until after I bought the Chess Soundtrack and figured out that it's them.  One Night in Bangkok, The Deal (No Deal), You and I, etc.  Great stuff.

I've got a confession as well.  As a 9 year old in 1977 I bought the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack with Kiss Alive II. 


I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

[Orbert]

Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack was pretty good.  I never picked it up because I had two female friends who had it, so needless to say, I heard it many times.

[The Walrus]

Curses...



...foiled again.

That's illegal in like 36 states.

You know, being born in '91, 70s band photos never fail to either horrify me or crack me up. There's usually no in between. This falls into the former category. Guy on the right looks like he could be Michael Cera's dad.

[rumborak]

I gotta be honest.  A lot of people go all ga-ga over the girls from ABBA, but I never thought they were that hot.  Agneta (the blonde) looks pretty cute sometimes, but Frida (the brunette) never did anything for me.  Sure, show enough skin and you'll get people's attention, but even in junior high I remember thinking that they were playing up the "sexy" angle to boost their songs, and that's just lame.  It's still all about the music.

I am reasonably sure that in their heyday, Agneta got all the attention. Also, keep in mind that the idea of "beautiful woman" was very different in the 70s than today.

[AngelBack]

I think I saw those 4 in every Swedish porn I ever saw.

[Orbert]

I gotta be honest.  A lot of people go all ga-ga over the girls from ABBA, but I never thought they were that hot.  Agneta (the blonde) looks pretty cute sometimes, but Frida (the brunette) never did anything for me.  Sure, show enough skin and you'll get people's attention, but even in junior high I remember thinking that they were playing up the "sexy" angle to boost their songs, and that's just lame.  It's still all about the music.

I am reasonably sure that in their heyday, Agneta got all the attention. Also, keep in mind that the idea of "beautiful woman" was very different in the 70s than today.

I'm talking about the 70's.

[wolfking]

Best pop song ever is one of MJ's hits IMO.  Take your pick.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Best pop song ever is one of MJ's hits IMO.  Take your pick.

Smooth Criminal?

[wolfking]

Best pop song ever is one of MJ's hits IMO.  Take your pick.

Smooth Criminal?

Yeah, or Thriller, Bad, Billie Jean, Beat It etc.

[KevShmev]

I really like We Built This City so I picked that. I like ABBA more overall but Dancing Queen isn't one of my favourites by them

I don't care what anyone says...Knowing Me, Knowing You is a great pop song.

ABBA meanwhile always had incredible orchestration and arrangements.  Benny and Bjorn (the two guys, duh) knew their shit.  I admit, I never came to this realization until after I bought the Chess Soundtrack and figured out that it's them. One Night in Bangkok, The Deal (No Deal), You and I, etc.  Great stuff.

Interesting. I never knew the ABBA guys did the music for that one.

Curses...



...foiled again.

That's illegal in like 36 states.

You know, being born in '91, 70s band photos never fail to either horrify me or crack me up. There's usually no in between. This falls into the former category. Guy on the right looks like he could be Michael Cera's dad.

Or Nigel Tufnel's little brother.

[TAC]

 

So true!

[TAC]

[KevShmev]

[Orbert]

ABBA meanwhile always had incredible orchestration and arrangements.  Benny and Bjorn (the two guys, duh) knew their shit.  I admit, I never came to this realization until after I bought the Chess Soundtrack and figured out that it's them. One Night in Bangkok, The Deal (No Deal), You and I, etc.  Great stuff.

Interesting. I never knew the ABBA guys did the music for that one.

Yep.  It was back in the 80's, and I was kinda into musical soundtracks; movie, Broadway, whatever.  I had Jesus Christ Superstar, of course, and Godspell, Hair, and a few others.  I couldn't find Chess on vinyl, but I found a cassette version that didn't have a lot of liner notes or anything.  But on the spine of the cassette box it said

CHESS
RICE - ANDERSSON - ULVAEUS

Tim Rice I knew, as he'd done the lyrics for Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and at least one or two others with Andrew Lloyd Webber.  But Andersson and Ulvaeus didn't ring any bells.

