Dancing Queen is pop music at its highest possible level, reflecting upon how we only experience life’s best moments once and how the rest is just a gradual journey towards its inevitable yet unknown end.
Published worldwide in 1976, “Dancing Queen” quickly became one of ABBA’s signature tracks and an iconic moment in their creative evolution.
1. Dancing Queen – ABBA
This Europop disco classic from Sweden’s favorite sons ABBA was their inaugural number-one single and is perhaps their best-known tune. Released in 1976, it quickly became a global success and their only number-one hit in America; its infectious sound combined with Agnetha and Frida’s distinctive vocals instantly established itself as an instant classic; many consider this song to be definitive ABBA material.
This song tells the tale of a 17-year-old girl dancing away her youth on a nightclub dancefloor, completely immersed in music. Its euphoric sound perfectly captures youth abandonment, making this an instant hit. Benny Andersson adds his signature piano figures while Frida and Agnetha provide incredible vocals – truly outstanding performances all around.
It was a daring move by ABBA to sing about an impressionable young girl in her early stages of sexual discovery, yet its lyrics don’t veer politically; more likely it became an anthem because of its catchy melody and performance by gorgeous blonde twins.
Dancing Queen is an incredible song, and many artists have tried to recreate its magic over time. According to a Guardian article, some notable examples include Elvis Costello (who called it “manna from heaven”), MGMT, and Chris Stein of Blondie; however no-one has managed to replicate its exuberant joy and exuberance like its original rendition did – likely due to both how great its original band were as well as simply sounding different when copied verbatim.
2. Dancing Queen – MGMT
Andrew Goldwasser and Ben VanWyngarden of Connecticut redefined psychedelic pop for the 21st century with their 2007 debut album Oracular Spectacular. Although Andrew and Ben meant their Oracular Spectacular as an ironic parody of genre they loved, one track stands out: its haunting synth-pop track “In The Presence Of” stands out. With its descending octave piano chords suggesting that some things in life may already belong to others, this song hits home when memories take precedence over ambition – no wonder it remains popular wedding disco staple and West End hit!
This album’s eponymous single was one of their biggest hits to date, solidifying their reputation as an engaging yet quirky act that didn’t take themselves too seriously. But other tracks on the record – such as Time To Pretend and MGMT – remain equally compelling.
After taking an extended hiatus from electronic music releases, MGMT returned with another stunning set of electronic tunes – this time with a darker tone and renewed dedication to their signature kaleidoscopic pop motif that catapulted their initial success. However, while Little Dark Age’s three singles proved effective and the tracks on its full album failed to fully represent Oracular Spectacular’s vision of neo-psychedelic style.
Dancing Queen was actually completed and released a few months prior to Fernando, the song that would eventually become a worldwide smash hit. Dancing Queen was particularly popular in Sweden where Polydor released it and even used at a pre-wedding gala of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath’s royal wedding gala celebration.
3. Dancing Queen – Say Lou Lou
If you were born and raised in the UK around 2000, chances are high that this song was part of your childhood soundtrack – whether at a wedding reception or heard through older relatives’ conversations during dinner time, TOTP2, ITV specials, Pierce Brosnan movies and Nan’s waistcoat all contributed.
Swedish-Australian twin sisters Liv & Marti Kilbey of Pink Champagne fame and Steve Kilbey from The Church are best known for their impeccable dream pop and breathy vocals that can elicit “fuck my cheekbones!” expressions. They have captured the hearts and admiration of an entire generation forced to grow up during an age of disposable celebrity culture.
But they also demonstrate an exquisite musical sense, as demonstrated on their second album Julian. Each track seems carefully selected and selected to complement Lou’s powerful voice; opening with “Nothing Else Matters,” Phoebe Hunt’s rendition (which also bears its name) allows its lyrics to come through prominently.
The lyrics on this song reflect an all too common moment: realizing your time as a dancefloor queen has passed and that its end is near. Our narrator stands back and watches; she knows she no longer belongs on the dance floor.
4. Dancing Queen – The 1975
The 1975 have built their sound over the course of a decade into something truly generational, and Dancing Queen serves as a poignant reminder that they still possess that ability. Healy’s vocal delivery embodies their trademark melancholy while his lyrics evoke both painful and transcendent scenes; for instance, watching your greatest moment from the sidelines, only for it now to creak under other feet and memories; remembering you only ever got 17 once but knowing there will always be another journey ahead – both known and unknown!
The song itself has been one of ABBA’s most iconic, covered by numerous artists since its release in 1976 and featured in several movies such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding. Erasure’s EP entitled ABBA-esque also helped bring back its popularity during this resurgence period of popularity; their performances in cult Australian movies further cemented this comeback for them, though even after their breakup they continued performing as tribute acts, with Anni-Frid performing her version at King Carl Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath’s wedding gala event held on television that year in June 1976.
On August 4, 1974, Bjorn and Benny entered Glen Studios in a Stockholm suburb with session musicians Rutger Gunnarsson and Roger Palm. At that point they brought melodies for three songs which only had nonsense lyrics and titles; two would become known later as Fernando while the third became Dancing Queen.
5. Dancing Queen – The 1977
The song became a global success, topping charts in Australia, Germany, Sweden and America alike. ABBA’s success in the mid-seventies came as quite a shock both to fans and the music industry alike; such success from non-English speaking nations had previously never seen such widespread chart success. Lyrically and sonically the song demonstrated pop perfection combining glittery Europop lyrics with an infectious dance groove to produce pop perfection!
The band kept production relatively simple for their latest album release, opting for less studio trickery and overdubs than usual, while cutting studio time by half. Roger Taylor was particularly taken with Frank Kelly Freas’ painting used as cover art – one that had already graced MAD Magazine covers and various sci-fi publications – so much that he even had it printed and displayed prominently in his home.
Ulvaeus and Andersson initially wrote “Dancing Queen” as a rock song with the working title of “Boogaloo.” Subsequently, however, they found inspiration in George McCrae’s 1974 disco hit “Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae and Dr. John’s drumming on his 1972 album Gumbo. Lyngstad and Faltskog’s vocals begin upbeat and dramatic before becoming despondent as soon as the chorus concludes; both missing who they used to be and hoping she might come back into their lives once more.
Dancing Queen is one of the stand-out episodes from Rik Mayall’s anthology series and showcases Helena Bonham Carter in a stunning performance. Additionally, Dancing Queen stands out by centering a gay character and not using them merely to impart humility or help a straight protagonist through crisis situations.