As an "ABBA-positive listener" I've gotten used to the eyeroll response when their name is mentioned. I suspect it's more than half based on their old stage costumes, and the suspicious nature of the boy girl boy girl layout. The lyrics to "Dancing Queen" certainly don't help.

But while I defend their music with all my heart, the sternness of some of the counter-responses here is surprising. I mean, does someone really need to pass a test of musicianship to have the right to LOL at musically brilliant but often silly 70's sunshine pop? Any more than someone needs to pass a test to like it?

I discovered ABBA late in time, around 1998, and their music had a strange effect on me. I couldn't stop listening to it. Part of this was the new thrill of MP3 hunting – I put together a large collection from FTP sites – but mostly it was just the stickiest ear candy I'd ever heard, and it sounded better and better the more and deeper I listened.

I remember one time I was listening at work, on headphones, and the guy from the next cube came over and said, please, stop, please don't play "Dancing Queen" a 17th time. I'm still fascinated by the fact that he kept an accurate count.