Arrival

Favorite songs: Dancing Queen, That's Me, Fernando Creepy: When I Kissed the Teacher This album was like drinking sugar water from a firehose.

I love listening to Abba albums properly. The production quality is so high, really amazing to dedicate listening time, even though many of these umbers - Dancing Queen for example - are so ubiquitous it's easy to just write them off as background music. Knowing Me, Knowing You is a triumph and for that plus Fernando alone I could give this a 4 but there are a couple of fillers on here, and it's not the best of the Abba albums. Still very enjoyable.

Lush '70s orchestral pop. Not something I'm particularly into, but BOY are these songs polished to a mirror sheen. Amazing harmonies and arrangements, with sharp, catchy hooks. A top-quality example of its genre.

I expected to like this more than I did. The hits are great. The rest of the album though I felt was just kind of mid. 3.5/5

terrible album art solely off the fact that it’s not even offensively bad it’s just boring. but its abba

Fun but i like the bonus tracks more than some of the middle tracks; I feel like ABBA writes awesome singles and okay albums

I enjoyed this, I've always liked Dancing Queen the most out of all their hits. I liked about half the songs though some were pretty forgettable

I think this album is a great introduction into ABBA. You get a great sense of their style and get to experience some of their stand out hits like Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, and Fernando. I do feel as if the quintessential ABBA style get repetitive by the end of the record.

I suspect we got this one because we really had to hear Dancing Queen one way or another

It's always a good time with ABBA around.

The music is very well made, recorded and arranged. Dancing Queen is an ultimate classic, but I can't say that the album is a masterpiece, nor very good... Just okay! 3 stars and next!

A fun, uplifting and singalong probe album. Not my usual jam but was an enjoyable listen to keep it light and positive

-Not much a fan of this one -Fernando is a great song -Dancing Queen is iconic but lost its magic sort of

Some silly stuff, but I have a soft spot for ABBA.

Not a big Abba fan but you can't argue with the number of big hits on this album.

ABBA subverts expectations by not only being the pedophile but also the victim. Good job ABBA. Fuckin swingers. The most popular song is definitely the best. I love ABBA. Who doesn't. They're goated. Mamma Mia. Money, Money, Money is of course a close second but I like the musical version better. This is kind've menacing to be honest. ABBA instrumental track?? Yeah ABBA happy Hawaii. Favourite: obviously Dancing Queen wait maybe Fernando Least favourite: When I Kissed The Teacher

Architecturally flawless, emotionally complicated.

ABBA can put together an album, and this one has its share of hits. The other tracks are enjoyable, but not as remarkable. Dancing Queen Knowing Me, Knowing You Money, Money, Money Fernando

its ABBA so I have to hate. This was alright, nothing sprcial

Enjoyable, a pure pop classic.

Pretty good taking into account the time. Comforting

Temazos y bastante relleno

75

Ha estat bé escoltar-lo però no es el meu estil. Tinc ganes de veure Mamma mia tbh

I was in high school when this band came out so I heard all the hits constantly on the radio. They’re not a band I listen to but when I hear one of their songs I sing along and know all the words.

You can’t help but want to dance to this. Fernando and Dancing Queen!

ABBA not my fav but fun to listen to

Two songs into Arrival, and you've gone from horny and weird to at home in a song that, like A-ha's 'Take On Me' or Eurythmic's 'Sweet Dreams,' isn't possible to hear for the first time. B/c 'Dancing Queen' is a happy song - it may be THE happy song - I was surprised by some of the introspection the album swaggers: 'No more carefree laughter / Silence ever after / Walking thru an empty house / Tears in my eyes.' That's not particularly interesting broodiness, but this is pop music, so it doesn't need to be - it's just gotta have that thing we call pop magic. And some of these tracks have it, 'Why Did It Have To Be Me?' specifically. But plenty don't, and I'm left reckoning that ABBA is just a weak derivative of The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac.

So there are a few great songs and unsurprisingly they are hits, but theres a fair bit of filler too. ABBA are definitely a band that deserve to added to, say a 1001 artists you must listen to, but I don't think this album really deserves it.

Gosto de Abba, animado pra ouvir. Dancing Queen, gigantesca. Marcou uma geração nas baladas dessa época. Fernando também é muito famosa. Cheio dos hits mesmo, fudido. Mas vou com 3 estrelas por não me impactar tanto o estilo.

I honestly thought Abba would be better, legendary status and all...

Come on, everyone knows the hits on this one. Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you have listened to Dancing Queen - there is no escape. Lots of hits on this, and the commercial success makes sense - these are very catchy, well made songs. There are quite a few stinkers though, and it seems like they ran out of lyrics or just inspiration more generally for a few songs. 5/10

The hits are where it's at, the rest? Not so much

6.1/10 very bright but lacks emotional depth pretty av

ABBA is just one of those lucky mixes of voice, instrumental, and show that just work. This record has many, lets the women show just how great they were at singing. When I Kissed the Teacher creeped me out a bit.

In one ear, out the other. ABBA just feels like music for pre-teens and teens and it never sticks with me.

Appreciate it but not my cup of tea.

Un albums con los meros clásicos de Abba. Divertido y con momentos bonitos

1976….. and I hated ABBA- always No1, in the charts, I hated them. Nowadays I quite like them, and sing along to a lot of their songs - how times change…..

im not the biggest fan of abba

This is absolutely one of those I wouldn’t reach to Pickup and it absolutely brightened my day the super fun to share with Ella. I’m sure my singing was appreciated by her as well.

Some good songs in this one! I liked quite a few of them. More towards the end it ramped up to more songs I liked.

Interesting to discover other songs than dancing queen. Gives me a smile

65/100. A bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you’ve got absolute classics like Dancing Queen,probably their best track ever, and Money, Money, Money doing their dramatic pop thing. But the rest? Kind of feels like the album took a coffee break. A few too many middle of the road tracks that sound like they were contractually obligated to fill space.

Some great classic songs on here, I mean "Dancing Queen" takes the cake and is still a great song 50 years on that is beloved. I remember listening to ABBA on family roadtrips in our van. 3/5 stars - if I want to listen to ABBA I'll revisit their greatest hits collection.

Listening session: january 6th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: heard a few songs before but not the entire album Thoughts: never been a fan of ABBA but some songs on this are quite catchy Favourite tracks: Dancing Queen & Knowing Me, Knowing You

Not a fan of the lyrics, I like the melody though

me gusto

ABBA being ABBA. 1. Dancing Queen 2. Money Money Money 2. Fernando

This album is like going mountain climbing in uncharted Nordic lands. You get to the top of the mountain, and after taking a moment to enjoy the feat, you head back to town. To your surprise, you find there is a festival going on. It’s kind of like Oktoberfest, except everyone is wearing Viking helmets and eating cheese.

The hits were good. Everything else was so so

Obviously loved the songs I knew but didn’t get into the ones I didn’t know

Alright, it has some good classics but I am not the biggest ABBA fan, also it need to be remastered for better audio quality.

ABBAAAAA EVERYBODY SCREAM als ik eerlijk ben heb ik abba altijd al een beetje overrated gevonden. Abba heeft bangers, dat zeker, maar ik vind het niet heel bijzonder ofzo, ja dat vind ik echt. Ik heb wel echt genoten van dit album, zou ik het ooit nog een keer aanzetten, nee, maar een aantal liedjes hebben mijn playlists zeker gevonden. Favorieten: Dancing queen, my love my life, That's me, Fernando Minst favorieten: Money, Money, Money , tiger

I really don't feel a whole lot listening to this one. I felt uncomfortable from Dancing Queen randomly feeling a need to say that the character in the song is seventeen after they just did a song about a teacher kissing a student in front of a geometry class. Past that, the really really big hits of this album were okay. I've heard them all before, never been particularly huge on them. That's about how I feel about the whole album. I've heard it all before and I'm not big on a lot of it. Saxophone bonus points for one of the later songs, though. I will never not be huge on saxophones.

