Has there ever been a pop band which has been as loved - and as hated - as ABBA? Even in the period before they appeared on the Eurovision Song Contest, when they were only well-known in Sweden, there were protests held and satirical songs written about them. In parallel with the long history of critical condemnations of ABBA, however, they have attracted greater love and admiration, from a wider range of listeners, than perhaps any other band of the era. What explains this range of reactions to them and why are they still so popular decades after their late-70s heydey? I break down their early hit, ‘SOS’, among others, to try to answer the surprisingly tricky question of what we’re listening to when we listen to ABBA.

All the songs discussed in this episode, including the original recording of 'SOS' can be heard here. Portishead's version of 'SOS' is not on Spotify but can be found here at the time of writing. If you're enjoying the series, please leave a review on Apple podcasts; thank you.

With very special thanks to Paul Wierdak, the producer of this episode.