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Their official logo , distinct with the backward ' B ' , was designed by Rune Söderqvist , who designed most of ABBA 's record sleeves . The ambigram first appeared on the French compilation album , Golden Double Album , released in May 1976 by Disques Vogue , and would henceforth be used for all official releases.Abba Fan Club Magazine , Helga van de Kar , " 1976 - Year in Review , " December 2016 , p . 12 |
The idea for the official logo was made by the German photographer Wolfgang " Bubi " Heilemann ( : de : Wolfgang Heilemann | de ) on a velvet jumpsuit photo shoot for the teenage magazine Bravo ( magazine ) | Bravo . On the photo , the ABBA members held a giant initial letter of his / her name . After the pictures were made , Heilemann found out that Benny Andersson reversed his letter " B " ; this prompted discussions about the mirrored " B , " and the members of ABBA agreed on the mirrored letter . From 1976 onward , the first " B " in the logo version of the name was " mirror-image " reversed on the band 's promotional material , thus becoming the group 's registered trademark . |
Following their acquisition of the group 's catalogue , PolyGram began using variations of the ABBA logo , employing a different font . In 1992 , Polygram added a crown emblem to it for the first release of the " ABBA Gold : Greatest Hits " compilation . After Universal Music purchased PolyGram ( and , thus , ABBA 's label Polar Music International ) , control of the group 's catalogue returned to Stockholm . Since then , the original logo has been reinstated on all official products . Retrieved from Internet Archive 10 January 2014 . |
As the group entered the Melodifestivalen with " Ring Ring ( ABBA song ) | Ring Ring " but failed to qualify as the 1973 Swedish entry , Stig Anderson immediately started planning for the 1974 contest . |
Ulvaeus , Andersson and Stig Anderson believed in the possibilities of using the Eurovision Song Contest as a way to make the music business aware of them as songwriters , as well as the band itself . In late 1973 , they were invited by Swedish television to contribute a song for the Melodifestivalen 1974 and from a number of new songs , the upbeat song " Waterloo ( ABBA song ) | Waterloo " was chosen ; the group was now inspired by the growing glam rock scene in England . |
ABBA won their nation 's hearts on Swedish television on 9 February 1974 , and with this third attempt were far more experienced and better prepared for the Eurovision Song Contest . Winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 | 1974 Eurovision Song Contest on 6 April 1974 ( and singing " Waterloo " in English instead of their native tongue ) gave ABBA the chance to tour Europe and perform on major television shows ; thus the band saw the " Waterloo " single chart in many European countries . Following their success at the Eurovision Song Contest , ABBA spent an evening of glory partying in the appropriately named first-floor Napoleon suite of Grand Brighton Hotel | The Grand Brighton Hotel Gilson , Edwin ( 16 December 2017 ) . |
ABBA 's follow-up single , " Honey , Honey , " peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 | " Billboard " Hot 100 , and was a number-two hit in West Germany . However , in the United Kingdom , ABBA 's British record label , Epic , decided to re-release a remixed version of " Ring Ring " instead of " Honey , Honey , " and a cover version of the latter by Sweet Dreams ( 1970s band ) | Sweet Dreams peaked at number 10 . Both records debuted on the UK chart within one week of each other . " Ring Ring " failed to reach the Top 30 in the United Kingdom , increasing growing speculation that the group was simply a Eurovision one-hit wonder . |
In November 1974 , ABBA embarked on their first European tour , playing dates in Denmark , West Germany and Austria . It was not as successful as the band had hoped , since most of the venues did not sell out . Due to a lack of demand , they were even forced to cancel a few shows , including a sole concert scheduled in Switzerland . The second leg of the tour , which took them through Scandinavia in January 1975 , was very different . They played to full houses everywhere and finally got the reception they had aimed for . Live performances continued in the middle of 1975 when ABBA embarked on a fourteen open-air date tour of Sweden and Finland . Their Stockholm show at the Gröna Lund amusement park had an estimated audience of 19,200 . |
In late 1974 , " So Long " was released as a single in the United Kingdom but it received no airplay from Radio 1 and failed to chart . In the middle of 1975 , ABBA released " I Do , I Do , I Do , I Do , I Do , " which again received little airplay on Radio 1 but managed to climb the charts , to number 38 . Later that year , the release of their self-titled third studio album " ABBA ( album ) | ABBA " and single " SOS ( ABBA song ) | SOS " brought back their chart presence in the UK , where the single hit number six and the album peaked at number 13 . " SOS " also became ABBA 's second number-one single in Germany and their third in Australia . Success was further solidified with " Mamma Mia ( ABBA song ) | Mamma Mia " reaching number-one in the United Kingdom , Germany and Australia . In the United States , " SOS ( ABBA song ) | SOS " peaked at number 10 on the Record World Top 100 singles chart and number 15 on the " Billboard " Hot 100 chart , picking up the Broadcast Music , Inc . | BMI Award along the way as one of the most played songs on American radio in 1975 . |
