Comparisons between Ricchi & Poveri and ABBA are inevitable. Both acts had two men and two women; both are also beloved for their pioneering pop work. But the Italians were there first—forming in Genoa in 1967, five years before the Swedes. Indeed, it’s claimed ABBA once said they’d been ‘inspired’ by the quartet of Angela Brambati, Angelo Sotgiu, Marina Occhiena (who left in 2021) and Franco Gatti (who died in 2022). Tracks like 1970’s melodic “La prima cosa bella” and 1981’s “Sarà perché ti amo”—a massive hit in Latin America—meld their unique vocal styles over perfectly euphoric pop.