ABBA The name of the game reaction

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

ABBA The name of the game reaction REACTION STARTS AT 01:12 1. Like the form of the song 2.The buildup into the chorus is amazing 3. Don't you think this sounds really ABBA?

[@guyinnyc1]

This is quintessential Abba. It's got everything, hooks, great voices, arrangements, catchy as hell. They were on top of their game! And indeed 4 well deserved weeks on the top.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

Love me some hooks.

[@DiegoMartinezDP]

This is probably one of the most complex and effective pop songs ever made, period.

[@Pulsar77]

One of their best, especially in terms of composition. The numerous transitions in melody and vocals work so well. The more you listen to it, the more you discover. A masterpiece in songwriting.

[@kylecompton3305]

They are the Greatest pop band of all time!

[@ginalashley1265]

One of their best songs. Still have to check out Knowing me, knowing you. One of us is great as well.

[@6677kara]

I've always loved this song

[@chelseacharger]

Definitely in my top three ABBA songs. It's almost three songs in one. Lead vocals swapping, the 'Wild Thing' guitar riff, horns, it shouldn't work but it does....brilliantly. And damn.....those harmonies.

[@Lexy-O]

The thing about ABBA is they sound better every listen. The pitch perfect soprano of Agnetha complimented by Frida’s pitch perfect mezzo soprano, the big layered production and great melodies... I must have first heard this in a pizza 🍕 restaurant because it makes me want pepperoni NY style a lot :p

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

true they got a lot of laters and a lot of things to listen for.

[@nickchristoforou7850]

Love that opening bass line too.

[@nielsulriksrensen9818]

I love this song. I love the solo parts. Esp. Frida's acapella part. I love their combined voices. And I love the video. I like everything about it. But check out Knowing Me Knowing You. I love that even more.

There were a lot of bands back in the 70's whose songs were instantly recognisable as being by them almost as soon as you heard them. ABBA was one of them, for sure. This song, amazingly enough, is one of the few that doesn't have that happy vibe to it, despite the lyrical side being really optimistic. To my ears it sounds a tiny bit melancholic, almost like the, 'singer', is pleading to be told what the, 'name of the game', is. I guess they're showing their vulnerable side and hoping they don't get hurt by being honest about how they feel.

[@starry2006]

It was a nice contrast to Take a Chance on Me. I do think ABBA have some not so joyous songs though, even before this with Knowing Me Knowing You and Money Money Money. But their most famous song is Dancing Queen and that defines them for many. And then the musical Mama Mia came along and made that song more famous. And their Eurovision triumph was Waterloo which is the first mammoth hit. And the critics apparently wanted to paint them as just peppy pop music.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

Ya to be honest. ABBA=dancing queen is how my life has been.

[@starry2006]

It was also featured in ABBA: The Movie, so that segment can be considered another interpretation. In that Agnetha at one point is singing to a psychiatrist. Bjorn apparently added some lyrics such as 'impossible case' for that scene. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3KUaqeperGXnLM

[@marcodebrabander5751]

Indeed not 4 weeks more like 12 lol!! Thnx again!

[@tootsie5052]

ABBA was very popular in the UK in that time Jay and still is, but something you may or may not know, was their popularity in Australia, it was fanatical, it was ABBA Mania.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

All I know about australia is everything is trying to eat you there.

[@fredrikdippel3664]

ABBA Live at Wembley - Hole in your soul.

[@colinmackillop]

OMG one of their greatest songs in my opinion. Pop genius. First ever Abba song they ever allowed to be sampled - check out The Fugees 'Rumble in tjhe jungle' The other track of theirs to be sampled was Madonna and Hung up which sampled Gimme Gimme Gimme

[@vonyroces7878]

the melody and those pristine vocals sound so good! one of the best pop tunes ever and my fave ABBA song after Dancing Queen!

[@kevindobson9732]

My favorite Abba song is called Summer Night City

[@manco828]

Easily one of the most sophisticated ABBA songs.

[@halcyon289]

Just like The Jimi Hendrix Experience , ABBA has , and always will be a band that belongs to the UK.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

Dude I know Jimi Hendrix is a big deal but I have no idea why.

[@nickchristoforou7850]

The lyrics are about developing a crush on your shrink after a few visits.

[@erickmky7486]

This song is so good that even a hiphop group used a sample of it and That group is The Fugees in "Rumble In The Jungle" kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZyZl6CIqZuArLc They are with Madonna the only artist who got the authorization from ABBA to use a sample of their material.

