Episode Details

"There’s not a soul out there" who hasn't heard that opening synthesizer riff. This week on pplpod, we are diving deep into ABBA’s 1979 disco masterpiece, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."

Join us as we explore how a demo originally titled "Rubber Ball Man" transformed into a gothic tale of loneliness and sexual frustration, heavily inspired by Donna Summer’s "Hot Stuff." We discuss the song's complicated release history, including why it topped the charts in Europe and Japan but was cancelled in the United States due to the "Disco Demolition" backlash.

Plus, we break down the track's enduring legacy—from its status as a gay anthem to the rare moment Benny and Björn allowed Madonna to sample it for "Hung Up." We also touch on covers by Cher and the A-Teens, and uncover a "nerdy" Easter egg that hid inside the Linux operating system for years.