Why indie rock bands love to cover ABBA

I've been seeing a lot of hard rock ABBA covers on my TikTok FYP

Apr 03, 2024

A friend of mine sent me a TikTok this week of indie rock band SOAP’s cover of ABBA’s “SOS.”

Not only did I love the cover, but I found it funny since another indie rock band I’ve followed for some time, The Crystal Casino Band, covered ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All.”

Now, I know two bands isn’t really enough to amount to a “trend.” So I fell down a Google rabbit hole finding hard or indie rock covers of ABBA songs. And guess what, it didn’t take all that long.

I found a great list of heavy metal and rock versions of ABBA songs, including a cover of “I’m a Marionette” by Ghost. A 2011 blog post discussed how an old R.E.M cover of ABBA’s “Does Your Mother Know?” had resurfaced online. So rock bands covering the iconic Swedish pop group is nothing new.

ABBA may easily be one of the most covered band’s of all time. Technically, they have two musicals worth of covers. Depending on the artist— R.E.M to Ghost is a pretty large leap up the rock spectrum—the cover may not stray too far from the original. ABBA’s glam-rock sound still bears some resemblance to what we consider “indie rock” today. I would guess the reason rock bands love to cover the group is the same reason most artists favor genre-bending, to demonstrate a range in taste and abilities. And in the digital age, genre-bending is easier, and more favorable to listeners, than ever.

Are genres disappearing?

Sarah Alessandrini

April 7, 2023

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Personally, as someone who already loves hearing ABBA covers at bars, I’d appreciate hearing an edgier version, especially in a dive bar. For now, I’ll just enjoy what’s available on streaming.

What’s going on with me?

Actually, so much. I attended a Live Nation Women’s event at the new Brooklyn Paramount theater, where I saw an exclusive DJ set from St. Vincent.

It’s a strange phenomenon watching an artist I’ve admired since I was 17 play a DJ set. Especially when my favorite song by her isn’t exactly something you spin at the function.

Something else to pay attention to

Sarah Gross.

I don’t know how much louder I can be about Sarah Gross. I’ve been saying she’s going to have a Noah Kahan or Lizzy McAlpine rise to fame any day now. And guess what, she just sang with Zach Bryan. So, if you haven’t been paying attention, now may be a good time to start.