The Winner's Gonna Take It All: The final...
- Thread starter Remorque
- Start date
That lewk is almost strong as Frida’s perm and knitwear.
she/her
Would I do that?
Makes such a great gif!
I am very intrigued at the tie. Wonder if it's something vastly different?
Let me clutch my pearls a bit.
If The Day Before You Came is not Top 3, I will be severely disappointed. A gloompop, theatrical masterpiece.
Is this song too slow for you or what?
he/him
I think you have the wrong impression of me, but work.
I think you had the wrong impression of my post. It's slower than most of ABBA's signature songs, not necessarily slower than some of your favorites like Vanessa Carlton. And it's just as beautiful.
he/him
Yes, but I like loads of their slower songs, this one didn't grab me like many others did. I gave it a 6.
He/Him
14. - a tie
'They passed me by, all of those great romances... You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances... My picture clear, everything seemed so easy...'
- Agnetha Fältskog in One of Us -
'They passed me by, all of those great romances... You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances... My picture clear, everything seemed so easy...'
- Agnetha Fältskog in One of Us -
When a photo says a thousand words...
Average: 9.0109
Highest score: 24 * 10.00 - @Angeleyes @Hudweiser @hownee @chris4862 @WhipperSnapper @P'NutButter @AllGagaLike @funkyg @CasperFan @Mikey1701 @WhatKindOfKylie? @tylerc904 @Gotnomoretosay @ufint @AGiantSheep @Terminus @idratherjack @bichard @Animalia @Scoundrel_Days @LTG @Weslicious @haps @Uno
Lowest score: 2 * 5.00 - @cityofdoomsday @Filippa
My score: 8.50
We lose our second part of the tie at #14 in the form of One of Us and it only seems kinda fair, after we lost the Frida-led Super Trouper, that Agnetha would take a blow too when breaking in our top 15...
The track was one of the last to be completed for their eighth album The Visitors and it was kind of a showcase about just how much Benny and Björn's divorces from Frida and Agnetha were influencing their material. Despite its reggae-tinged production, it features heartbreaking lyrics and has a general dark vibe about it, which was the reason their manager Stig Anderson was against the idea of it being given the single status, let alone being lead single for the new album... After some discussion, with Björn adamant it would be a single and the record company agreeing with him, it was eventually released in December 1981. In Sweden, the album had actually already been released, which just goes to show how much of a last-minute decision it actually was...
It proved to be a wise decision, as the song reached the top spot in Belgium (Y*A*A*A*A*A*A*S, etc.), Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, was a top 3 hit in Switzerland and Austria and reached the top 10 in Norway, Spain, France and South Africa. In the United Kingdom, it reached no. 3, missed out on a top 10 placing in their native Sweden, barely scraped the top 50 in Australia and was their worst ever performing single in the United States when it didn't even enter the top 100, instead stalling at no. 107... I do, however, have to tell you that the single was only released after the group had disbanded...
I've always liked the song, yet it has never been a favourite of mine. I like a good singalong to it and would never skip it when it comes on on shuffle, yet I don't think I've ever actively sought this one out, hence the 8,50 I threw it...
Clearly disagreeing with me though is P'nutbutter, who loves "literally everything about this." and it's "Unquestionably" bichard's "favourite ABBA single, this made it to the final two for the 11, before just being pipped. I don't know what it is about this song, but it's simply one of the most blissful things I've ever clapped my ears on. From the "ahs" in the intro, to the mandolin, to the beautiful melody, to Agnetha's gorgeous but understated delivery, everything about it just totally works for me. One of the best ballads of all time.".
It was also haps' "second 11. SO beautiful.".
"Lyrically, it seems a bit of a dig at the girls," to Hudweiser, "like Agentha was foolish to walk out and is now all sad and alone, but therein was their genius in the 80s, they revelled in singing out their tribulations. The chorus melody is to fucking die for, it's that strong. The sub-reggae feel to the verses undermines it a tiny bit, but not enough that you'd notice. What was with Agentha painting that wall banana yellow though?"... Sis, who the fuck is Agentha? You're absolutely spot on about the rest though.
TrueBeliever, however, is of mind that it's a "Middling single that has potential special meaning for everyone who’s regretted instigating a painful breakup, but is ultimately a borefest. It’s alright, but not something I clamber to listen to." and it's "Too trivial" for Filippa, who's one of our lowest scorers here...
Poor ol' Sprockrooster says it's "Typically ABBA (I can say now with so much listening), but nothing really special or really memorable.". As idratherjack states, it is indeed "Often unfairly overlooked in the pantheon of Agnetha weepathons next to The Winner Takes It All, this is just as good.", though I wouldn't necessarily agree with that last part...
WhatKindOfKylie? states the obvious in that it was "The last big ABBA hit, and what a one it is. After leading their last era with one classic break up song (and very successfully so), perhaps it was no surprise that their next was also led by another. But far from being a carbon copy of The Winner Takes It All despite the similar theme, One of Us stands out on its own, and is just as honest and heartbreaking." and this I fully agree with.
