Ritchie Blackmore Says His Favorite Band Ever is ABBA
Ritchie Blackmore likely annoyed some hard rock/metal purists with his recent admission that his favorite band of all time is ABBA. (Well, he said it was “probably” ABBA, for those that really want to split hairs.)
Blackmore revealed this fun fact during a recent Instagram Live video. In the process, he also revealed a time when he and Rainbow bandmates Ronnie James Dio and Cozy Powell all revealed to each other that they liked ABBA.
As Blackmore tells it, he, Dio and Powell were hanging around and drinking at a chateau around a fire. This was around the time they were recording 1978’s Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll. As they were all drinking and attempting to write songs, Powell cuts in to say he has to “own up.”
Blackmore and Dio were intrigued and confused as to what their drummer was talking about. And then, Powell admits to liking ABBA, which led to both Blackmore and Dio to both say how much they liked the pop band.
This then led Powell to fetch his ABBA records he had at the chateau, and they all just sat around and let those records play.
Blackmore said, “We should have been writing our own songs, but it was much better to listen to ABBA.”
Ritchie Blackmore Isn’t The Only Rocker To Love ABBA
Blackmore’s funny story reminds us of other ABBA fans in the rock world. One of them is none other than Dave Grohl. Back in October 2021, Grohl talked about how excited he was about ABBA's reunion and the release of Voyage, the band’s first new album in 40 years.
Grohl told BBC News, “Oh my god, I’m such a big ABBA fan. When I saw that they were coming back and they had a record, I shot that link to 100 people I knew, then listened to the new song and wept like a baby.”
Bruce Dickinson might also be an ABBA fan. At the very least, he’s not afraid to be involved with ABBA-related projects.
Back in November 2023, Deadline reported the Iron Maiden frontman was starring in a horror-comedy movie about an ABBA tribute band. The movie is aptly titled Bjorn of the Dead.
Deadline noted, “[The plot] centers around an ABBA tribute band who find themselves, along with various other tribute acts, trapped in a nightclub at the start of the apocalypse. Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music.”
As for Dickinson, his character is aptly named Bjorn, and he fronts the ABBA tribute band called Abbatoir.
Bjorn of the Dead screenplay writer/producer Andrew Prendergast called the film a “blood-drenched gore fest.” A release date is not yet known.
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