[@colinmackillop]

I just said all this after you. Wish I'd seen your comment first.

[@michaelharrison8341]

Anne Murray sure has a lot of good songs. My favorite is a little good news today.

[@carolclements1275]

I really like this song, maybe the video more. But my favorite is still knowing you, knowing me. I love that song.💕💕💕 good pick jaybriel. 👍👍💓

[@teromattila72]

The greatest Abba song ever.

[@RavennaAl]

I find it funny that you thought it was typical ABBA. I can still remember driving in my car when I heard this for the 1st time and the radio DJ said it was a new song by ABBA. I remember thinking to myself “That was ABBA?” It didn’t sound like anything they had done up to that point, as their previous work in the US was Waterloo, Mama Mia, SOS, Dancing Queen, Fernando, Knowing Me Knowing You and Money, Money, Money. Compared to those songs, The Name Of The Game just seemed to come out of right field.

[@Flatwoodsdad]

Thanks for the reaction. I like this one a lot. You know they'd pretty much perfected their Pop sound by then. In this one their exploring and really breaking a lot of the rules. When you hear those background chorus's, that's the stuff the girls worked out. And even throwing in the horn's. No wonder it stayed there for a month. You know you'll have to do Dancing Queen at some point - you should do it live from Wembley. It would be new to you and it really shows off how the girls were so in sync with the other. Live from Sydney is great too but for different reasons. Anyway thanks for the ABBA.

[@satanihelvetet]

Great reaction! A reation from me on your reaction; You can never say what should be a number one at a certatin period of time without comparing to what else came up at that time, because that's what ctarts is about.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

hmm...so my take on charts is like, I feel some things could be number 1 at certain times and not at others. Like a song from late 70s might not make it in the early 80s is I think what I'm trying to get at. Obviously I havent heard everything nor will I ever get there but I'm more voicing how good I think something is for a time period.

[@satanihelvetet]

@@jaybrielakoi7747 You have a point, but what's up and coming out just those weeks and months has a lot to do with the list and were a certain song will have it's place. The hit lists is just telling what is selling best right now, not what is best for this year or those years.

[@hahatoldyouso]

Love this song, try 'One of Us'

[@mikesmithson6805]

Agnetha (the blonde) is a soprano, while Anni-frid (brunette) is a mezzo soprano. The 2 voices when combined makes the ABBA sound they compliment each other

[@davidorheden5924]

Did ya know that the girls also do all backgroundvocals wich Michael B Tretow then mixed together to create the ABBA sound?

[@cookies6455]

Björn and Benny sing too.

[@davidorheden5924]

Great reaction. Thx ✌🏼 About their build-up of songs. Björn and Benny are legendary composers and everything was about the perfect melody. They were very early inspired by Phil Spectors ”wall of sound”. But they realized that their songs would loose attraction if they go 100% in from first second, so they became masters at dramaturgical build-ups wich often starts a bit quiet then gets stronger and stronger for every chorus until the end when the have 100% ”wall of sound”. Pure geniously and timeless 👌🏼 Another thing is that they were among the first to only concentrate on the perfect catchy-song, dancetrack or ballade. Then they recorded them in the studio. First then did they write the lyrics and handed them over to the girls. So they didnt know what the song were about before that. Only the melody. Therefore many of their songs are happy, up tempo but the lyrics can be a bit deep as contrast.

[@starry2006]

Tretow the producer helped create the sound as well. edit: apparently he was only credited as engineer, but he did more than that. From Voulez Vous on he apparently did get some royalties.

[@davidorheden5924]

Your absolutly right. Michael B Tretow is legendary for mixing and creating the ABBA sound✌🏼

[@andymcdonald3236]

A very complex song. It is beutiful.

[@whenindoubt1000]

I love listening to this, there is so much going on in this song. Vocal, without doubt, but so many little things you might have missed before. They probably took a month to produce this.

[@221b-Maker-Street]

I hope you get far more subscribers. I like the way you analyse and actually pay attention to the music/composition and seem to genuinely give it some thought. Not just _“Er, I loved it.. um... yeah... like, subscribe, click the notification bell, comment below, buy my merch, whack a shock-face on the thumbnail”_ etc. That schtick is getting so tired and unimaginative - and YT is now flooded with people who (I strongly suspect) honestly dgaf about a lot of the music they’re reacting to, but more _what it can do for them_ in terms of likes/subs/cash... 🙄 It’s just rather soul-destroying to witness genuine fans being repeatedly duped into thinking someone actually cares about their idols, when really KZbinrs have simply trawled YT to see which music vids already have the highest views, and mechanically reacted to them in as low effort way as possible, just to boost their channel. 😔🇸🇪

[@michaelharrison8341]

If ever, you’re in my arms again by Peabo Bryson is a great song as well!

