Duel of the double female fronted bands: ABBA vs B-52's

Voice of the beehive

OK, if you insist..

The Heartthrobs

one thing that makes ABBA greater than the B-52s for me is this: let's concede, for the sake of argument, that the B-52s make better records. Not an impossible concession to make -- where, in ABBA's catalog, is their "Dance This Mess Around"? They don't have one, nor a "Quiche Lorraine," nor a "Legal Tender." The B-52s locate some zones of feeling & expression that I'd argue were pretty thin on the ground if not nonexistent in pop music before them. But here's the thing: Only they can convey these expressions. Cover "Quiche Lorraine"? Be my guest, you're going to sound like an asshole. Cover "52 Girls"? Feel free, chump. But anybody, on pretty much any instrument, can play "Knowing Me, Knowing You," or "Dancing Queen," or "The Winner Takes It All," or "Take a Chance on Me," or "S.O.S." and anybody with an ear will hear that these are solid, brilliant songs. There's more to ABBA than ABBA, but of course their versions will probably be definitive, because they have, in addition to merciless songwriting chops, a real vision for how to present their songs. The B52s are sui generis - they write songs only they can really pull off. I suspect for many people, that makes them the greater band, but I think of versatility/portability/flexibility/malleability as the mark of real genius.

I think of versatility/portability/flexibility/malleability as the mark of real genius.

sounds like something a songwriter would say lol

xp great post, still voted B-52s

which is not to say that your point is incorrect - the B-52s songs and their greatness is very much tied in to their specific personalities and talents - just that I don't know if I agree that ABBA's more, shall we say, Platonic approach to crafting the "ideal" pop song is de facto better. I do know whose catalog I find more fun and engaging to listen to and that's definitely Kate and Cindy & crew.

xp

sounds like something a songwriter would say lol

ha, I edited out a graf explaining that this is (one reason) why I would never rank my own stuff with the true greats. almost no covers of my stuff are as good as the originals. period. this has been true for over twenty years. there are two instances I know of where the covers beat the originals with me, and the songs are two of my very highest achievements -- and, even then, the work done by the covering artists is just next-level. whereas with ABBA, even a shitty cover of "dancing queen" has THOSE changes, THAT melody, THAT structure. I'm not even an actual ABBA fan, technically - I've never owned any of their records; -- but at the same time, I consider their achievement titanic, unimaginable, and whenever I hear them, I think, man, who beats that? hardly anybody.

not necessarily a personal thing, just recognizing how songwriter-minds tend to work. I certainly feel like grinding away on my own material makes me think about structure, chords, lyrical mechanics, melodies in a more abstract and technical way than the average listener. Like, I get how you can appreciate ABBA as superior in a formal way without even owning their records (also lol though cuz c'mon that is funny)

I can’t choose

The way Kate & Cindy sing together reminds me most of the way Exene & John Doe sing together, which would've been a better poll tbh.

Not really, I've never heard X.

Er, how is that anyone's fault besides yours?

I don't think they're particularly well known outside the US.

But, you know, carry on regardless, Make ILM Great Again.

X are great, check out any of the 1st four albums

this would have been ABBA if it wasn't for our recent poll, but all i have been listening to for about a month now is The B-52's. they are better than i originally thought.

(xp) Well, I could be completely wrong but not only have I never heard them but I've never heard them come up in a conversation ever - and I had a conversation about Killdozer today!

It is very easy to not hear X in North America fwiw.

(Voting for Fleetwood Mac)

been revisiting X lately and honestly see how we are / big black sun feel like the sweet spot, not the legendary first two

Joanie you're getting close to Geir territory

Joanie is approaching Lord Sotosyn territory with that X comment.

I still think this whole poll stinks

Surprised Joanie has any time for any of the LA punks tbh!

Both of these groups succeeded in the only way that truly great artists do, they created their own little universe and aesthetic and had the songs to go with it, there's really no other band like either of them and it's churlish to say one is better than the other because both these bands became exactly what they were meant to be, and how many of us do that?