I'd never intentionally listened to Abba, they've just always been around. The hits here are classics, Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, and Fernando. The rest are more forgettable for me, especially the first track on the album , oof.

Well recorded catchy tunes, but I don't like them

When you encounter perennial popular groups who have been around for decades, there's usually a good reason why the hits remain and everything else is forgotten. Dancing Queen, Money Money Money, Fernando & Knowing Me Knowing You bookended by questionable subjects, cookie cutter dross and a 'title' track that's completely anonymous

Dancing Queen is of course iconic and a great song. If I watched Mama Mia more than once I might recognize more of these songs. I did recognize the song "Fernando" only to learn it was a bonus track. Are there any sad Abba songs? I also had the thought that this is an upbeat Carpenters with double the members. This is an ok album, I was surprised there were not more hits. I guess I need to watch Mama Mia again to become more familiar with their discography.

Kind of fun. My fave was Knowing Me, Knowing You.

Some bangers and some quite mid songs. Enjoyed the songs but didn't really enjoy cohesively as an album

These Swedes might be onto something.

Dancing Queen and Fernando give it 3 stars but not much else there

All fun songs but not my style. A couple really good songs that are interesting in harmonies and riffs but the rest of the songs are plain.

The hits are the hits for a reason. Ending on Happy Hawaii is a crime.

no es nada de abba q no haya escuchado antes, pero descubrí canciones que me gustaron (fernando, happy hawaii)

Saccharine, danceable 70s disco music. Honestly, it’s not bad in the right situation, but it’s definitely not something I ever want to listen to unless I’m a few beers deep at a wedding reception.

El álbum de ABBA por excelencia. En sus tracks están de las más icónicas, pero creo que tiene varios skips.

Was alright

It’s abba, it does all the abba things you’d expect- however really surprised by drums and bass playing. Unexpectedly funky

160 Me encantaría tener un comentario super profundo al respecto pero, es ABBA siendo ABBA. Me gusta pero lo puse de fondo mientras cocinaba y no me llamó mucho la atención.

Album #8 ABBA: Arrival I have always considered myself a fan of ABBA, due to the indisputable fact that they have some of the greatest and most fun singles and hits of all time. Despite this, I have never been too enticed to listen to an entire album, except for the iconic compilation album Abba Gold, which is one of the finest greatest hits albums ever assembled. Arrival, however, does not reach the same heights, but is still able to hold its own. Even Arrival could read as a collection of hits, which is a testament to ABBAs ability to make each song feel important and special. The album’s only weakness for me comes in some of the lyricism, particularly in When I Kissed The Teacher, which doesn’t exactly paint the lush imagery in my mind which normally occurs when listening to songs such as Gimme Gimme Gimme, Winner Takes It All, or Waterloo. One of the factors that attracts me to ABBA the most is how each of their hits paints a vivid picture through storytelling and emotion. Which is why another of my least favourite tracks on the album is Money Money Money, though it has nice piano playing, and lyrics which do attempt to say something, the chorus simply doesn’t immerse me; in general, I’m not a big fan of repetitive one-word choruses. However, there are two songs on this album which I would consider perfect, and some of the most ethereal and engaging pop songs I’ve ever heard. One being of course, Dancing Queen, ABBA’s most popular song and for a reason, doesn’t matter if you are a 16-year-old girl or a 45-year-old man, when this song is playing, you feel as though you are the centre of attention on the ballroom floor. But my favourite song has to be Fernando, the storytelling in this song is beautiful as it tells a tale of revolution, liberation, and love, and truly evokes the feelings of euphoria. ABBA is just one of those bands I could never hate, and even though I don’t love every song on the album, I also don’t dislike any of it. Best Tracks: Fernando, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You Worst Track: When I Kissed The Teacher Score out of 10: 7.5

Yes, ABBA are pop royalty. But this is not a good album. Even the singles featured vary in quality (Fernando, no thanks). The rest of the tracks are of the poor B side type. When ABBA are great they are great but sometimes the trite rhyming of lyrics demonstrates too clearly that the English language is not their forte. As to 'dum dum diddle when you play your fiddle'... this track is an abomination. Mastering pop and the singles market should be applauded for sure, but ABBA albums? No thanks.

I like ABBA; their hits are great, but I wouldn't think to put on a full-length album of theirs other than Voulez-Vous.

sarebbe un 2,5 in realtà - non è male ma non riesco a sentirlo tutto di fila

First time listening to an ABBA album start-to-finish. There's a bunch of hits on here, including their biggest, "Dancing Queen." So I can understand why this album is on the list, but ABBA just isn't really my thing.

Has the big hit. And definitely not just manufactured.

17/12/2025 1. when i kissed the teacher - like the sound, especially of the chorus, but what???? don't like the ending, backing vocals ruin it a bit. great bass 2. dancing queen - iconic. 70s synthesisers are either the spawn of the devil or the best thing you've ever heard, this leans towards devilspawn. love the violins and piano. also great. ☆3. my love, my life - immediately like this one more, love the backing vocals, more soft and dreamy, dreaminess fades at the chorus but still a great pop song. so far favourite song, will be listening to this one again. love the bells at the end. 4. dum dum diddle - is that a synthesiser or a harpiscord??? the bass on these songs is great! liked the song but already getting a bit sick of abba lol. 5. knowing me, knowing you - had a break after the last one. alan partridge song :) one of the better songs so far. i like the whispering in the second verse. 6. money, money, money - love how dramatic this one is. bass is really great in this album. love the tone change towards the end. 7. that's me - immediately not liking the intro. once the vocals started it got better, didn't like the piano at first but it grew on me throughout. 8. why did it have to be me? - i like the guitar and piano but not as fond of the male vocals, song was redeemed when the female vocals started. love the saxaphone(?). didn't think i'd like this when it started, but it definitely grew on me, love the instrumental sections. ☆9. tiger - hooked from the intro, the banging drums are great. guitar riff great as well. one of my favs from this album. 10. arrival - a lot folkier and less poppy than the other songs. didn't know abba did an instumental song. didn't like it as much as the other songs, but would listen again still. 11. fernando - not much to say about this one. the vocals are still fantastic, love the chorus. feel abba-ed out right now. 12. happy hawaii - love the wave sound at the start, reminds me of quadrophenia, i would probably like this more if i hadn't listened to an entire album of abba before. chorus is great. liked this album a lot more than i thought i would, but admittedly did get abba-ed out towards the end, even with a break in the middle. most of the songs are great sounding pop songs with alright lyrics, but i am partial to mor pop so i loved it. tiger was a great one and my love, my life is lining up to be a song i obsessively relisten to for a month straight. will definitely give happy hawaii another change when i am over my abba fatigue :)

Favorite Songs: Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You Least Favorite Song: Arrival Listening to this as I’m packing my bags to go home after a grueling semester and I feel so happy and free.

Good singles but not much outside of the big hits.

Not for me

Insett Swedish Chef gif here.

Cool album, not my cup of tea personally but contains some classics like Dancing Queen, Money Money Money and Fernando.

Such drama! I think this might be kind of the ur-text for late 20th-century popular music. It's really immaculate and very melody-driven, sort of like what I would imagine a Mormon version of Fleetwood Mac would sound like. Very dentist-waiting-room-core to me. Would have given 3.5 stars if I could. 4 seems a bit high though so we're going with 3.

Never really listened to ABBA other then their obvious big numbers, was interesting to hear their other stuff

Grooves upon grooves. Masterful and legendary songwriters.