[@satanihelvetet]

I think this is one their best songs.

[@flugsven]

I bought this single when I was thirteen. I remember Benny and Frida (Anni-Frid) was my "favourite couple" and I thought Benny was kind of cute, with beard and all. Beautiful song and the video is so sweet.

[@popboy0]

The Name of the game was the first-ever ABBA record that got sampled on another artist's record: The Fugees' Rumble in the jungle. ABBA THE ALBUM (where The name of the game is included) is ABBA's REVOLVER. A turning point in their sound and songwriting as it was for The Beatles.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

Beatles are so big. Like I know they're huge but I haven't really explored them yet.

[@Chrisyt272]

ABBA is my favorite group of all time, and I am really enjoying, and appreciating, your reactions.

[@1972JKH]

Abba and elvis forever

[@starry2006]

From the same album as Eagle, some critics say they went for a softer more American sound. I wouldn't say it was a fake ending mid-song, more a sudden drop back to the beginning and the full extension of the chorus isn't revealed till later. The structure of it has been analysed quite a lot apparently.

[@michaelharrison8341]

In the heart of the night by Poco is good as well

[@michaelharrison8341]

Falling by Leblanc and Carr, there’s another good one

[@Lionize728]

Cool, artsy song.

[@teerowel]

I never heard this song before... why not, it was amazing!

[@eggy1962]

I think the melody of this song captured people more than the lyrics,its really obvious when you listen to the many stripped down versions on youtube

[@starry2006]

Isn't that the case for 99% or more of songs, the music is the main thing.

[@eggy1962]

@@starry2006 dont agree with your percentages i can think of many songs who lyrics power the song...love a good story song...plus the way a song is sung can be its success

[@cspaikido]

My personal favorite.

[@jaybrielakoi7747]

sorry it came so late it was blocked for a while then got released.

[@nickchristoforou7850]

@@jaybrielakoi7747 This was their best album. Try 'Move On' and 'Hole In Your Soul'

[@michaelharrison8341]

Sweetheart by Franke and the knockouts is a good song to check out sometime if you get a chance. Thanks!

[@michaelharrison8341]

Nobody said it was easy by Leroux

[@ericgerena6042]

Song request /reaction: American Pie by singer/songwriter Don McLean.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🇺🇲🥧

[@abbagus1]

First of all , the working titles were used by them to refer to a song in process and locate it easily . Björn used to write nonsense lyrics just to see how it sounded and after each song was finished , the Lyrics were written. Yes it was number 1 in many countries , the problem in the US , is that “music” is plastic music , disposable music . In England it’s more organic , it is music and Bands grow and reach fame not because a record company decided and made a great video . For 3 decades American music is so boring and sells well because of marketing but won’t pass the test of time . Yes there is good American music but never like the English bands and I’m not english . From just an ABBA song you could easily do 4 songs , for example Madonna with only a riff from Gimme Gimme Gimme she made a whole song “Hung up” , her largest selling song , so yes taste changes but Grammys are not what they were , they’re extremely boring with bunch of bad songs , 2-3 shows in a 2.5h show ? Zzzz

[@starry2006]

American chart music tended to be more on the smooth side with less punchy melodies. Though ironically around this time ABBA became a bit smoother, Bjorn said that this was more guitar driven and he said Boston's More Than a Feeling may have influenced the song. The original promo in America was a heavily edited version of the song.

[@randylattimer1947]

"...American music won't stand the test of time..." ?! CCR has been around for 50 years and still just as good today as when John Fogerty first belted em out. The Righteous Brothers would be another group whose music is as magical today as it was when it was new. Let's talk about artist Stevie Ray Vaughn. Everyone has a favorite niche of music, sure, but it's completely unfair to group "American" music as "not able to stand the test of time"...much Love.

[@abbagus1]

@@randylattimer1947 ooops i meant today’s American music, of course there has been organic musicians

[@cspaikido]

Not a problem:)

[@thomasdematteo2281]

is it more like # 12?

[@mikesmithson6805]

Why i can't move the video scrubber?