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

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

whereas "Take a Chance on Me" was burned into my brain (via the Muppets!) as a youngster.

Both bands are about the best at what they do. You could make an awesome split 7" in the sky with the B52s and Abba covering a tune of each other.

I enjoy the timbre of the B52 vox more - Roam gives me an ASMR, goosebump type reaction, while is ABBA is just like “more champagne please.” Also gotta keep in mind the difference in production styles, B52s all crisp and treble, ABBA hazy and lush

ABBA, the Mac, the B-52's -- all awesome, y'all are cracked
.

Mindbogglingly, heartbreakingly cracked

Agnetha and Frida's voice are undistinguishable to me, while I can mostly tell which part is Kate and which is Cindy. This is not a pro or a con, just an observation.

That's not a dis though

This is the ABBA song I discovered in the last two years that affirmed their holyshitness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsznMjw-BsI

Practically the last thing they recorded, this song and the two songs from the Under Attack single are what happened when the ABBA boys got hold of Oh No It's Devo and decided to give it one last crack at staying relevant.

Practically the last thing they recorded, this song and the two songs from the Under Attack single are what happened when the ABBA boys got hold of Oh No It's Devo and decided to give it one last crack at staying relevantimprove it in every way.

don't you go underrating Devo Alfred

DEVO is so great now Alfred's probably gonna cyberbully them with faint praise in a top ten list

I checked his blog, he has already said they are good but...improving on Devo? It is not possible.

I like Devo!

I hear more Dollar than Devo in "I Am the City."

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

My favorite early ABBA deep cut

https://youtu.be/wz3ygKyvKaM