Classic tones that are melded together in a smooth 70’s soup. Immediately recognizable singles and really nice other tracks. The stand out aspect are the layered vocals and harmonies. 3.7/5.0

Bon, je mets mes préjugés de côté... Je respire un grand coup. Je pense très fort à mes vinyles de Current 93 pour me donner du courage, je caresse la pochette de "Pornography" de The Cure comme un chapelet, et je me lance. Aujourd'hui, on parle d'ABBA. Oui, ABBA. Si on m'avait dit, quand je bossais chez mon disquaire indé durant les années 90, qu'un jour je prendrais la plume (ou le clavier) pour disserter sur "Arrival", j'aurais probablement ri au nez du prophète avant de lui recommander un album de Godflesh pour lui nettoyer les oreilles. À l'époque, ABBA, c'était l'ennemi. C'était le symbole ultime de tout ce que je détestais dans la musique : le mainstream gluant, les paillettes, le sourire Colgate, et cette joie de vivre synthétique qui me donnait de l'urticaire. Et pourtant, nous y voilà car le projet des "1001 Albums" est impitoyable. Il se fout de mon ADN musical, il se fout que j'ai passé mes nuits d'adolescent à écouter Nick Cave hurler à la lune. Il me pose "Arrival" sur la platine, avec sa pochette improbable où le groupe pose dans un hélicoptère (sérieusement, un hélicoptère ? C'est quoi ce délire de superstars ?), et il me dit : "Écoute. Et sois honnête." Alors j'ai écouté.... Attentivement. Et bordel, c'est dur à admettre, mais il y a des putains de bons morceaux là-dedans. "Arrival", sorti en 1976, c'est l'album de la consécration absolue pour les Suédois. C'est le moment où ils passent du statut de "groupe de l'Eurovision qui a eu du bol" à celui de "monstres sacrés de la pop mondiale". Et même avec toute la mauvaise foi du monde, même avec mon passif de fan de post-rock dépressif, je ne peux pas nier l'évidence : la qualité d'écriture et de production est là. C'est une véritable machine de guerre, c'est de l'ingénierie suédoise appliquée à la mélodie. C'est aussi froid et efficace qu'une Volvo, mais avec des sièges en velours pailleté. Prenons le monstre : "Dancing Queen". Je devrais détester ça car c'est l'hymne des mariages, des bar-mitzvahs, des fins de soirée arrosées où Tatie Danielle enlève ses chaussures. Mais si on écoute vraiment, techniquement, c'est imparable. La construction est folle, il n'y a pas de gras. Chaque note, chaque harmonie vocale d'Agnetha et Anni-Frid est posée au millimètre près pour déclencher une réaction chimique de dopamine dans le cerveau. C'est presque effrayant de perfection, c'est la "Pop" avec un grand P, celle qui écrase tout sur son passage. En 1976, pendant que le punk commençait à grogner dans les caves de Londres (ce qui est quand même plus ma came), ABBA polissait ce diamant disco-pop pour faire danser la planète entière. Et puis il y a "Money, Money, Money", c'est du cabaret, c'est théâtral, c'est presque vulgaire dans son approche, mais ça marche. Benny Andersson et Björn Ulvaeus sont des compositeurs redoutables. Ils ont compris comment fonctionne l'oreille humaine et ils l'exploitent sans vergogne. Mais là où je me surprends à ne pas détester l'expérience, c'est sur un titre comme "Knowing Me, Knowing You". Là, on touche à quelque chose qui pourrait presque parler à mon cœur de corbeau gothique. Sous le vernis pop, c'est une chanson de rupture, de vide, de maison silencieuse. "Walking through an empty house, tears in my eyes..." Bon, on n'est pas chez Joy Division, hein, faut pas déconner. On reste dans un univers où le désespoir est chanté en technicolor. Mais il y a une mélancolie sous-jacente chez ABBA, une sorte de tristesse nordique masquée par des leggings en satin, qui rend le tout moins "purge" que prévu. C'est ce qu'on appelle le "spleen disco", et c'est peut-être la seule chose qui sauve mon âme pendant cette écoute. Cependant, ne nous emballons pas car il y a aussi des trucs qui me rappellent pourquoi je préfère écouter John Zorn torturer un saxophone. "Dum Dum Diddle" ? Sérieusement ? Rien que le titre me donne envie de me jeter par la fenêtre. C'est là que le bât blesse car ABBA, c'est aussi le royaume du kitsch, de la facilité lyrique, et d'une production tellement lisse qu'on glisse dessus sans jamais rien accrocher. Tout est trop propre, trop net, il n'y a pas d'accident, pas de fêlure, pas de larsen qui traîne. C'est de la musique sous vide. Quand je travaillais à la radio dans les années 90, on se battait pour passer des trucs qui grattaient, qui dérangeaient, qui avaient de la texture. "Arrival", c'est l'anti-matière de tout ça. C'est un produit de consommation de masse, calibré pour plaire de Stockholm à San Francisco. Et ça m'énerve... Ça m'énerve parce que c'est bien fait, ça m'énerve parce que je me surprends à fredonner ces mélodies diaboliques trois heures après avoir éteint la chaîne. C'est là tout le paradoxe de ma note. Je mets un 3 sur 5. Pourquoi 3 ? D'abord, parce que c'est mieux que 2. Un 2, c'est pour les albums ratés, les trucs pénibles, les erreurs de parcours. "Arrival" n'est pas une erreur, c'est un chef-d'œuvre dans son genre, c'est un album qui a défini la pop pour les décennies à venir. Nier le talent de composition ici serait de la malhonnêteté intellectuelle, et même si je suis un snob musical, j'essaie d'être un snob honnête. Ensuite, 3 parce que je ne peux pas mettre 4 car mon ADN refuse. Mes cellules, nourries au post-punk et à l'indus depuis 1985, se révolteraient. Mettre une note excellente à ABBA, ce serait trahir l'adolescent que j'étais, celui qui regardait de haut ceux qui écoutaient le Top 50 et même si j'avoue l'avoir écouté par moment mais vous voyez ce que je veux dire. Ce serait trahir le disquaire que j'ai été, qui essayait de refourguer du Tortoise à des gens venus acheter la BO de Titanic. 3, c'est la note du compromis. C'est la note qui dit : "Ok, respect. Vous savez écrire des chansons, vous savez produire un disque, vous avez marqué l'histoire. Mais je ne vous inviterai pas à dîner." C'est aussi la note de la frustration. Frustré de voir à quel point c'est efficace alors que c'est tout ce que je ne suis pas censé aimer. C'est la pop chewing-gum qui ne perd jamais son goût, et c'est agaçant. Il y a une instrumentalisation de la joie chez ABBA qui me paraît suspecte. En réécoutant l'album pour cette chronique, j'ai essayé d'imaginer ce que ça donnerait si c'était repris par un groupe de noise ou de doom. Imaginez "Tiger" ralenti par 10, joué par Sunn O))). Ça aurait de la gueule, non ? Mais tel quel, dans sa version originale de 1976, c'est une capsule temporelle d'une époque où la musique pouvait être innocente, commerciale et massivement fédératrice sans être totalement cynique (enfin, un peu quand même, "Money, Money, Money", ils ne s'en cachent pas). Bref, "Arrival" est un album incontournable et il faut l'avoir écouté pour comprendre la mécanique de la pop music. C'est une leçon d'efficacité, mais une fois la leçon terminée, je suis bien content de ranger le disque, de remettre l'hélicoptère au garage, et de me nettoyer les oreilles avec un bon vieux "Unknown Pleasures". C'est ABBA, c'est bien foutu, c'est un 3 et ça n'aura jamais plus, parce qu'il ne faut pas déconner, j'ai une réputation à tenir. Note : 3/5 (Le plafond de verre de ma tolérance pop a été atteint).

pretty good probably gonna clean to this music later

Fairly standard Abba, not bad but very pop candy...even if the first song is fairly problematic.