The success of the group in the United States had until that time been limited to single releases . By early 1976 , the group already had four Top 30 singles on the US charts , but the album market proved to be tough to crack . The eponymous " ABBA " album generated three American hits , but it only peaked at number 165 on the " Cashbox " album chart and number 174 on the " Billboard " 200 chart . Opinions were voiced , by " Creem " in particular , that in the US ABBA had endured " a very sloppy promotional campaign . " Nevertheless , the group enjoyed warm reviews from the American press . " Cashbox ( magazine ) | Cashbox " went as far as saying that " there is a recurrent thread of taste and artistry inherent in Abba 's marketing , creativity and presentation that makes it almost embarrassing to critique their efforts , " while " Creem " wrote : " SOS is surrounded on this LP by so many good tunes that the mind boggles . " |
In Australia , the airing of the music videos for " I Do , I Do , I Do , I Do , I Do " and " Mamma Mia " on the nationally broadcast TV pop show " Countdown ( Australian TV series ) | Countdown " ( which premiered in November 1974 ) saw the band rapidly gain enormous popularity , and " Countdown " become a key promoter of the group via their distinctive music videos . This started an immense interest for ABBA in Australia , resulting in both the single and album holding down the No. 1 positions on the charts for months . |
In March 1976 , the band released the compilation album " Greatest Hits ( ABBA album ) | Greatest Hits " . It became their first UK number-one album , and also took ABBA into the Top 50 on the US album charts for the first time , eventually selling more than a million copies there . Also included on " Greatest Hits ( ABBA album ) | Greatest Hits " was a new single , " Fernando ( song ) | Fernando , " which went to number-one in at least thirteen countries worldwide , including the United Kingdom , Germany and Australia , and the single went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide . It still remains as one of the best-selling singles of all time in Australia . Also in 1976 , the group received its first international prize , with " Fernando " being chosen as the " Best Studio Recording of 1975 . " In the United States , " Fernando " reached the Top 10 of the Cashbox Top 100 singles chart and number 13 on the " Billboard " Hot 100 . It topped the Adult Contemporary ( chart ) | " Billboard " Adult Contemporary chart , ABBA 's first American number-one single on any chart . At the same time , Germany released a compilation named " The Very Best of ABBA " , also becoming a number-one album there whereas the " Greatest Hits " compilation followed a few months later to number-two on the German charts , despite all similarities with " The Very Best " album . |
The group 's fourth studio album , " Arrival ( ABBA album ) | Arrival " , a number-one best-seller in Europe and Australia , represented a new level of accomplishment in both songwriting and studio work , prompting rave reviews from more rock-oriented UK music weeklies such as " Melody Maker " and " NME | New Musical Express " , and mostly appreciative notices from US critics . Hit after hit flowed from " Arrival " : " Money , Money , Money , " another number-one in Germany and Australia , and " Knowing Me , Knowing You , " ABBA 's sixth consecutive German number-one as well as another UK number-one . The real sensation was " Dancing Queen , " not only topping the charts in loyal markets the UK , Germany and Australia , but also reaching number-one in the United States . In South Africa , ABBA had astounding success with " Fernando , " " Dancing Queen " and " Knowing Me , Knowing You " being among the top 20 best-selling singles for 1976-77 . In 1977 , " Arrival " was nominated for the inaugural Brit Awards | BRIT Award in the category " Best International Album of the Year . " By this time ABBA were popular in the United Kingdom , most of Western Europe , Australia and New Zealand . In " Frida - The DVD " , Lyngstad explains how she and Fältskog developed as singers , as ABBA 's recordings grew more complex over the years . |
The band 's popularity in the United States would remain on a comparatively smaller scale , and " Dancing Queen " became the only " Billboard " Hot 100 number-one single ABBA had there ( they did , however , get three more singles to the number-one position on other " Billboard " charts , including " Billboard " Adult Contemporary and Hot Dance Club Play ) . Nevertheless , " Arrival " finally became a true breakthrough release for ABBA on the US album market where it peaked at number 20 on the " Billboard " 200 chart and was certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America | RIAA . |
