Swedes pride themselves for being on a trend before it can even be called that. Be it fashion, food, design, or insert any other here. An ABBA-dedicated museum? Already there. Vodka tasting and its history? Ditto. Homage to Yoko Ono, a one of a kind? It already existed before you thought of it.
Yet outside the Scandi Capital of cool, thankfully, you’ll see Swedish pop is not so doggedly discerning. On a farm in rural Sweden, while making kanelbulle, the Swedish treat, pop streamed from the radio waves. Not just any pop, that is, but Swedish pop, akin to Madonna, pre-hit days. Lend an ear, this is about to get good.
For Swedish icons of music (of international acclaim and in English), listen to the grooveshark, in ascending order of sweet Swede poppiness. (New word used for accurate intention.)
http://grooveshark.com/playlist/With+Love+From+Sverige/75879776
“Something regarded as cool is an admired aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style, influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist.” –Wikipedia
Cut the Kitsch 