ABBA is the quintessential pop album. It's got hits, it's got deep cuts, it's got bangers and it's got slow jams. I'm I into ABBA? Not really, can I jam out to a few songs, absolutely.

Great Album - feel the folk roots!!!!!! Some tunes are classics but so over played - could not listent to Dancing Queen by choice- Remmember seeing it in Jenny's album stack in the 70's !!!!!!!

Look, im not typically an Abba fan. But theres no denying some of these bangers. This album has a particular charm whose spell I wasnt expecting or prepared to fall under. Dont get me wrong, there are some themes that probably shouldve been left in the 70s but still it carries that charisma and high production value. Top Tracks: When I Kissed the Teacher, Arrival, Fernando and Happy Hawaii

A bop!

Aside from the popular tracks "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money," and "Fernando" it was all pretty similar sounding to me.

I do not like ABBA. I know.

Obviously has some good pop songs; not terribly surprising in any of the songs which I wasn't already familiar with.

Obvs some massive songs on here, hard not to enjoy. Very into the 70s sounds. Some interesting chord changes in ABBA songs, I wish I could identify more of what's going on; I really appreciated quite a lot of the harmonic progressions in the filler tracks. Over all, not really my thing though.

bueno

Really wish I was listening to this while driving through a snow storm. Pop music used to be so much more musically sophisticated but then also has lyrics about teenagers having inappropriate relationships with adults. Fav track: Happy Hawaii A fun record with some undeniable bangers. I don't connect with any of the more sentimental songs but love hearing the hits on the dancefloor.

It feels hard to engage with this record seriously the way it’s been over saturated in other media. But here we go. The production, harmonies, everything technically is bang on. Some great pop songs in here. Hard to deny the hits. The title track is pretty sick actually. Fernando is catchy no doubt. A fun listen, probably not something I’ll come back to.

Ok album, good but not my favorite kind of sound.

11/21/25. Fun, well produced pop record. Not something I’d go for typically, but these are a collection of good songs. Dancing Queen is obviously a classic!

Fun album that isn’t rly my type of music. I knew like 3 of the songs off of this and ABBA is a great band that can just make you happy. Nothing too special like 7.2/10 3.6/5

Не моя музыка, но за легендарные треки поставлю серединку.

to be rated

Cover 4 It's ABBA.

It’s ABBA! Corny as hell, catchy as hell, and bedazzled to death. Best song: Dancing Queen

Some of these songs have been fun earworms for 50 years. Others, well, there's a reason I didn't know them. Three stars for a mixed bag.

Not really a fan but the popularity of their hits can’t be denied. Some of their better known songs are included on this album, all of which are easy to sing along to

it’s kind of interesting actually how up until semi-recently, ABBA, and Dancing Queen especially, were held in this position where you were supposed to like them, but be embarrassed by it. like you had to preform being a good Highbrow music nerd, but if you couldn’t admit that you did like them deep down you had a stick up your ass. maybe living in a post-poptimist world has made me take some things for granted. as for the album: it’s good. Dancing Queen kinda carries it but those Swedish songwriters were acclaimed for a reason deserves to be one of the 1001? sure

There's nothing wrong with these guys per se. All the songs are catchy and their harmonies are good but I don't hear any soul in this at all. They're not really singing with feeling, they're just concentrating on the harmonies. But if I want to listen to really good harmonies, I will put on some Simon and Garfunkel. I give this three out of five.

6/10

Highlights "like a prayer" and "till death do us part"

I liked it, but there’s only so much of this you can listen to in succession. It’s a very good pop album for what pop is- but that doesn’t mean I have to love it. Respect it, average level of enjoyment.

I know the hits, this album has two of their biggest. The rest is good. I can hear a mix of obvious disco/dance tracks, but there are also elements of rock and other genres as well. I enjoyed it well enough but it wasn’t enough to convert me to an ABBA “fan” per se.

Fun, sweet, cute, but old

It annoys me when people say Abba were shit. They weren't. You can say you don't like them, they're not for you, that's fine, but these guys were incredibly good at what they do. The production on all their music is second to none. I would have given this album a 4 but for the abomination that is Dancing Queen. I really think it's one of their most inferior tracks and yet it's the one they're most known for, it's all wrong. I never need to hear that particular tune again.

Solid pop album. Abba was a terrific band and this album just so happens to contain the most perfectly constructed pop song of all time, "Dancing Queen." This record is chock full of hooks that can stick in my head all day. Lyrically, there is some weirdness here. "Dum Dum Diddle" contains one of the oddest rhymes, "you're only smilin' when you play your violin." (she's jealous of the time her man spends with his instrument - best not to dissect that). And I still have no idea what the song "Tiger" is trying to say. Apparently, the single "Fernando" was not originally included on all pressings of this album. That would be tragic as it's one of their best tunes. All in all, this is just a great "feel good" listen by a band that made a whole lot of people feel good.

The hits are great on this but the rest is meh

its fine. dancing queen is obv peak tho

They are a hits band but they always slap.

Äntligen lite svensk blond disco. Jag är dansdrottningen. The first song about kissing a teacher is weird, but the album nearly bookends with two complete bangers.

Decent but did not meet expectations. Barely made a 3. Girls agree but loved the hits.

zabavno!

After listening to Arrival by ABBA I can say with confidence I prefer other types. Yes, I did tap my toe at "Dancing Queen", and yes, "Knowing you, Knowing me" got stuck in my head. But they just don't do it for me. It seems from the reviews that many either love ABBA or hate them. I am neither.

I am far from an ABBA fan and personally a lot of the album I found a grind of sickly sweet fluff. It’s highly crafted pop but some songs were weird (When I Kissed The Teacher), or bizarre Scandi-Scotch instrumental fusion (Arrival) and that added a new layer to the monotony. What has to be acknowledged is how catchy their core hit songs are, and there are three on this album. They’re not to my taste but they are deserving of an entry on 1001 for their longevity and popularity, even if I don’t necessarily get it. A 2 for my money money money but giving it a 3 on account of its wider significance. I just wish it weren’t that way.

Much of my same thoughts apply to this album as to "The Visitors", although "Dum Dum Diddle" almost got the whole thing downgraded to two stars. The only tracks I really enjoyed were "Money Money Money" and "Knowing me Knowing You".

I’m indifferent to ABBA, but I’ve heard the majority of the songs on this album enough for a thousand and one lifetimes.

The singles carry through the album and the other songs are lower standard. I would have preferred the album tracks to explore different sounds a bit more and better experimental.

On an album with such certified hits as Dancing Queen and Money Money Money, it surprised me that my top moment was Dum Dum Diddle into Knowing Me Knowing You. The singles are, of course, absolutely stellar. The multilayered musicianship and songwriting on Dancing Queen in particular are era defining. Of the album tracks, most of them do enough to keep the propulsive energy in play. As a non-obsessive, it’s a joy to hear a familiar group deliver some melodies that I’m unfamiliar with. In fact the only weak spots for me is the comparatively durge-like Why Did It Have to Be Me? which has a melody uningonorably similar to the middling closer Happy Hawaii. Without these tracks it would be a hands down classic.

enjoyed the ones I did enjoy enough to make it the lowest of 3s

This is all over the place as far as my enjoyment levels are concerned. The omnipresent hits do a lot of the heavy lifting, particularly "Knowing Me, Knowing You" which is genuinely a top quality tune, though the other major events have overplayed themselves into such territories that I'd quite happily never have to hear them again. The deeper cuts are very much a mixed bag, the more up-tempo tracks faring better than the wet balladeering type ones, though none pop out at me as missed opportunities for further stardom.

