Obviously I have my favourite Abba hits, but what about the songs that weren’t released on their own merit? These are album tracks and B-sides to their singles, I choose my top ten favourite non-hit tracks!

10. That’s Me

This was the B-side to one of Abba’s biggest hits, Dancing Queen, but plenty of people received a nice surprise when they flipped the single over and heard That’s Me for the first time!

It was released in Japan as a single, with Money Money Money as its B-side but only made it to number 75 in the official Japanese charts.

This is an upbeat number about a woman simply saying, “This is me, like it or lump it!” The video was filmed during the making of the TV special, ABBA-dabba-doo and includes original footage and some outtakes from previous ABBA videos.

Agnetha has said that this is one of her favourite songs.

9. Kisses of Fire

Another B-side, this time to Bjorn’s lead vocal on Does Your Mother Know, which reached number 3 in the UK charts. It was released as a single in Venezuela with DYMK as the B-side!

Agnetha sings the lead vocals and it’s about a woman whose found true love for the first time and is not used to the insecurities of holding onto that relationship.

This song was performed by Panos Mouzourakis in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

8. Cassandra

This was the B-side to the wonderful Winner Takes It All, it wasn’t included on the original album, The Visitors, but was on the special edition bonus track versions.

This was a song about a mythical Greek figure named Cassandra who could make accurate prophecies, but unfortunately nobody believed her. Bringing it back to modern day, it is about feeling unheard or misunderstood which resonates with so many people.

The lyrics, melody and arrangement is perfect and together with Frida’s wonderful vocals makes this a must in this list!

7. I Let The Music Speak

An album track from The Visitors featuring Frida as main vocalist. It is the fifth longest Abba track after Eagle, The Day Before You Came, The Visitors and Chiquita.

The lyrics are incredible in this song, really highlighting how far Benny and Bjorn have come since the early days –

I’m hearing images, I’m seeing songs
No poet has ever painted
Voices call out to me, straight to my heart
So strange yet we’re so well acquainted

The underlying message in this track is that you can have good times and bad times, but music will never let you down!

6. As Good As New

The opening track on Voulez-Vous album. It was released as a double A-side in Mexico with I Have A Dream, where it was number one.

Featuring Agnetha on lead vocal, it is an upbeat and vibrant track which tells the story of somebody who has been heartbroken in the past, but has now found somebody with whom there is a bright future.

5. When All Is Said And Done

A track featured on The Visitors with lead vocal by Frida. It was released in the USA with Should I Laugh Or Cry as the B-side and reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also released in Australia and Canada.

The Winner Takes It All is synonymous with the divorce of Bjorn and Agnetha and When All Is Said And Done is about the divorce between Frida and Benny. Frida sings about her emotion and sorrow, not only personally, but for everyone who has gone through a divorce. Frida said, “All my sadness was captured in that song.”

4. Slipping Through My Fingers

A track from the album, The Visitors and which was only released as a single in Japan where it was a red vinyl promo single for Coca-Cola and there was no B-side, just a picture of the group.

The inspiration for this song was Bjorn and Agnetha’s daughter, Linda who was seven at the time of recording. It is about a mother’s regret as her daughter is growing up and going to school and she feels as though she is losing her. Agnetha’s vocals are superb, you can feel the sadness through her voice and the lyrics.

3. If It Wasn’t For The Nights

An album track on Voulez-Vous which was intended to be the lead single from the album until they recorded Chiquita which took that honour instead.

The harmonies of Agnetha and Frida are outstanding on this song. It is an up-tempo song which deals with the pain of somebody who has recently ended a relationship and having to face the night alone with their own thoughts. I often think this comes as a pair with Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), it would make an interesting mash-up.

2. Lovelight

B-side to Chiquita, not originally released on the Voulez-Vous album, but was included as a bonus track on later releases.

This song opens with an amazing guitar solo, which would have been a fantastic opening to a concert (just my thoughts!). An upbeat song about how much brighter and better life is when your partner is around. A belief that their partner had a special ‘lovelight.’

And my favourite track is….

1. Should I Laugh Or Cry

This was the B-side to One Of Us, it wasn’t included on The Visitors album, which I think it should have been instead of Two For The Price Of One, (sorry Benny and Bjorn), but it was on the compilation album, Thank You For The Music.

The narrative from this song, comes across as a rather bitter end to a relationship. There is personal emotion from Frida, exploring how she feels about the relationship, together with Agnetha’s soft echo vocal which adds a sense of sadness to the relationship.

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So there you have it, my top ten non-hit Abba songs – there are some I haven’t included which deserve a mention….

Me and I – My Love, My Life – Soldiers – to name a few…

Please check out the video to accompany this blog which I have uploaded to YouTube….