How ABBA influenced Shirley Manson: “Fucking great pop”
On April 6th, 1974, the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest set the foundation for what would become a transformative period for pop music across the globe. This wasn’t just a monumental win for Sweden; it marked the beginning of ABBA’s rise to international stardom as ‘Waterloo’ single-handedly catapulted them into the global music scene. One viewer watching the whole thing unfold was an eight-year-old Shirley Manson.
Before becoming pop’s most coveted outfit, ABBA had already worked to establish themselves as folk-pop pioneers in their home country, with their catchy melodies and undeniable chemistry as a romantically intertwined four-piece. However, ‘Waterloo’ gave the world a glimpse into their appeal and potential as one of the most infectious bands in history. From then on, there was no stopping ABBA.
As a young and impressionable child, Manson, like many others, watched the performance in utter awe. Not only was this band incredibly captivating to look at with their youthful glam and flamboyant, glittering costumes, but they also brought a level of showmanship and polish that was relatively uncommon for the competition and the wider music landscape at the time.
“I fell madly in love with them,” the musician told The Line of Best Fit. At that age, ABBA didn’t just represent an outlet for escapism; it also gave her someone to look up to, a figure to relate to before she followed in the same footsteps. “[‘Waterloo’] takes me right back to the innocence of childhood and the formation of my tastes,” she explained. Adding: “I was mad about Frida. Maybe I was projecting, but I thought she was the dark lonely saddened princess in the tower of glistening pop.”
Recalling the unforgettable moment the Swedish quartet won the contest, she said: “Every time I hear this record, I think of a black and white television set.”
Adding: “I think of my sisters. I think of us all dancing in front of the TV and singing – my mum being alive. Everything as it once was. It’s a time capsule for me, that just brings me to my knees every time I hear it. It’s such a fucking great pop song, too.”
Manson’s gravitation towards Anni-Frid Lyngstad makes complete sense, too, when you realise just how much of an outsider she seemed at the time. Maybe it was Agnetha Fältskog’s popularity in comparison, but Lyngstad exuded a specific type of dark misfit energy that only became more endearing as time went on. For Manson, this was exactly the type of figure she aspired to be as a musician in her own right.
ABBA’s influence on Manson also transcended the boundaries of image, as she deemed them far beyond many other groups in terms of talent and work ethos. In her words: “They are one of the greatest pop groups of all time, bar none. I mean, they’re phenomenal writers. I think, when I die and I’m on my deathbed, that will be the song that plays as my life flashes before me.”