Sisältää muutaman ABBAn isoista hiteistä. Money Money Money ei ees oo niin hyvä kappale. Fernando oli kanssa tuttu ja hyvä. Muut kappaleet ei sillein super ihmeellisiä. Parhaat: Dancing Queen, Fernando, That's Me

-i had an ABBA phase at the end of high school but never made it to this album. with the glaring exception of Dancing Queen it doesn’t have too much of my favorite material from them but it’s decent. prob a good start for someone who isn’t into them -Favorites: When I Kissed The Teacher, Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money

; )))

Perfect vibes but we knew this

You can't deny the toe-tap. I can be hating a piece of music, staring blankly ahead, zoning out. But if a song comes on and I start a-tappin', I can't in good conscience write it off completely. Well that happened by the time I reached the fourth song, Dum Dum Diddle. And the rest of the album is pretty good too. Just need to get around the cloying creepiness of When I Kissed the Teacher, the omnipresent dentist drill of Dancing Queen, and the Catholic Mass-sounding My Love, My Life. The rest of the songs are pretty catchy but I can't see wanting to throw this on again.

some banger & some filler but its ABBA so its al good.

A polished pop album with undeniable charm, Arrival showcases ABBA at their commercial peak. The hits are instantly recognisable and still sparkle with melodic brilliance. However, the album occasionally drifts into easy listening territory, with tracks like My Love, My Life and That's Me feeling a bit too smooth and safe. Then there's Dum Dum Diddle, which, while catchy, borders on the absurd with its lyrics and tone. Overall, it's a well-crafted record with standout moments, but not without its quirks.

Didn't want to listen to this, but it was a lot of fun. Dancing Queen, Fernando, classic songs. I usually don't like disco or whatever this is supposed to be but it's just hard not to like it, or at least respect it. Great singing, great production. Yeah, it's cheesy but so what? Not sure if I'd come back and listen to it again, but I'm glad to know that they made good songs past the two or three that everyone knows.

Childhood trauma means I can't give this more than a 3

Me he guardado Dancing Queen y Fernando. AꓭBA siempre es alegría. Visionarios en monetizar, ojito al ® al lado del nombre del grupo en el año 1976.

The Mets will never be the Dancing Queen. They didn't make the playoffs despite all that Money Money Money spent. Knowing Me, Knowing You of course I should've expected this but Why Did It Have To Be Me. 3.43

Very strong singles, but the other tracks are skippable.

Heard of ABBA, know snippets of their most famous songs. So many songs were familiar. They are iconic and fun, high energy, enjoyable, but also not something I'd particularly seek out, I think.

93/1001 ABBA - Arrival Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I think you'd have to have been living under a rock all your life if you hadn't heard all of the singles from this album. Look, it's a perfectly crafted pop album, that hides some dark themes in a sugar coated pop tune style. Does it interest me? No. I appreciate its influence and the craft, but not one I'll be revisiting.

i'm not a fan of abba sorry

First ABBA album i’ve listened to in full. nice feel good 70s pop, just not something i feel compelled to visit in full. dancing queen is the clear highlight.

Everyone loves Dancing Queen (except me). Otherwise the big singles here are great, the rest of it mediocre to bloody awful.

Three stars for the unwanted but powerful ear worms.

I really want to like Abba but the vocals ruin it for me.

It’s hard to argue with some of the hooks, and there’s some nice bass work on display, but the lyrics are almost uniformly awful and I’m just not sure there’s enough substance there to sustain even a fairly short album. There’s probably a reason ABBA’s biggest seller is their greatest hits.

Some good pop songs that have been somewhat ruined by overplaying and ubiquity.

Wanted to dislike this more than I did. Genuinely catchy songs, and there is an obvious talent for writing earworms, although some of the album tracks are a bit lacking. I do find that it is a bit relentlessly saccharine and upbeat though and there’s only so much that I can take.

So good. Love the disco vibes

"Name of the Game" was the first song I recorded from the radio onto my cassette recorder, and if that song were on this album it would get 5 stars.

To be honest everything that wasnt a hit on this album sucks. The hits are good enough to bring it up to 3 stars tho

It was fine. I wasn’t impressed any more or less than before this recommendation. It’s fine.

An album laser-guided toward a teenage girl’s heart. Favs: “Dancing Queen”, “Money Money Money”, “That’s me” The whole thing in contrast to the previous two albums felt like a commercial effort and not something derived from musical passion.

I had high hopes for *Arrival* given that "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" are perfect slices of pop (and "Money, Money, Money" is no slouch either), but the rest of the tracks on this album are nowhere close to those songs in terms of spark or inventiveness. Some of them are just awkward ("When I Kissed The Teacher", "Dum Dum Diddle") and others are unimaginative throwbacks ("Why Did It Have To Be Me?") but the bigger sin is that none of them are memorable even after multiple listens.

well it's abba not much to say here

Fun

It's ABBA, what do you expect. Well this is it. And it does what it says on the tin. Several of the big tracks, but little else worthy of note on here. The last track was reminiscent of something else. (Summer love sensation, I think). I almost feel like im getting stuck in a rut here but can't justify anything other than a 3

No ABBA for over 500 albums then 2 come along almost together. This was miles better than the other one, with more songs on that I knew due to complete overplay. Not my thing at all but I can appreciate that this is peak pop. So a 3 it is.

Big glitzy hits, great production. What's not to like? Im not sure if the question is rhetorical.

Should I just accept the fact that I kinda like ABBA?

This is a fun album, no question. Dancing Queen is a classic. There’s some other good tracks and a few duds. Not an all time great, but I’m glad I heard it

Classic album with some great disco songs on it

Some hasn’t aged well (money money money sounds like it’s got a parody of Halloween instruments behind it, with a super cheesy key chance). Dancing queen still hits, despite hearing it all of the time. But no other song really stands out to me. Overall, a totally fine album that I was ready to end when it did.

It's abba

just hearing dancing queen makes you believe there's still a little hope left for this crazy world of ours

omg honestly this was so cute but i thought i would like this more than i actually did cause i really like the songs that i already knew but 😭 STILL GOOD THO

Honestly good album but apart from Money Money Money and Why Did It Have To Be Me? it feels a bit short for me

Fun. Light 3.

Chyba za dużo ABBY na centymetr kwadratowy. Hity spoko ale żeby cały album? Naaah that's too much

Catchy Harmonies, Melodies, production

Music my parents listened too, so familiar though. Have to admit there are some real bangers on this album, but younger me would never admit that.

I can see why this album was as popular as it was when it came out. Very catchy tunes. Not every song works (at least for me) but when ABBA succeed they really hit it out of the park.

Very Disco.

Tis niet mijne meuk, maar er zitten wel wat bangers tussen

- De Qmusic-muziek van hun generatie - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM

Even though this has the bigger hits, I preferred the later ABBA album on this list, The Visitors overall. The hits are great, especially "Knowing Me, Knowing You" but the rest of the album was a bit disappointing.

Wanted to hate it, but didn’t in the end

Abba... niet direct mijn genre, maar toch wel wat goeie nummers

Ніколи не слухав аббу альбомами, оце вперше спробував. Ну хз, при всій повазі до вміння написати світовий хіт, якось мені воно не дуже заходить.

Pure 70s pop from Sweden's biggest group. You can't deny how good they sound, especially on Dancing Queen. Some songs sound like show tunes more than pop songs - Money, Money, Money comes to mind. It's a fun album, if a little shallow

I prefer the ones they do about men after midnight but this is perfectly fine

Can’t deny the quality and skill in these three-minute pop gems, but nor can I say that I love them

Alright. Not bad. Definitely some classics I’ve heard on there.

Okay, that first song, a little sketchy. The rest was good, and it reminds me of Malcom in the middle which I like.