In January 1977 , ABBA embarked on their first major tour . The group 's status had changed dramatically and they were clearly regarded as superstars . They opened their much anticipated tour in Oslo , Norway , on 28 January , and mounted a lavishly produced spectacle that included a few scenes from their self-written mini-operetta " The Girl with the Golden Hair " . The concert attracted immense media attention from across Europe and Australia . They continued the tour through Western Europe , visiting Gothenburg , Copenhagen , Berlin , Cologne , Amsterdam , Antwerp , Essen , Hanover , and Hamburg and ending with shows in the United Kingdom in Manchester , Birmingham , Glasgow and two sold-out concerts at London 's Royal Albert Hall . Tickets for these two shows were available only by mail application and it was later revealed that the box-office received 3.5 million requests for tickets , enough to fill the venue 580 times . Along with praise ( " ABBA turn out to be amazingly successful at reproducing their records , " wrote " Creem " ) , there were complaints that " ABBA performed slickly ... but with a zero personality coming across from a total of 16 people on stage " ( " Melody Maker " ) . One of the Royal Albert Hall concerts was filmed as a reference for the filming of the Australian tour for what became " ABBA : The Movie " , though it is not exactly known how much of the concert was filmed . |
After the European leg of the tour , in March 1977 , ABBA played 11 dates in Australia before a total of 160,000 people . The opening concert in Sydney at the Sydney Showground ( Moore Park ) | Sydney Showground on 3 March to an audience of 20,000 was marred by torrential rain with Lyngstad slipping on the wet stage during the concert . However , all four members would later recall this concert as the most memorable of their career . Upon their arrival in Melbourne , a civic reception was held at the Melbourne Town Hall and ABBA appeared on the balcony to greet an enthusiastic crowd of 6,000 . In Melbourne , the group gave three concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with 14,500 at each including the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and his family . At the first Melbourne concert , an additional 16,000 people gathered outside the fenced-off area to listen to the concert . In Adelaide , the group performed one concert at Football Park | West Lakes Football Stadium in front of 20,000 people , with another 10,000 listening outside . During the first of five concerts in Perth , there was a bomb scare with everyone having to evacuate the Perth Entertainment Centre | Entertainment Centre . The trip was accompanied by mass hysteria and unprecedented media attention ( " Swedish ABBA stirs box-office in Down Under tour ... and the media coverage of the quartet rivals that set to cover the upcoming Royal tour of Australia , " wrote " Variety ( magazine ) | Variety " ) , and is captured on film in " ABBA : The Movie " , directed by Lasse Hallström . |
The Australian tour and its subsequent " ABBA : The Movie " produced some ABBA lore , as well . Fältskog 's blonde good looks had long made her the band 's " pin-up girl , " a role she disdained . During the Australian tour , she performed in a skin-tight white jumpsuit , causing one Australian newspaper to use the headline " Agnetha 's bottom tops dull show . " When asked about this at a news conference , she replied : " Don 't they have bottoms in Australia ? " DVD documentaries : " The Winner Takes It All " ( 2002 ) and " Super Troupers " ( 2004 ) |
In December 1977 , ABBA followed up " Arrival " with the more ambitious fifth album " ABBA : The Album " , released to coincide with the debut of " ABBA : The Movie " . Although the album was less well received by UK reviewers , it did spawn more worldwide hits : " The Name of the Game ( ABBA song ) | The Name of the Game " and " Take a Chance on Me , " which both topped the UK charts , and peaked at number 12 and number three , respectively , on the " Billboard " Hot 100 chart in the US . Although " Take a Chance on Me " did not top the American charts , it proved to be ABBA 's biggest hit single there , selling more copies than " Dancing Queen . " " The Album " also included " Thank You for the Music , " the B-side of " Eagle ( song ) | Eagle " in countries where the latter had been released as a single , and was belatedly released as an A-side single in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 1983 . " Thank You for the Music " has become one of the best loved and best known ABBA songs without being released as a single during the group 's lifetime . |
By 1978 ABBA were one of the biggest bands in the world . They converted a vacant cinema into the Polar Music Studio , a state-of-the-art studio in Stockholm . The studio was used by several other bands ; notably Genesis ( band ) | Genesis ' " Duke ( album ) | Duke " and Led Zeppelin ' s " In Through the Out Door " were recorded there . During the May 1978 , the group went to the United States for a promotional campaign , performing alongside Andy Gibb on Olivia Newton-John ' s TV show . Recording sessions for the single " Summer Night City " were an uphill struggle , |
