The Swedish pop group ABBA that had phenomenal success a few decades ago were noted for two things: (1) trite, formulaic, and often meaningless lyrics set to catchy and bouncy tunes and (2) outlandish costumes that they wore during their performances. Below is a performance that showcases both.
Now one of the group members explains what lay behind the second fact. It turns out that Swedish tax laws allows performers to deduct the cost of the costumes only if the costumes are so ridiculous that no reasonable person would ever dream of wearing them in public as their regular attire.
According to Abba: The Official Photo Book, published to mark 40 years since they won Eurovision with Waterloo, the band’s style was influenced in part by laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be deducted against tax – so long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street.
…Reflecting on the group’s sartorial record in a new book, Björn Ulvaeus said: “In my honest opinion we looked like nuts in those years. Nobody can have been as badly dressed on stage as we were.”
But the rock group Kiss, being American, does not have this excuse for assaulting the eyes of the audience.
Actually, American tax law has similar rules for deducting the cost of work-related clothing.
NOLO.com:
Note that the bass and rhythm guitar players, who are not members of ABBA, is wearing ordinary slacks and shirts.
Microeconomics incentives theory. It works, bitches (*)
(*) Becareful what you incentivize, you just may get it
@James,
It looks like the IRS has a lot to answer for if they are the cause of this …!
Oh ouch! But at least we know why these poor bastards never achieved ABBA status: corduroy bellbottoms are just way to
believabletaxable!I’m trying to figure out what’s distorting the guitar player’s (front, center) head. Is he wearing an occipital hairpiece?
I had no idea about the costume angle -- it was a non-factor for me anyway. It was the vocal harmony that I found unique, voices melding into each other.
Considering that they were big names back then and quite successful, I was surprised that they their costume choices were based on their tax code.
@leni,
That was hilarious!
It definitely has some laugh out loud moments 🙂 I must have watched it dozens of times and I still laugh every time I see it. Glad you enjoyed it!
ABBA had a strange career trajectory. I’m old enough to recall their heyday, and they were seen much as Justin Bieber is seen today -- pop for kids who didn’t know any better while “serious” music fans despised them. Then decades later they suddenly gained credibility in an ironic, hipster, “so kitsch it’s cool” sort of way.
I can think of a lot of acts that were considered cool at the time and kitsch decades later, but only ABBA comes to mind as an act that was kitsch and disposable at the time, but cool decades later.