Some really excellent and familiar songs on this album - Dancing Queen; Knowing Me, Knowing You; Money, Money; Money; Fernando. But, outside of those singles, it's not super memorable. And I can appreciate those songs but it's not an album I'd seek out except if I was DJing a wedding or something. Still, a classic.

ABBA is more fun as a focused listen. Mamma Mia makes me really appreciate their music, but fell flat as background listening. Strong 3, but couldn't engage my ears - ABBA! High expectations - Mamma Mia might have done it better... - Suprisingly faded to the background. Likely a strong 3

My mom listened to this religiously when I was growing up, so it has a soft spot. I did really enjoy it, I just wish there was some variety. A lot of the songs sounded similar, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The lack of variety does limit the ceiling though. A very solid 3/5.

Not exactly a masterpiece, but a masterclass on catchy tunes that get you moving. For the disco on this list, feel like Chic is more cerebral/accomplished but, for all their huge hits, less mersh. There's not much to say about ABBA that hasn't already been said, and all of it, haters and lovers alike, is true. Album moves at a steady clip and is poppy disco stuff. They have a GREAT ear for a particular kind of sound, the hits are huge, but why would anyone listen to the whole thing. Attempts to make it "more" like the inclusion of the title track are just kinda weird rather than additive. A smårgosbord for those into this particular kind of cheese, because by god that's all there is.

This album launched 4 huge hits (Dancing Queen, Fernando, Knowing Me Knowing You, Money Money Money), but the rest is mostly garbage. "When I Kissed the Teacher"? "Dum Dum Diddle"? "Happy Hawaii"? A lot of the filler here is just completely corny. "ABBA Gold" is the only ABBA album anyone could possibly need.

delightful - got to it a day late but enjoyed it a lot.

Good ol euro pop. Easy listening, not much was memorable

It's fine

Not really my thing. If you're into disco I could see this being a good time lol

So I get that this was a big album with big hits that have had staying power. I just don’t like ABBA. Respect though.

Pretty solid album, couple skips but a lot of good songs. Probably would listen again.

Like a sunny afternoon in the summer when it's not too hit out. Unfortunately just not quite my cup of tea, but I can certainly appreciate the artistry from the Swedes. 3.5🌟

Keeping an open mind for this one, I wasn't surprised or disappointed. It was 70's pop through and through. Songs were well crafted but goofy IMHO. Listen to the Wondermints version of "Knowing Me, Knowing You", an awesome, ballsier take on the song.

Fun disco pop. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it, but I wouldn't complain if it came up on the radio either.

ABBA gets annoying after a bit but this did have all the hits. 6/10

3.5 07.25.2025

First impression pre listen: ABBA is admitedly quite fun. I've grown up on them, as they are one of the bands that have seemingly stood the test of time. I recall an especially long car trip with my aunt when I was a kid. Me in the backseat, her blasting an ABBA CD on high volume. Good memories, even if I didn't enjoy it then. I won't ever call them my favourite band, but I'm not cynical enough to actively dislike them. This will probably be a decent time. Individual track notes: When I Kissed The Teacher Dumb concept, but pretty fun. Crushing on a teacher is a pretty universial experience, or at least a common trope. Fantastic backing vocals, great harmonies. Really catchy. Decent. 3.5/5 Dancing Queen One of the most recognizable songs of the disco era. The strings in the background and the piano riff are both fantastic. Iconic chorus. Incredibly danceable. Great backing vocals. An absolute classic. Great. 4.5/5 My Love, My Life Great vocals, sweet strings. Generic lyrics. Solid harmonies. Not the most exciting song ever, but competent enough with a sweet sentiment. Fine. 3/5 Dum Dum Diddle The synths in the opening are kinda terrible. Bouncy bassline. The synths continue to be an earache, but the chorus is pretty catchy I suppose, even if the lyrics are kinda bad. Way too busy, feels a bit incoherent. Dislike. 2/5 Knowing Me, Knowing You Very dramatic. I like the mixing on the bass. Fantastic chorus, love the backing vocals. The whispering adds an interesting effect. The very serious themes makes for a mature and down to earth experience. The guitar parts get a bit repetitive. Great. 4.5/5 Money, Money, Money Classic. Fantastic opening verse. Infectious chorus. Love the way the instrumental builds up to it. Strangely intimidating sounding, has a sort of theatrical edge. Great. 4.5/5 That's Me I like the synths in the post chorus. I like the energy of the song. Well crafted vocal melodies. Decent. 3.5/5 Why Did It Have To Be Me? Really don't like the instrumental, generic bluesy wash. The male vocals give me a bit of whiplash. The sax feels a bit out of place. Doesn't work for me, though there are some melodic moments that I find kinda clever. Average. 2.5/5 Tiger Really corny. The whole concept is a bit silly. I like the quieter more serene vocal parts. Kind of an exhausting track. It's busy and overly intense, makes it kinda annoying. Dislike. 2/5 Arrival Interesting compositon. Suprisingly experimental. Almost sounds traditional, while also having a bit of a retro sci-fi atmosphere. Decent. 3.5/5 Fernando Never really liked this song, always struck me as cheesy. The incorporation of the Spanish themes is especially corny. Annoying chorus. Dislike. 2/5 Happy Hawaii Touristy, kitschy and feels a bit exploitative. Gives me the vibe of a commercial for a crappy holiday airline service, or an overpriced Hawaii themed restaurant. Cannot take it seriously at all. Awful. 1/5 Final Review: A fun experience with plenty of memorable moments, mostly coming from the hits. The deep cuts are a bit of a mixed bag, containing several duds, though still stylized in an unmistakable way. While each song brings something different to the table, the album's most distinctive feature is the stellar vocal arrangements. Containing beautifully performed main vocals and amazing harmonies. On here you'll find iconic and irresitable choruses, fulfilling theatrics and a certain special boldness in the band's creativity. This boldness to craft melodies and instrumental compositions that should not work in a pop setting is truly admirable. They have a true talent for subtle, but impactful buildups and satisfying climaxes that truly give the tracks sticking power. However most of the quality comes in the album's first half, and apart from a single experimental instrumental track the final third ends up being a bit of a slog. The vocals remain stellar, though they cannot save the mediocre songwriting on the album's final stretch. Cannot see me returning to this one for any other reason than to revisit the iconic hits. 3/5

Good ABBA, but still not great ABBA.

Cheesy and at times annoying album, but they're some bangers in here.

Just let go and let the music take you.

Fucking Swedish Pop earworms.

Yeah that was Abba... the standouts were the classic Abba songs but the inbetweens were middling... not a great "album"

3.5 Stars

Enjoyed it, brings me back to my parents listening to ABBA

Syrup sweet pop. OK.

