# Kings of the disco - ABBA vs the Bee Gees. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285 "2011-08-19T04:42:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/1 "2011-08-19T04:42:31Z")
Both kings of that late seventies disco sound and both guaranteed to have dancers of all ages up on the floor with their timeless catchy tunes, particularly at weddings - but which is better (in that, who wrote/performed the better songs in their genre)? Sweden’s top export, Anni-Frid, Bjorn, Benny and Agnetha? Or those legendary Manx lads, The Brothers Gibb? The case for ABBA: [Dancing Queen.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TLDfwMVfHFSFM) [Waterloo.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_9CiNkkn4&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TLv2fZs7Cpr5A) [Take A Chance On Me.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-crgQGdpZR0&feature=relmfu) [Mamma Mia.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfzfe8f9NI&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TL2WrHpWaKioM) [Voulez-Vous.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za05HBtGsgU) And many more. The case for The Bee Gees: [Stayin’ Alive.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY) [Night Fever.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ihs-vT9T3Q) [How Deep Is Your Love.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqqjU7u5Yc) [Jive Talkin’.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBw25CrUS-o) [Tragedy.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPcsMMEMbfw&feature=related) And many more. Personally I had a prior fondness for ABBA over the Bee Gees, but going over their tunes the Bee Gees sure could knock 'em out of the park, although it depends if you find Barry Gibb’s unbelievable falsetto appealing or not. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/2 "2011-08-19T05:00:26Z")
Not a disco fan, but I liked the Bee Gees better. They had some decent stuff before disco, and some of their disco stuff was hard not to sing along to. ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/3 "2011-08-19T05:02:23Z")
Both inferior to the mighty KC and the Sunshine Band. You know I’m right… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/4 "2011-08-19T05:33:34Z")
If ABBA doesn’t win this poll, I’m going to have to find another messageboard . . . on another planet. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/5 "2011-08-19T13:34:15Z")
I’ve never considered ABBA to be disco. Fluffy pop, not disco. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/6 "2011-08-19T13:38:00Z")
I think they are both fine, but that wasn’t an option. The fact that we are still aware of their music forty years later shows staying power. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/7 "2011-08-19T13:42:54Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > I’ve never considered ABBA to be disco. Fluffy pop, not disco. What he said. Bee Gees win by default. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/8 "2011-08-19T13:51:25Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > I’ve never considered ABBA to be disco. Fluffy pop, not disco. Ditto #3. Did John Travolta ever dance to an ABBA tune? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/9 "2011-08-19T14:02:54Z")
> [@JessMagic](#): > > Both inferior to the mighty KC and the Sunshine Band. > > You know I’m right… I much prefer KC to BG. That falsetto gets on my nerves. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/10 "2011-08-19T14:21:16Z")
Disco sucks. Now just comparing the two groups without that damning label, I find my listening history contains a lot more ABBA than it does Bee Gees. Really, the only Bee Gees song worth listening to is “Nights On Broadway,” which is superb. Nothing ABBA ever did reached that height, but they have **a lot** of stuff that made it to “good.” I declare it a tie. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/11 "2011-08-19T14:21:59Z")
Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack…Bee Gees for the win! ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/12 "2011-08-19T14:31:13Z")
With all due respect to Priscilla Queen of the Desert, I must say ABBA. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/13 "2011-08-19T14:55:27Z")
Yeah, ABBA only flirted with disco for a couple of years, and it really wasn’t the high point of their career. Of the tracks in the OP, only Voulez Vous is disco. Dancing Queen is _about_ discos, but it isn’t actually disco itself. I think ABBA were one of the best pure pop acts ever, while the Bee Gees were merely very good, but when it comes to actual floor-filling dance tracks, the Gibbs have it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/14 "2011-08-19T15:01:13Z")
Disco being the criteria, I must go with the Brothers Gibb although I prefer ABBA’s music overall. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/15 "2011-08-19T15:02:02Z")
Of those two bands, ABBA for certain, but, as others have mentioned, I don’t really think of them as disco. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/16 "2011-08-19T15:15:28Z")
Disco rocks… I voted for the Bee Gees… and don’t forget “Nights on Broadway”… which is a great song!!.. You could throw in a one hit wonder here… “New York City girl” by Odyssey… I think bringing back discotheques would be awesome. Get people moving again… just no more white suits… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/17 "2011-08-19T16:31:21Z")
A dead heat so far, which surprises. When I say ‘disco’, I also mean the function as well as the genre (which has been rightly pointed out ABBA didn’t flirt with as much as the Bee Gees), the best floor filler, the best tunes to dance to. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/18 "2011-08-19T16:42:17Z")
As neither were primarily disco bands, neither seems a good candidate for “Kings of Disco.” Also, as ABBA was 50% female (and the female members were the front persons), it seems odd to nominate them as _kings_ of anything. I would suggest _The Village People_, or (as has already been said) _KC and the Sunshine Band_. Both ABBA and the Bee Gees were better bands than either of those, but they were better not because they did better disco, but because they were more versatile, and did good stuff apart from disco. I am a bit torn as to which of ABBA and the Bee Gees were better overall. Their respective merits and demerits were very different. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/19 "2011-08-19T16:52:01Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > As neither were primarily disco bands, neither seems a good candidate for “Kings of Disco.” Also, as ABBA was 50% female (and the female members were the front persons), it seems odd to nominate them as _kings_ of anything. > > I would suggest _The Village People_, or (as has already been said) _KC and the Sunshine Band_. Both ABBA and the Bee Gees were better bands than either of those, but they were better not because they did better disco, but because they were more versatile, and did good stuff apart from disco. > > I am a bit torn as to which of ABBA and the Bee Gees were better overall. Their respective merits and demerits were very different. Just a turn of phrase, no disrespect meant to the lovely Agnetha or Anni-Frid. I think the term disco is putting people off and I regret using it now to be honest. Was thinking of the better band to dance to and the term seemed natural. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285/20 "2011-08-19T17:21:22Z")
The Bee-Gees win kudos for agreeing to appear on the [Kenny Everett show](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpEkugItKQI). [ABBA refused](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZFBojFfU1Q). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kings-of-the-disco-abba-vs-the-bee-gees/593285.md?page=2)