Why was it "uncool" to appreciate ABBA during the mid 80's

I think immediately appealing pop has often been seen, by some, as uncool, obvious - even trite and and not worth listening to. If you can get it on first hearing, it's somehow regarded as not up to much. As if tunefulness, in itself, is not a gift to be admired and enjoyed! But of course ABBA suffered from this nonsensical attitude big-time. Fortunately that has changed in recent years.
You only have listen: songs written with true craftsmanship, great melodies, fantastic singing, and so many interesting things going on in the recordings.

I'm sure it's that immediate appeal that for a long time stopped a lot of people from hearing with unprejudiced ears the sheer talent and ability and art that went into ABBA's popular music.

There are a lot of factors that come into play here though. Some of ABBA’s own doing and others they had no control over.

Firstly, the 1980s was this new, vibrant (and quite selfish) decade and there was a desire to forget the economic gloom of the 1970s and everything that went with it. ABBA were firmly put into that category.

Secondly, ABBA’s tired and middle-aged early 1980s image ultimately helped cause a hefty fall from grace as a singles act in 1982. Thankfully they chose to exit after a year of that but the damage was done.

Thirdly, Agnetha’s and Frida’s solo albums were mostly below par. After The Winner Takes It All (and others), these albums (Agnetha’s more than Frida’s) seemed very impersonal. And the fact that they chose whichever producer was deemed successful at the time in the hope of getting a hit seemed to smack of desperation. The lack of success of these albums cemented the belief that ABBA were best left in the past.

Lastly, CBS-Epic’s handling of the ABBA catalogue in the 1980s left a bit to be desired. They licensed ABBA’s recordings to budget labels such as Pickwick, Telstar, Reader’s Digest and presumably any other company that asked. This quite literally cheapened ABBA’s legacy. CBS kept hold of the albums but gave these their own budget price reissue treatment. To be fair, CBS can’t really be blamed for this as, having renewed their three-year Polar contract three times during the 1980s, they had little option but to try and maximise their diminishing returns.

Even amongst us fans there was a feeling of being stuck in the past by still liking ABBA. In the latter half of the 1980s I was in my teens and no one I knew liked ABBA anymore. I remarked on this on here at the time, but the Top of The Pops repeats on BBC Four reached 1985 a couple of years ago. Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson were introduced as “performing Tim Rice’s song”. This somehow seemed the ultimate insult. It was more cool to mention Tim Rice than it was Björn and Benny or ABBA!

I know there’s that old and tired argument that “Queen came back in the mid-80s after a bad 1982”, but it’s a poor comparison. Queen were a pop-rock band and, rightly or wrongly, rock ages better than pop. The idea that ABBA, had they stayed together, could have come back in the mid-80s is quite frankly wishful thinking. Yep, they might have had a hit album but in comparison with their previous successes it would have paled.

It’s been 28 years but I’m still surprised, even now, that they managed to bring ABBA back to the masses so successfully with ABBA Gold, and sustain it for so long since. In the 80s this would have seemed impossible.

Of course, even in their heyday, with the hits rolling in, ABBA were regarded by many as uncool. That characterisation of them didn't suddenly appear after the hits dried up and they came to an end as an active group.
I didn't take much notice of ABBA when they were at the height of their success. I can remember liking the lead voice in Super Trouper (but I would have had no idea whether that it was Agnetha or Frida singing that lead), and finding a song such as Mamma Mia quite catchy, but that was about it. The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan - and The Beatles from the 60s - interested me far more.
It was only later that I came to appreciate how special ABBA are when it comes to pop music. And I find what is regarded as cool, or not, in popular music both fascinating and puzzling a lot of the time!

I think as new groups like Duran Duran and culture club were becoming popular Teenagers were into them more.
Which is natural that they would like new singers.
Bjorn growing that beard wouldn't have helped either, the first time I saw that I was shocked.