To enjoy ABBA you have to disconnect the part of your brain that internally cringes at lyrics talking about kissing your teacher or being jealous of a man's relationship with his fiddle. Once you get past the idea music has to have "poetic beauty" or "importance" and surrender yourself to the ABBA sound, you're going to have a much better time. That being said, I admit I'd rather listen to Erasure covering ABBA than ABBA being ABBA (I said what I said!). Despite the original UK version of this album not included Fernando, I'm counting it because I like it. Dum Diddle Diddle is bonkers. Money Money Money is fab. This feels like a 3.5 for me, but in the absence of half stars: 3/5

[3.00/5] Final impression: Upbeat, fun, music that begs to be danced to. Lyrics are cheesy and saccharine in a way I didn't like. Some really rough tracks on here as well. Listened to on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/1V6a99EbTTIegOhWoPxYI9]. When I Kissed The Teacher - Woah, you should not be doing that. I can't condone dancing to that, even if the beat's right. Dancing Queen - Can I be honest with you, here in the 1001albumsgenerator review section. I think this track is good, not lifechanging. But I get why people love it. I think I might have latent spite over how many times I've heard it. My Love, My Life - Feels like I just accidentally stepped into a completely different album. This is a lot less my vibe than the last two. At almost 4 minutes, really overstayed its welcome. Dum Dum Diddle - This is on the verge of being good but isn't hitting that bar for some reason. Knowing Me, Knowing You - This one is rough. I guess it's better than My Love, My Life. Money, Money, Money - Kind of into the instrumental here. Sounds like someone took "Money" from Cabaret and made it weird, during Halloween. I'm not *not* into it? That's Me - Cheesy and just ok. The instrumentals get interesting occasionally. Why Did It Have To Be Me? - This one's not good. Tiger - Tracks starting to sound the same. Arrival - Out of left field compared to the tone of the rest of the album. Don't like this one at all. At least it's variety. *Fernando - Nice vocals, nice lyrics. Fun listen. Happy Hawaii - Interesting. Works well as a final track. Overall notes: Nothing super great here. Sometimes the instrumentals of the tracks are interesting. Lyrically, really bland.

I did not use a private Spotify session for this one. Like ELO, there is a huge orchestral and cinematic feel to this music. Also, like ELO, it reminds me of the roller rink. This album has some hits and some other decent songs, one 50's style song that I didn't like.

This album slaps, but why isn’t Dancing Queen the opener? It seems like the songs are out of order

Of course, I am aware of and somewhat familiar with ABBA because they're so famous and because of Mamma Mia and because of the crossword (they're pretty frequently featured). However, I hardly listen to the songs I do know by them and I certainly have never listened to a full album by them, so this should be interesting! When I Kissed The Teacher: What a weird song to kick an album off with. First of all, nobody should be kissing their teachers, and even if you wanted to write a song about it, why put it at the start? Very catchy, though, and I appreciate ABBA's style with its chorus of background voices. Very cute. I hate fade-outs. Dancing Queen: Of course, I've heard this one. I don't know why they wouldn't start with THIS song, one with such incredible mass appeal, but that's up to their little Swedish minds. It's iconic for a reason. It's one of the more beautiful songs played at high school dances, with a good, catchy beat and still a sort of emotional vibe. It's always painful when a crowd of teenagers try to collectively hit those high notes, but it's very pretty on its own. It's very much a song that captures the feeling of perfect youth, feeling like you could be the "queen" of something so trivial to adults as dancing, like you could conquer your flesh in such a purely alive way. It's wonderful. My Love, My Life: A very nice, beautiful ballad. A little slow for me, but this would go great in a musical. Dum Dum Diddle: Silly. Knowing Me, Knowing You: One of those songs I know already from Mamma Mia. It's a classic and fun love song. I especially like the "Uh-huh," it's those little touches that make a song really good. Money, Money, Money: Not sure how cohesive this album is, but this song is definitely really good, like it was WRITTEN for musical theatre purposes. It's very Cabaret or Fiddler on the Roof. I didn't know Swedes had issues with money. I thought they were all happy dappy over there. But that's nice. I will say that the "Ah-ha-ah-haaaa" part is done much better in a musical theatre style, this singer isn't quite dramatic enough. It's a little stiff. The key change is freaky. The guitar is good! It's kind of a good rock song. The ending is VERY musical theatre. That's Me: Nu-nu-nuthin'... It's good! Why Did It Have to Be Me? A kind of silly name game with the last song. This is a little bit Country... which is cool. But not really. Tiger: This song is actively annoying me. The screaming high note at the end is not very listenable. I think it's the kind of song I could get used to and maybe even like if I played it over and over... a Stockholm syndrome of a sort? Arrival: I literally could not force myself to gaf about this. It's actually a little creepy. Like I'm being initiated into a cult and this is the music that it's happening with. Fernando: This song is sooo ABBA. It's pretty good! It sounds the same as all of their other songs but it's good. It's like if Alejandro by Lady Gaga was made in the 70's and boring af. Happy Hawaii: Also kind of a weird song to put at the end? Like why ..? I don't know whatever it's fine it's good I'll give this album a 4 because Dancing Queen and Knowing Me Knowing You and Money Money Money are so so fire but I lowkey don't think I'd go back to listen to any of the other songs. Edit: I have somehow become even less ABBA-tolerant in the last month so enjoy a 3.

80s vibes, piano, disco influences and strong female vocals. Fernando and dancing queen ate the hits.

A classic album 3.5

Love the bangers Bored by the rest

6'5/10

I thought I’d like this more than I do. It’s really not as fun as I was hoping it would be. “Dancing Queen” is by far the best track.

fun

Decent enough! A few weird ones mixed in but it's all pretty fun and catchy. 6/10

Ear candy.

Like sugar. It tastes really good but not really food. I really enjoyed this album as it is all catchy but it is not really memorable. Will definitely Iisten to this again, many times I am sure

Favorite track: Dancing Queen. Overall score: 5,8/10

I enjoy a bit of Europop, but this album gets pretty samey after a while. Also, When I Kissed the Teacher is very much of another time. Cripes!

oh boy

3.75

After Mamma Mia… I’m so sick of ABBA. Especially considering that many of the hits are on this, lol. Still love them though.

I found that this listen made me realize I don't really have a strong opinion on ABBA one way or another. THOUGH I will admit that there are much better ABBA songs out there. I appreciate its brief runtime given the lack of substance.

As good as the album is, I do feel this a must listen as it is basically a 'best of' album.

Really took me back. I felt like there was a lot of songs that were missed opportunities to be on a guardians of the galaxy soundtrack.

I knew two songs going in, and coming out, they're still the only memorable songs on the album. Not that anything else is bad, per se, just that it's generic and doesn't do much for me. Poppy, fun, simple. Catchy. But tbh after I've heard the big hits, I not sure how much this adds as an album. I'll always be on a wedding dance floor for Dancing Queen, but does adding 10 replacement-level tracks make this a great album? Two songs have to pull the weight of the whole album essentially. Abba can put some great pop out there, but they're not an album band, just a "collection of immortal singles" band. That said, Dancing Queen and Money Money Money are good enough to save this from a worse fate.

Prima

Klasiekertje, maar ben gewoon niet zo'n grote fan van abba.

Okay, album, dancing queen is cool. 2.7

Mostly enjoyed this album. Personally, I would stick with a greatest hits for ABBA.

As a freshly 18 yo, Dancing queen always makes me cry

Head cold - thoughts on hold; uh it has dancing queen and fernando on it. Those are bops. Didn't love the vibe of opening track - when i kissed the teacher. Not even content wise, it just gave me Sloop Jon B disease again.

It's a rich man's world

Dancing Queen is unrivaled but the rest of it is your standard pop fare imo

Clásico

Every song sounds the same, but that's alright I liked every song.

Mange Abba bangers her

5/10 ABBA... 5-27-2025

Not their best.

6.75/10. Only listened once but thought it was pretty good and exactly what I expected it to be. Tiger is my favorite.

Title track is NICE

Yup, that's an ABBA album. They were a very tight group!

It's ABBA

Small doses, but I have to admit it fun and from a songwriting perspective... well written

Some hits that are no surprise, and some not-good filler. Hits carry the album, of course I guess “Dancing Queen” would be added to the list

Fav: Why Did It Have To Be Me? Notes: Ups and downs.

Abba plays like a soundtrack to family vacations when I was just a lad. Undeniably fantastic vocal harmonies and some decent arrangements. Dancing Queen still slaps, even after hearing it at every dance I've ever been to. The hits on here are solid, the filler is pretty meh and even approaches annoying in its Abba disco-ness. Fernando ftw.

Den anden ABBA plade vi havde var federe, men det er altså stadig en banger-parade.