B-52s for me, easy.

<i> see how we are / big black sun feel like the sweet spot</i>

I could cosign this on the right day.

Oh wait, More Fun... /Big Black Sun I mean. See How We Are is a bit post-peak.

Apologies 4 derail

I actually think ABBA is best enjoyed in album form, and they finished off with a real classic album.

Also many xxxposts

But I think someone could cover "Roam" by the B52s and it could work

I was thinking that and "Deadbeat Club". And of course, Sinéad did it with "Ain't It a Shame".

The B-52's seem to have a sort of uncoverability akin to the Sugarcubes, where it's essential that it is them performing the songs, but the songs themselves are quite strong. I dunno. I just never liked ABBA that much. The Bee Gees were more interesting to me.

Gibb bros are light years ahead of ABBA imo

So, Οὖτις, no sitting on the fence here, ABBA yay or nay?

I will rate ABBA above Fleetwood Mac fwiw

mostly because their songs work on that archetypal pop level that JCLC was referring to, their best material is catchy and bouncy as hell. FM doesn't have anything like that imo, their appeal is more tightly bound up with the personalities of the players and their band mythology, which bores me. (Which is just to say that other bands, like the B-52s, say, have better mythologies and personalities lol, or at least ones I just find inherently more interesting or appealing)

I don't think of FM that way at all, though. Looking at JCLC's criteria, "Landslide" has to be one of the most-covered songs of the last 50 years. As often as not, guitar students don't even know it as a FM song ime.

M doesn't have anything like that imo, their appeal is more tightly bound up with the personalities of the players and their band mythology, which bores me.

lol what

With that rhythm section? With that (former) guitarist? Maybe to sell copies of Rolling Stone the mythos worked.

in what world aren't "Don't Stop" and "Gypsy" bouncy as hell

(No data to back the first claim, which I pulled out of my ass. Point is that it has clearly been covered a lot, and successfully.) 2xp And yeah, "Never Going Back Again" is an all-time great fingerpicking song.

ABBA are great of course. B-52's are basically my favourite band right now. I'm voting for Ace of Base.

Don't turn around

all that jmm wants is another bABBAy

lol

Kate and Cindy made/make harmonies like few in the world of rock/pop and are as in-tune with each other as Hazel and Alice.

B-52's all day.

fun fact: ace of base are nazis

bump

how do all these Fleetwood Mac songs get stuck in my head, must be their personalities and backstories that I don't think about at all?

what can I say, I've never had a Mac song stuck in my head

some of kate's finest guest vocals, up there with "me in honey"

http://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-review-dba-downes-braide-association-skyscraper-souls/

Abba was rubbish and the stage presence of the two girls was so unbelievably sterile and uncool. The B52's were so much more exciting and they were bursting with so many ideas. Abba was a sleepfest in comparison.

they aren't girls

who cares about stage presence? ABBA were a studio band through and through.

I dunno, this seems terrific to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G5129BMoXg

Cold, sterile, miserable Scandinavians ftw.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

justice

Tin roof... justice.

(I would've voted ABBA though)

Love Abba, but they never wrote anything as ferocious as "Private Idaho" (although "S.O.S" comes close).

My favourite Abba song was always this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEbZqnC2oN4
I think it is an outlier in their oeuvre. So much punch, so much drive, almost a punk song from 1973. After that it was all downhill.

Post a controversial music opinion

I love 'Ring Ring', it's one of my karaoké hits! Wouldn't say it went anywhere downhill after though. 'Bang-A-Boomerang' also has plenty of punch and drive. This band, even their lesser known singles would be another band's classics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CsJCa2TlXU

"Private Idaho" is such a dope song

First five seconds of "Ring Ring" could be a Blondie song.

My favorite early ABBA deep cut

https://youtu.be/wz3ygKyvKaM