What Portishead did with ABBA’s “SOS” is a remarkable example of a true cover - completely altered in mood, instrumentation, arrangement. It sounds like a David Byrne or even a Bowie song. Similar to Chris Cornell’s version of “Billie Jean,” this cover by Portishead gives the lyrics a depth which cannot be experienced (in my opinion) with ABBA’s original. "SOS" was the third single from ABBA's self-titled 1975 album and it was the band’s first major worldwide hit since "Waterloo” which was released a year earlier. The song ranked them again among the most popular acts in the UK and Ireland, where it hit number 6 and number 4 respectively. "SOS" reached number one in Australia, Belgium, France, West Germany (where it spent 7 weeks at the top), New Zealand and South Africa, and was a Top 3 hit in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy (where it became ABBA's most successful hit), Mexico, Rhodesia and Switzerland. The song also became ABBA's second Top 20 hit in the United States, peaking at number 15.
"SOS" is one of the most-covered of ABBA's songs. It has been recorded and performed in concert by several prominent artists, among which Portishead covered it in 2016. It was recorded for the film “High-Rise,” an adaptation of J.G. Ballard's 1975 novel. The cover was Portishead's first new song since 2009's “Chase the Tear.”