There's some timeless bangers on here, I just don't really enjoy this style too much.

Not great, but entertaining. 6/10

Dancing Queen, banger Knowing Me, Money, also bangers. Album growing on me 6 tracks in. Back half of the album not catching me as much. Solid 3 stars.

Contain classic bops that just hit right but the rest are easy to forget.

ABBA is fun.

Knew some, some catchy. Dancing Queen album

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🚁🧔‍♂️👩‍🦰👱‍♀️👱‍♂️ Production: 🤔😐👍 Music: 💃👑💰 Rating: 🫎🫎(🫎)/5

Of course I liked it. It's ABBA.

Classic ABBA

ABBA being an Abba

This was fine to good. Some of the back half was pretty interesting. I liked The Visitors more though. 3/5

ABBA is one of those bands where the hit singles are better than the albums. This one is fine and it's fun but not really my thing. I do want to thank ABBA's music for inspiring some of my favorite pop stars of the 2010s though.

Heard across the country in town halls, country hotels and renovated barns at every wedding reception - a testament of the unbelievably wide net ABBA cast across the UK audience. The melodies are meticulously composed, infectious and difficult to get out of your head. This band & album are the epitome of 'innocent fun', which is great for parties/discos, but isn't quite gritty or meaty enough to keep me engaged for the whole record. Shame that I can't include 'Fernando' on this listen (as it was not on the original release), I expect the rating would've gone up 1 or 2 half points if so. Best Tracks: - Knowing Me, Knowing You - Dancing Queen Worst Tracks: - When I Kissed The Teacher Rating: 6/10

I enjoyed this quite a bit

The singles off of this album are great, but the rest of the songs fall flat for me.

These guys are alright. I'm not a big dance music fan but ABBA is always fun

One of the things I will never understand about language is about how accents don't translate to music (Outside of country drawls). If I didn't know these guys were from Sweeden I wouldn't know it from the way they sound. Maybe their uncomplicated lyrics demonstrate a loose grasp of the language but you know if they spoke to you it would sound like the Swedish chef, all "Shmorking da borking, flerfing das kerfing". Makes you think.

2.5/5

2,5

Good pop album like ABBA’s signature style, catchy songs ear worms infectious

"Arrival" is the fourth studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA. Pop and euro disco are the Wiki-listed genres. First euro disco album ✔️. The album became one of ABBA's biggest albums hitting #1 in the UK and #20 in the US. ABBA are/were Agnetha Fältskog (vocals), Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (vocals), Björn Ulvaeus (guitar, vocals) and Benny Andersson (synths, marimba, chimes, accordions, piano and backing vocals). In 2024, it was selected for the US National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. "When I Kissed the Teacher" opens the album. A bouncy pop song with acoustic guitar and multiple layers of backing vocals. Agnetha on lead vocals as she had a crush on a teacher and kissed him. Pretty proactive for 1976. Well, the second song is "Dancing Queen." Disco beat, piano, a soaring synth and vocals. Strings and high production. Maybe, the definition of a catchy song. Ah, the joy of dancing. It was inspired by George McCrae's "Rock You Baby." They keep the hits coming with "Knowing Me, Knowing You." A wobbly synth melody. Anni-Frid with forceful vocals in a break-up song. I actually like this song (who cares?). The second side had songs I hadn't heard or, at least, I don't remember hearing. "Money, Money, Money" has a prancing piano which has a real Eastern European sound to it and, what do you know, the original song title was "Gypsy Girl." Anni-Frid singing about a hard working woman who needs a well-off man. No, the Survivor song is not the first time "eye of the tiger" is used in a song. ABBA does it in "Tiger." Their most rockin' song and an interesting guitar riff. A warning about the cities, drugs or both. Catchy, poppy, well-produced songs with great lead and backing vocals. It made them international stars. I was pretty unmoved by this album. It's fine, it's pop, there are songs I know and don't hate. I liked their other album "The Visitors" much more. But, hey, it's the album with "Dancing Queen," "Knowing You, Knowing Me" and "Fernando" on its 30th Anniversary CD/Vinyl. So, there you go.

The bangers are bangers and I indirectly owe my marriage to half of ABBA but,,, idk. (also, some surprisingly Celtic-y stuff in here as well!)

I don't really like ABBA. They have some great songs, but on average, their music is whatever (which is typical for popular pop artists, to be honest). This album is no exception. I don't hate it, but it's just so unremarkable. For every artist, I would rather them release less music and focus on the quality. I don't care how much great music a band made combined over their albums; the most powerful experience is a single album with a very high concentration of bangers (compilations don't count since the songs in them were not originally designed to go together). ABBA can make good music, but their albums tend to have a couple of good songs (Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, and Money, Money, Money for this one specifically) and the rest is filler.

As my first real listen to ABBA I was expecting to be horrified by whatever it was that's given them their eternal mass appeal. But actually I was sort of encouraged at how creative and earnest all of this is. There are some strange moments. Tiger is the band's apparantly urgent PSA about the dangers of big city life, told through the eyes of a serial rapist. But if these quirks are the cost of having creativity in pop music, I'm here for it. I'm interested in how Abba was able to churn out so many enduring hits without becoming formulaic: I guess the Swedes really are just that good at pop. Fernando is probably my fave. High 3.

First off, check out that album art would ya. Isn’t it heinous? None of them look happy to be stuffed into that tiny helicopter. Come on guys, it’s only 1976! And you’ve just released an album with some of your biggest hits ever - far worse times are ahead for each of you, believe me. Also isn’t it weird to name a record ‘Arrival’ when you’ve already released a steady stream of chart toppers like Waterloo, SOS, and Mamma Mia? I’m pretty sure ABBA ‘arrived’ sometime around their Eurovision win in 1974. “But is the music any good?” I hear you say? Irrelevant. This is ABBA. The drunken gen Zers belting out Dancing Queen in the streets as you make your way home from a big night out renders that conversation meaningless. Money, Money, Money, Fernando - the songs on this album will endure long after we’re gone for the simple fact that they are brilliant, joyous pop music. However, if I’m ever choosing to put on an ABBA record, it’s certainly not one that opens with a playful dalliance between a teacher and smitten student. Arrival definitely shows its age here and there. And, also, what the hell was that Hawaii tribute as the closing track?? The listing of these songs sometimes felt entirely random. But hey, this is ABBA we’re talking. They’re getting decent marks. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's good but i feel like the only reason i like it sm is because of mamma mia not because i just like the music

Well made, but too sweet for me. I totally understand why they were so popular. Favorite song: tiger.

Solid, upbeat, a couple bangers. 3.5/5

Much better than I expected. ABBA is one of those bands that is really good at what they do, only what they do isn't very good. Some examples of this type of music include Metallica and The Mothers of Invention.

A few good songs and earworm hits; knowing me, knowing you was a surprisingly good song, still don't love abba

Three stars for Dancing Queen. Rest of the album is forgettable.

I actually kinda liked this more than I thought, some catchy mf'ers

Money Money Money and Tiger fuck so much harder than I expected. I get why this band is really popular, even if it's not really for me

Klink klassiker.

Det är helt okej Abba. 3 bra låtar av 10

Really poppy but super fun. Enjoyed it far more than I expected to, honestly. Not the type of music I have ever gotten into but it’s still worth a listen.

That’s an… interesting first track, I liked the album it was good if not a little tried and true sonically. Obviously we have the classic dancing queen which we all know, that’s a crazy big song right there, to me that wasn’t even close to the best song here which I respect since it’s always disappointing to listen to an album and have the only song you know already be the best, but yeah, It was a fun listen all the way through and I can see why this album made the list. Favorite Tracks: Fernando, Money Money Money, and Knowing Me Knowing You.

Shiny happy people singing ...

Not my favorite but a classic