Mina thinks "The lyrics are stronger than the chorus, but overall an excellent song. I'm docking a point because I feel like this song is building up to a big moment toward the end, but that moment never comes and it instead just fades out.", while "Agnetha’s shrieking at the start is a bit extra," to SecretsOfFatima, "but still should’ve been another #1 for them."... I actually think the intro sounds gorgeous though? I mean, it's not her best vocal performance, but the girl does an excellent job.
Mikey1701 was "tempted to give this beautiful, mournful track a 10 simply for it being the debut of Queen Frida’s iconic spiky post-divorce weave (aka: the “fuck you Benny!” weave, as I call it)- but this also happens to be one of my favourite ABBA songs and- possibly- my favourite ballad, period. Those strings are beautiful, the lyrics are typically devastating and the melancholy is real. Even in their twilight years, where they were all bored of each other- these four icons could still produce magic.".
And as ufint calls it "Heartbreaking. It's really quite profound and it feels like we're truly getting a glimpse into the members' personal lives. And what a melody. What beautiful lyrics.", it's "Another one that tugs at" tylerc904's "heartstrings. It perfectly describes that feeling of jumping ship from a relationship prematurely. Longing for freedom, only to find being without the other so much worse. I always wondered if there was really truth behind it, coming from Bjorn.". I don't necessarily think about it being about Agnetha or Frida, as it could also be about any of the boys too...
kalonite states it's "Sad and honest," and wonders "how did they even perform this when everything had fallen apart in their personal lives?"... Well, sis, they didn't. This was also the time when ABBA wouldn't go out on a full-on promotional tour anymore, hence me not finding any performances of it.
And something tells me constantino doesn't quite get the jist of the song?
"One of us! One of us! This is adorable!"
Is it though?
Average: 9.0109
Highest score: 24 * 10.00 - @Angeleyes @Hudweiser @hownee @chris4862 @WhipperSnapper @P'NutButter @AllGagaLike @funkyg @CasperFan @Mikey1701 @WhatKindOfKylie? @tylerc904 @Gotnomoretosay @ufint @AGiantSheep @Terminus @idratherjack @bichard @Animalia @Scoundrel_Days @LTG @Weslicious @haps @Uno
Lowest score: 2 * 5.00 - @cityofdoomsday @Filippa
My score: 8.50
We lose our second part of the tie at #14 in the form of One of Us and it only seems kinda fair, after we lost the Frida-led Super Trouper, that Agnetha would take a blow too when breaking in our top 15...
The track was one of the last to be completed for their eighth album The Visitors and it was kind of a showcase about just how much Benny and Björn's divorces from Frida and Agnetha were influencing their material. Despite its reggae-tinged production, it features heartbreaking lyrics and has a general dark vibe about it, which was the reason their manager Stig Anderson was against the idea of it being given the single status, let alone being lead single for the new album... After some discussion, with Björn adamant it would be a single and the record company agreeing with him, it was eventually released in December 1981. In Sweden, the album had actually already been released, which just goes to show how much of a last-minute decision it actually was...
It proved to be a wise decision, as the song reached the top spot in Belgium (Y*A*A*A*A*A*A*S, etc.), Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, was a top 3 hit in Switzerland and Austria and reached the top 10 in Norway, Spain, France and South Africa. In the United Kingdom, it reached no. 3, missed out on a top 10 placing in their native Sweden, barely scraped the top 50 in Australia and was their worst ever performing single in the United States when it didn't even enter the top 100, instead stalling at no. 107... I do, however, have to tell you that the single was only released after the group had disbanded...
I've always liked the song, yet it has never been a favourite of mine. I like a good singalong to it and would never skip it when it comes on on shuffle, yet I don't think I've ever actively sought this one out, hence the 8,50 I threw it...
Clearly disagreeing with me though is P'nutbutter, who loves "literally everything about this." and it's "Unquestionably" bichard's "favourite ABBA single, this made it to the final two for the 11, before just being pipped. I don't know what it is about this song, but it's simply one of the most blissful things I've ever clapped my ears on. From the "ahs" in the intro, to the mandolin, to the beautiful melody, to Agnetha's gorgeous but understated delivery, everything about it just totally works for me. One of the best ballads of all time.".
It was also haps' "second 11. SO beautiful.".
"Lyrically, it seems a bit of a dig at the girls," to Hudweiser, "like Agentha was foolish to walk out and is now all sad and alone, but therein was their genius in the 80s, they revelled in singing out their tribulations. The chorus melody is to fucking die for, it's that strong. The sub-reggae feel to the verses undermines it a tiny bit, but not enough that you'd notice. What was with Agentha painting that wall banana yellow though?"... Sis, who the fuck is Agentha? You're absolutely spot on about the rest though.
TrueBeliever, however, is of mind that it's a "Middling single that has potential special meaning for everyone who’s regretted instigating a painful breakup, but is ultimately a borefest. It’s alright, but not something I clamber to listen to." and it's "Too trivial" for Filippa, who's one of our lowest scorers here...
