# Rank the Swedish pop groups **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646 "2016-02-20T22:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/1 "2016-02-20T22:46:31Z")
Rank them, 1-3, 1 being the best: ABBA Ace of Base Roxette Your ranking can be based on whatever musically-based criteria you like (best songwriters, best overall band, best musicians, best rock group, least offensive pop music, most dance-able, etc). ---
**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:** [February 20, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/2 "2016-02-20T22:52:20Z")
ABBA. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/3 "2016-02-20T23:16:16Z")
Abba The Knife The Cardigans ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/4 "2016-02-20T23:34:23Z")
Out of those three: 1. ABBA. It’s ABBA. Enough said. 2. Roxette. Was a big part of my childhood. Slow dancing with cutest girl in school to _It Must Have Been Love_. Pure nostalgia. 3. Ace of Base. Eh, they’re okay, I guess. What I actually think is the best: [Kent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_%28band%29) It’s a shame they never found success outside of the Nordics. They tried but their English language album was missing something. Some of my favorite songs: [Palace & Main](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhKRel7vKuY) [Hjärta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkaUDXGT4Sg) [747](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKsVq9XlfA) Their signature song. They usually end their gigs with it [Pärlor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-tYvjToC84) [Oprofessionell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD_r91aug8k) ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/5 "2016-02-21T01:21:56Z")
ABBA ---
**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:** [February 21, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/6 "2016-02-21T01:38:16Z")
Well, of the groups I’m familiar with, I’d go: ABBA Peter Bjorn and John The Cardigans Roxette I really dislike Ace of Base. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/7 "2016-02-21T02:34:40Z")
I read something linking Ace of Base to white supremacist groups. I’ll see if I can find it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/8 "2016-02-21T04:08:46Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I read something linking Ace of Base to white supremacist groups. I’ll see if I can find it. [How A Pop Band Tricked 9 Million Americans Into Being Nazis](http://www.cracked.com/blog/how-90s-pop-band-secretly-sold-nazism-to-america/) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/9 "2016-02-21T09:59:59Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > [How A Pop Band Tricked 9 Million Americans Into Being Nazis](http://www.cracked.com/blog/how-90s-pop-band-secretly-sold-nazism-to-america/) Apart from the guy having been in a neo-Nazi band and their racist songs, everything else in that article is a bit of a stretch. Anyway, as to the OP, ABBA - I’d not heard of either of the others. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/10 "2016-02-21T10:36:24Z")
Just _ABBA._ I actually actively disliked _Roxette_ and _Ace of Base_ which is odd because I usually just ignore stuff I don’t like. Maybe I guess in those days I listened to the radio a lot and was annoyed by their constant presence. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/11 "2016-02-21T11:55:21Z")
ABBA first off, but I will also give a shout-out to The Sounds, an indie band I wish got more radio time in the US 15 years ago. The elephant in the room is **Max Martin** , along with Dr. Luke, Shellback, etc. They built so many hits for and with the top popstars today. \*\*Britney Spears’ \*\*version of _Hit Me Baby, One More Time_ is basically a cover of Max Martin’s demo, hiccups, chirps and all (as reported in a profile of him in the New Yorker; apparently the demo is kept private). ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/12 "2016-02-21T12:16:42Z")
\*\*ABBA Roxette Ace of Base\*\* And **The Cardigans** are way better than the last two. Actually, **Ace of Base** are extremely boring. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/13 "2016-02-21T12:20:32Z")
Max Martin for sure (I’d never heard of him until I read that same New Yorker article), and of course ABBA. Plus **Dungen** , for a great, unique 21st century take on that 1967-1974 psychedelic rock groove. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/14 "2016-02-21T14:26:44Z")
Europe. It’s the Final Countdown. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/15 "2016-02-21T14:54:21Z")
ABBA First Aid Kit Those are the only Swedish groups I know. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/16 "2016-02-21T18:55:30Z")
In 1974 a group named Blue Swede made a recording of “Hooked on a Feeling” in which the back-up singers chanted “Ooga chukka, Ooga Ooga Ooga chukka.” Sounded like they were playing choo-choo train. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/17 "2016-02-21T20:28:09Z")
Truckfighters. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/18 "2016-02-21T22:58:35Z")
There’s more than one? ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/19 "2016-02-21T23:31:45Z")
Probably bringing up the rear but worthy of a mention was another more-or-less one hit wonder, The Wannadies (“You And Me Song”). ---
**Author:** ![from\_a\_to\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5fc32e/32.png) [@from\_a\_to\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/from_a_to_z)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646/20 "2016-02-22T00:17:02Z")
1. One of the funnest = [Ola & The Janglers](http://www.svenskpophistoria.se/OLA%20AND%20THE%20JANGLERS/Diskografi.html), [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFLsncUFXY) with Let’s Dance, and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBzVYG5tUSc) with California Sun. 2. And how about [Hep Stars](http://www.thehepstars.se/startE.html), [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fEsKmTjjiw) in 1969. As CSI Ambleside commented 2 years ago, “That girl has a dreadful voice. The key board player looks like the guy from Abba.” 3. And [ABBA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7t-pnfnsG8). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-swedish-pop-groups/746646.md?page=2)