ABBA

ABBA
 
 
ABBA  (stylised ᗅᗺᗷᗅ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.  They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982.  ABBA’s record sales figure is uncertain and various estimates range from over 140 to over 500 million sold records.  This makes them one of the best-selling music artists.  ABBA was the first group from a non-English-speaking country to achieve consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

After releasing their second album Queens of Noise, the Runaways toured Japan in 1977 and attracted Beatlemania-level attention according to Joan Jett – their popularity in Japan among foreign bands trailed only ABBA, KISS and Led Zeppelin.  Their third album, Live in Japan documented their experiences there. 

 

(November 2013)

 

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What Fresh Hell is This quotes this item in the June 14. 1980 issue of Billboard Magazine about Black Russian:  “Actually from the U.S.S.R., Black Russian is a pop trio which makes crystalline pop/r&b that comes across as a more r&b-oriented ABBA.  Natasha Kapustin has an excellent soaring voice.  ‘Leave Me Now’ really gives her room to show off her vocal strength.  The production is exceptionally clean with Vladimir Shneider’s keyboard and the synthesizers of Serge [Kapustin] and Natasha Kapustin lending a cushy sheen.  The album is evenly divided between uptempo dance cuts and moody ballads.  Best cuts:  ‘Mystified’, ‘Leave Me Now’, ‘Emptiness’, ‘New York City’, ‘Love's Enough’.” 

 

(April 2015/1)

 

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For some reason, over the years the 1970’s have gotten a reputation as a poor decade for music. (So do the 1950’s, for that matter, even though that is where rock and roll came from). It certainly cannot be because everything sounded the same. Most of the British Invasion bands were still active. The top American acts were still going strong as well – Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Carole King, Simon and Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt, the Beach Boys, the Band, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, etc. – and major stars who arrived in the 1970’s include Elton John, Michael Jackson, Queen, ABBA, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Prince, James Taylor, and Tom Petty. Anyone who says they are a music fan has to be able to find someone, and probably several someones on that list that they like a lot.
(December 2016)