Poor ol' Sprockrooster says it's "Typically ABBA (I can say now with so much listening), but nothing really special or really memorable.". As idratherjack states, it is indeed "Often unfairly overlooked in the pantheon of Agnetha weepathons next to The Winner Takes It All, this is just as good.", though I wouldn't necessarily agree with that last part...
WhatKindOfKylie? states the obvious in that it was "The last big ABBA hit, and what a one it is. After leading their last era with one classic break up song (and very successfully so), perhaps it was no surprise that their next was also led by another. But far from being a carbon copy of The Winner Takes It All despite the similar theme, One of Us stands out on its own, and is just as honest and heartbreaking." and this I fully agree with.
Mina thinks "The lyrics are stronger than the chorus, but overall an excellent song. I'm docking a point because I feel like this song is building up to a big moment toward the end, but that moment never comes and it instead just fades out.", while "Agnetha’s shrieking at the start is a bit extra," to SecretsOfFatima, "but still should’ve been another #1 for them."... I actually think the intro sounds gorgeous though? I mean, it's not her best vocal performance, but the girl does an excellent job.
Mikey1701 was "tempted to give this beautiful, mournful track a 10 simply for it being the debut of Queen Frida’s iconic spiky post-divorce weave (aka: the “fuck you Benny!” weave, as I call it)- but this also happens to be one of my favourite ABBA songs and- possibly- my favourite ballad, period. Those strings are beautiful, the lyrics are typically devastating and the melancholy is real. Even in their twilight years, where they were all bored of each other- these four icons could still produce magic.".
And as ufint calls it "Heartbreaking. It's really quite profound and it feels like we're truly getting a glimpse into the members' personal lives. And what a melody. What beautiful lyrics.", it's "Another one that tugs at" tylerc904's "heartstrings. It perfectly describes that feeling of jumping ship from a relationship prematurely. Longing for freedom, only to find being without the other so much worse. I always wondered if there was really truth behind it, coming from Bjorn.". I don't necessarily think about it being about Agnetha or Frida, as it could also be about any of the boys too...
kalonite states it's "Sad and honest," and wonders "how did they even perform this when everything had fallen apart in their personal lives?"... Well, sis, they didn't. This was also the time when ABBA wouldn't go out on a full-on promotional tour anymore, hence me not finding any performances of it.
And something tells me constantino doesn't quite get the jist of the song?
"One of us! One of us! This is adorable!"
Is it though?
The video received headlines around the world... No, not for Agnetha's moving and painting techniques, not for Benny and Björn's expressionless faces, not for the song itself... It was Frida who shocked the world. She had cut off all her hair and, instead of a perm, was rocking a spiky weave (copyright: @Mikey1701) and generally lost a little of that sparkle in her eyes, which had always made her unique... This was a woman scarred by a very painful divorce and she didn't care if the world saw it. For that, my friends, she's one of my absolute favorite women in pop. Your queen.
German singer Marianne Rosenberg released a German-language version of it in 1982, called Ich Sah Deine Tränen...
...and in 1989 Canadian singer Véronique Béliveau covered the song for her album Véronique.
British singer Hazell Dean recorded a cover of this song for her 1996 tribute album The Winner Takes It All: Hazell Dean Sings ABBA. Here's the Matt Pop Remix of the song...
He/Him
...and a year prior to that, in 1995, Swedish singer Pandora released a cover of the song, that was included on the Japanese edition of her second studio album Tell the World. It was a number one hit for her in Finland and reached the top 15 in Sweden...
In 1998 Dune recorded a slow, orchestral version of the song, featuring Tina Lacebal on vocals, for their album Forever and Ever with The London Session Orchestra...
...and a year later, British group Go West's version was included on the album ABBA: A Tribute – The 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Swedish group A*Teens released a cover of One of Us on their 1999 debut album The ABBA Generation and the song was eventually released as a promo single in South America and Japan, in order for the band to get some more exposure over there...
German gothic metal band Flowing Tears recorded a version for the 2001 compilation ABBAMetal...
In 1998 Dune recorded a slow, orchestral version of the song, featuring Tina Lacebal on vocals, for their album Forever and Ever with The London Session Orchestra...
...and a year later, British group Go West's version was included on the album ABBA: A Tribute – The 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Swedish group A*Teens released a cover of One of Us on their 1999 debut album The ABBA Generation and the song was eventually released as a promo single in South America and Japan, in order for the band to get some more exposure over there...
German gothic metal band Flowing Tears recorded a version for the 2001 compilation ABBAMetal...
He/Him
...and that same year Spanish singer-songwriter Javier Álvarez included an English language rendition of the song on his album Grandes éxitos. Here's a live rendition of the song...
Multinational boy band US5 recorded a version for the 2004 ABBA Mania album...
...and in 2008 Scottish singer Julienne Taylor released a version on her A Time for Love album.
Multinational boy band US5 recorded a version for the 2004 ABBA Mania album...
...and in 2008 Scottish singer Julienne Taylor released a version on her A Time for Love album.
she/her
As much as I love the song, I'm always surprised when someone else does.