That's Murray Head singing "One Night in Bangkok".  Murray Head was Judas in the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Jesus Christ Superstar ("the brown cover").  And because Carl Anderson is black and played Judas in the movie, and Murray sounds a lot like him, I thought Murray Head was black for a long time.  Then I saw the video for "One Night in Bangkok".  Whoa, he's white.  Then the VJ (remember them?) said that was from the Chess Soundtrack, music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA.  My head just about fucking imploded.

[Crow]

both these are wrong, i'm not a fan of either 
i can't think of any 80's pop tunes i really love, but smooth criminal is a damn fine song regardless
the 80's were not a great decade for music though

[Cool Chris]

Murray Head was Judas in the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Jesus Christ Superstar ("the brown cover").  And because Carl Anderson is black and played Judas in the movie, and Murray sounds a lot like him, I thought Murray Head was black for a long time.  Then I saw the video for "One Night in Bangkok".  Whoa, he's white. 

It wasn't due to that song, but I remember being surprised he was white as well, as I had the movie Judas in my head, as you did. He also sings the part with quite a bit of soul, for lack of a better word.

[Orbert]

Oh, definitely.  Total R&B/Soul performance by Murray on that record.

[KevShmev]

both these are wrong, i'm not a fan of either 
i can't think of any 80's pop tunes i really love, but smooth criminal is a damn fine song regardless
the 80's were not a great decade for music though

I disagree with everything I've got.  You won't find another decade where so many different genres had great music.  The 80s had it all.

[King Postwhore]

It kills me reading the younger generation saying that. The only issue with the 80s was the new technology of digital recording was very tinny. But like have said so many different genres so many big hits so many stars.

[TAC]

both these are wrong, i'm not a fan of either 
i can't think of any 80's pop tunes i really love, but smooth criminal is a damn fine song regardless
the 80's were not a great decade for music though

I agree that Alien Ant Farm rules.

[PowerSlave]

The two greatest pop songs ever written are Sunset Grill, and Boys of Summer.

I can't stand The Eagles, but Don Henley is brilliant!

[TAC]

I don't really care for Sunset Grill but Boys Of Summer literally takes me back to the summer of '84. It totally washes over me.

[KevShmev]

The Boys of Summer is literally one of my favorite songs (it's in the top 20) ever by anyone.

Sunset Grill is a really good tune, too.

So many amazing pop songs in the 80s, and with so many different sounds and styles (as opposed to now where most pop songs all seem to sound the same).

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

the 80's were not a great decade for music though

[Polarbear]

Toto - Africa

Mic drop...

[RoeDent]

the 80's were not a great decade for music though

This is so wrong it hurts.

Tears for Fears? Crowded House? Marillion? Duran Duran? Depeche Mode? Human League? OMD? A-Ha? Back when pop actually had ambition and depth, with songs that have stood the test of time and remain anthems to this very day. I could list many many more. You can't just dismiss 10 whole years of music just like that. It shows extreme ignorance on your part.

[soupytwist]

the 80's were not a great decade for music though

This is so wrong it hurts.

Tears for Fears? Crowded House? Marillion? Duran Duran? Depeche Mode? Human League? OMD? A-Ha? Back when pop actually had ambition and depth, with songs that have stood the test of time and remain anthems to this very day. I could list many many more. You can't just dismiss 10 whole years of music just like that. It shows extreme ignorance on your part.

The early to mid 80's were great, the late 80's are pretty poor.

[Podaar]

the 80's were not a great decade for music though

This is so wrong it hurts.

Tears for Fears? Crowded House? Marillion? Duran Duran? Depeche Mode? Human League? OMD? A-Ha? Back when pop actually had ambition and depth, with songs that have stood the test of time and remain anthems to this very day. I could list many many more. You can't just dismiss 10 whole years of music just like that. It shows extreme ignorance on your part.

I don't know if modern pop lacks 'ambition and depth' but I think you can say the 80's had pop bands who aggressively sought originality. I don't think any decade has had such diverse pop music. In addition to the bands you list above you could hear anything from Midnight Oil, to Billy Joel, then Wang Chung, followed by Heart. The Honey Drippers, ZZ Top, Berlin, ...  Never mind, it would be ridiculous to list all the acts who had big pop hits in the 80's. Parama may not like any of these bands or songs but, yes, I also strenuously disagree that the 80's sucked.

[The Walrus]

Toto - Africa

Mic drop...

In all seriousness, I'm agreeing with this. Africa is the greatest song ever recorded.