Music
When Madonna sampled one of ABBA's best disco tracks, she could have desecrated a classic. She didn’t look at it that way.
Published on April 14, 2024
2 min readMadonna‘s songs were to the 1980s what ABBA’s were to the 1970s — both artists produced lasting, classic dancefloor fillers with impeccable grooves. When Madonna sampled one of ABBA’s best disco tracks, she could have desecrated a classic. Instead, she produced a song that’s superior to the original. Let’s take a look at how the Queen of Pop outdid ABBA.
Madonna’s ‘Hung’ Up’ samples 1 of ABBA’s only disco hits
While ABBA was part of the disco era, they only released two big disco songs: “Dancing Queen” and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).” The latter is most notable for a hypnotic riff. That riff formed the basis of Madonna’s “Hung Up,” one of her final songs to become a big hit in the United States.
Madonna’s song simply has better lyrics than ABBA’s. ABBA lyrics are often awkward and that’s part of their charm. ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” is a campy, overdramatic song about sexual desire. However, Madonna’s “Hung Up” is an emotionally engaging portrayal of someone who can’t get their lover out of their head. It’s the rare example of a dance hit with a dark undercurrent.
Why ABBA’s song is awkward
Overall, 1970s disco has aged better than the dance music of the 2000s. However, there are exceptions to every rule. While the songwriters in ABBA were consummate craftsmen, the transition between the verses of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” and its main riff is a touch awkward. The tune feels like parts of two tunes stitched together.
On the other hand, the beat of “Hung Up” flows beautifully. The use of a ticking clock portrays Madonna’s anxiety without getting too heavy. The full version of the song is over five minutes long and it never lets up or gets tiresome.
What the Queen of Pop thought about sampling ABBA
During a 2005 interview with Attitude, Madonna recalled writing “Hung Up” with producer Stuart Price. “When we were writing we were like OK, we wanna to make the ultimate pop dance record so let’s listen to stuff for inspiration,” he said. “We listened to lots of ABBA records and lots of Giorgio Moroder and Cerrone. We kept going through stuff and soaking it all up and ultimately ABBA found its way into our psyches. Stuart played me the music for ‘Hung Up’ and I write the lyrics in about 10 minutes driving around in my car, basically.”
Madonna was asked if she worried whether sampling “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” was a good idea. “Not at all,” she replied. “I think they may have had doubts about letting us sample their record. I had to send my emissary to Stockholm with a letter and the record begging them and imploring them and telling them how much I worship their music; telling them it was an homage to them, which is all true. And they had to think about it, [ABBA’s] Bennny [Andersson] and Björn [Ulvaeus], they didn’t say yes right away. They never let anyone sample their music.”
Madonna took a risk when she sampled “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” — and it paid off handsomely.
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