ABBA inspires. The pop disco songs of four Swedes from the '70s have really permeated every party and infested every corner of our music-listening lives. You've heard "Dancing Queen" in weddings and gay clubs, in bar mitzvahs to scenes of gay shit in movies. OK, so ABBA's kind of gay. Who cares? It's good.
In honor of ABBA coming to town -- well, Waterloo, ABBA's extremely popular tribute band -- we've put together a few of our favorite cinematic uses of the song "Dancing Queen." It's a tune that seems to bring women together and men together but not really men and women together. Waterloo apparently showcases two members of the original band's rhythm section on each tour. Tickets go on sale today at noon, so get on it, S.O.S.
Mamma Mia!
This is an entire movie sung to ABBA songs. In this scene, Meryl Streep and her two gal pals are so enthused by "Dancing Queen" that they play dress-up, jump on the bed, and scandalize a Greek isle. Obvs Streep isn't 17, but she sure is feeling the beat from the tambourine.
Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding is definitely the saddest, most demoralizing, miserable movie that features "Dancing Queen." This movie would make even Charlotte from Sex and the City want to hang herself in despair. Chubby, desperate Muriel (Toni Collette) is a huge ABBA fan, so the whole movie's like ABBA central. This is the scene where things finally get less miserable for Muriel and her friend -- Brenda of Six Feet Under -- who's confined to a wheelchair. "Dancing Queen indicates their newfound freedom.
Spoiler alert!
Summer of Sam
Spike Lee putting "Dancing Queen" in Summer of Sam at this moment highlights the fun times against the misery of relationships. It also's probably in there because it's like one of those songs that make a decade. Like "U Can't Touch This" for the '90s. Really they could have used a Blondie song or "Ring My Bell," but there's just something about "Dancing Queen" that says wholesome and party and nothing about sucking dicks.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
So, with the first three, we steered clear from the inherent gayness of the song, but in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, it's like an obvious choice. Queen. Get it, like they're queens, so now they have to listen to a song about dancing queens. Whatever. It's a gay anthem, and we love it.
This isn't an ABBA song, but you get the gist.
Dick
From the gays to "Tricky Dick" Nixon. There's clearly no movie in which this song doesn't belong. The only clip we could find was the ENTIRE movie (not embeddable, obv.), but if you want to see Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams roller-skating around the Oval Office to this song, skip to the closing credits at about 1 hour 31 minutes.
Tickets for the July 27 show cost $39, $49, and $59 at the Hard Rock Live Box Office from Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., or on ticketmaster.com.
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