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My father, a Southern-but-WASP-ish gentleman who was probably around 40 when "Fernando" was released, heard that song when it first came out and became an instant, committed ABBA fan, remaining one for the rest of his life (He died about 5 years ago).
In 1999, I was listening to G. Gordon Liddy's radio show one day(not because I like his politics), and he started playing bits of ABBA songs, and telling about how he had discovered ABBA while he was in prison, and about how listening to the band's records there had lifted his spirits. It was touching.
I've always been amused and intrigued by how many ABBA fans are older white guys. I don't mean to come off as patronizing towards older white guys, or towards the band itself. I'm an ABBA fan now. But I wasn't when I was a teenager, back in the 70s. Back then, they were "Top 40," and you couldn't be cool and like Top 40 at the same time.
I wouldn't call ABBA "cheesy." They were a class act, and they cut some really beautiful tracks.
Millions of old white guys can't be wrong.
