ABBA - The Singles The First 10 Years Poll. Pick Your Favourites

It’s always been my favourite ABBA compilation. I bought it in 1982 on LP mainly for the 2 ‘new’ songs. I’d bought the two previous ABBA hits comps so felt a little ripped off. I didn’t realise this was actually their swansong...When I got a CD player in 1985 I bought it on that format too. Great sounding discs in a solid fatboy case. For me, it really does have all the best of the group. Unless you worship Angeleyes. If you’re of the opinion that ABBA aren’t an albums band, this will do you just nicely. Love the artwork too which has Frida and Agnetha dressed for panto season that Christmas. The boys look like bank tellers.

So, pick your favourites. It would be cruel to offer anything less than unlimited options. So have as many as you want.

Share your stories of getting the album if you like. Is it your favourite ABBA comp too? Or do you favour ABBA Gold or one of the others. There’s plenty to pick from.

 

ABBA gold has always been my favourite as I brought it when it came out (was it 1992) I got it on vinyl and cassette. My dad had previously given me the vinyl of greatest hits 2 as he had the album “the first ten years” just recently I brought a second hand copy of the Abba first ten years album on cd for nostalgia reasons as I remember looking at the cover of my dad’s record . One great thing about albums is you really did study the cover art/photo

 

Gonna have to say ABBA Gold is my favorite, only because it's the one my parent's had when I was growing up lol.

As for the cover art posted above, while I don't particularly care for it, I've seen worse lol. I think it's just a bit TOO dated for my tastes.

My picks, in no particular order:

• Waterloo
• SOS
• Mamma Mia
• Fernando
• Dancing Queen
• Money, Money, Money
• Knowing Me, Knowing You
• The Name Of The Game
• Take A Chance On Me
• Chiquitita
• Does Your Mother Know
• Voulez-Vous
• Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
• I Have A Dream
• The Winner Takes It All
• Super Trouper
• One Of Us

 

The only thing I didn’t like about this comp was the title. It was misleading. Should have been called ABBA The Singles The Only 10 Years.

And why has Frida got a Christmas tree ornament shoved down her cleavage?

 

I was about to pick my favorites but would have to select them all so I did nothing.

There are so many hidden gems in their catalogue that I even consider them to be an album band for me.

Agreed, their later period photographs look more dated than their earlier (and even more wild) days,

 

Did this poll have to be public.

 

There was still a kernel of hope back then....

 

Yes. Name and shame is a policy I live by.

 

Still is for some.

 

Did this useless reply need to be?

Damn it - I fed the troll.

 

Why is Frida wearing a parachute on the cover?

 

My first ABBA compilation! Seemed like it could have been a little better, but, not too bad overall.

The ABBA plane was crash landing?

 

I tried to show some restraint and limit my picks to only 10 songs:

• Ring Ring
• SOS
• Knowing Me, Knowing You
• Take A Chance On Me
• Summer Night City
• Voulez-Vous
• Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
• The Winner Takes It All
• Super Trouper
• The Day Before You Came

I have never owned this compilation, but am aghast at the exclusion of 'Lay All Your Love On Me'!

 

I KNEW something was missing! I couldn't place what was not there lol. That and "Thank You for the Music" now that I think about it lol.

Thanks!

 

So many classic songs. And the day before you came hints at a stratospheric quantum leap that we can only dream of now.

 

Looks like a good comp. I've never had it, but I love ABBA Gold and several of their albums (Arrival and The Album especially). I picked my favorites:

SOS
Mamma Mia
Dancing Queen
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Voulez Vouz
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme
The Day Before You Came

It lacks two of my favorites (Lay All Your Love on Me and Thank You for the Music) but the inclusion of the Wonderful The Day Before You Came nearly makes up for it.

 

That's because it wasn't an "official" single. It was released in the UK and a few other territories but never planned as a proper single release by ABBA or Polar Music. Same with Thank You For The Music. I'm not sure what went on with the planning of this compilation was but if they mean singles as conceived and planned by the Swedish record label then these two are not part of the line up.

That said, when the album was announced the press release issued by Polar Music stated that it would be 26 tracks but it was 23 when it was finally released. I'm not sure what the other 3 tracks could have been.

 

As a career overview, it falters a bit on the second disc, the last side speeding through Super Trouper and basically overlooking The Visitors to fit in the two new songs but then "Under Attack" updates the group's trademark Europop for the 80's* and and the gothic synth-pop of "The Day Before You Come" is a chilly epitaph for the group.

Still, the sheer hit ratio makes this a rival to ABBA Gold. (Of course, buying this and More ABBA Gold gives you all the tracks here as well as "Angeleyes", "Eagle", "Our Last Summer", "On and On and On", "Cassandra" and a decent peak at The Visitors with the title track, "Head Over Heels" and "When All is Said and Done")


* Full disclosure; my avatar comes from the last scene of the video

 

Ah, of course. I seem to forget this quite easily. Maybe I just don't want to remember the snub. I got to know ABBA through my sister's 'Gold' compilation (where the song is included) and always assumed 'Lay All Your Love On Me' was one of their big hits. It sure should have been!

'Thank You For The Music' has never been one of my favorites I must admit.

 

Because she can.

 

It's not one of mine either lol. I've just always associated it with their comps/hits (probably because of Gold lol).

Edited to add: I never realized Lay All Your Love On Me wasn't officially released as a single. Seems like it would have been another monster hit.

 

Lay All Your Love On Me got to (about) #7 here. Decent sized hit. I think Thank You For The Music was also a medium sized UK hit a little later... It’s not a favourite of mine either. I regard it as the start of the end on The Album which had been going great guns until that point. And of course you’re just starting to recover from TYFTM and I’m A Marionette comes on.

 

Do you like the album cover art option? I’m trying to bring something fresh to my polls.

I like the cover. I think it may have been the last time ABBA all smiled together in the same room.

 

I do.

Even though cover art is not as appreciated by a lot of people in my generation and younger (I'm 30), I absolutely love cover art and think it's an important part of an album's "personality" so to speak lol.

 

I agree it’s important. A couple of years ago I did threads comparing 2 albums (though this is now banned), and I always included the album art option. People seemed to like it.

I’m 30 too.