On 9 January 1979 , the group performed " Chiquitita " at the Music for UNICEF Concert held at the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate UNICEF 's Year of the Child . ABBA donated the copyright of this worldwide hit to the United Nations Children 's Fund | UNICEF ; see Music for UNICEF Concert . " Bee Gees , Olivia were a hit with the VIPs " ( 11 January 1979 ) . " Courier Mail " ( Brisbane ) ; p . 30 . The single was released the following week , and reached number-one in ten countries . |
In mid-January 1979 , Ulvaeus and Fältskog announced they were getting divorced . The news caused interest from the media and led to speculation about the band 's future . ABBA assured the press and their fan base they were continuing their work as a group and that the divorce would not affect them . " ABBA divorce - Agnetha moves out " ( 17 January 1979 ) . " The Sun " ( Sydney ) ; p . 1 . Nonetheless , the media continued to confront them with this in interviews . To escape the media swirl and concentrate on their writing , Andersson and Ulvaeus secretly travelled to Compass Point Studios in Nassau , Bahamas , where for two weeks they prepared their next album 's songs . |
The group 's sixth studio album , " Voulez-Vous " , was released in April 1979 , the title track of which was recorded at the famous Criteria Studios in Miami , Florida , with the assistance of recording engineer Tom Dowd amongst others . The album topped the charts across Europe and in Japan and Mexico , hit the Top 10 in Canada and Australia and the Top 20 in the United States . None of the singles from the album reached number one on the UK charts , but " Chiquitita , " " Does Your Mother Know , " " Angeleyes " ( with " Voulez-Vous ( song ) | Voulez-Vous , " released as a double A-side ) and " I Have a Dream ( song ) | I Have a Dream " were all UK Top 5 hits . In Canada , " I Have a Dream " became ABBA 's second number one on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart ( after " Fernando " hit the top previously ) . Also in 1979 , the group released their second compilation album , " Greatest Hits Vol . 2 ( ABBA album ) | Greatest Hits Vol . 2 " , which featured a brand new track : " Gimme ! Gimme ! Gimme ! ( A Man After Midnight ) , " another number-three hit in both the UK and Germany . In Russia during the late 1970s , the group was paid in oil commodities because of an embargo on the Soviet ruble | ruble .Rodgers , Peter ( 16 March 1980 ) . " Pop Goes ABBA 's $ 2m Oil Gamble : ABBA May Lose Enormous Amount of Money Following Venture into Oil Market . " " The Sunday Times " ; Business News , p 53 |
On 13 September 1979 , ABBA began ABBA : The Tour at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton , Canada , with a full house of 14,000 . " The voices of the band , Agnetha 's high sauciness combined with round , rich lower tones of Anni-Frid , were excellent ... Technically perfect , melodically correct and always in perfect pitch ... The soft lower voice of Anni-Frid and the high , edgy vocals of Agnetha were stunning , " raved " Edmonton Journal " . |
During the next four weeks they played a total of 17 sold-out dates , 13 in the United States and four in Canada . The last scheduled ABBA concert in the United States in Washington , D.C. was cancelled due to Fältskog 's emotional distress suffered during the flight from New York to Boston , when the group 's private plane was subjected to Windsor Locks , Connecticut Tornado | extreme weather conditions and was unable to land for an extended period . They appeared at the Citi Performing Arts Center | Boston Music Hall for the performance 90 minutes late . The tour ended with a show in Toronto , Canada at Maple Leaf Gardens before a capacity crowd of 18,000 . " ABBA plays with surprising power and volume ; but although they are loud , they 're also clear , which does justice to the signature vocal sound ... Anyone who 's been waiting five years to see Abba will be well satisfied , " wrote " Record World " . |
On 19 October 1979 , the tour resumed in Western Europe where the band played 23 sold-out gigs , including six sold-out nights at London 's Wembley Arena . |
In March 1980 , ABBA travelled to Japan where upon their arrival at Narita International Airport , they were besieged by thousands of fans . The group performed eleven concerts to full houses , including six shows at Tokyo 's Nippon Budokan | Budokan . This tour was the last " on the road " adventure of their career . |
In July 1980 , ABBA released the single " The Winner Takes It All , " the group 's eighth UK chart topper ( and their first since 1978 ) . The song is widely misunderstood as being written about Ulvaeus and Fältskog 's marital tribulations ; Ulvaeus wrote the lyrics , but has stated they were not about his own divorce ; Fältskog has repeatedly stated she was not the loser in their divorce . In the United States , the single peaked at number-eight on the " Billboard " Hot 100 chart and became ABBA 's second " Billboard " Adult Contemporary number-one . It was also re-recorded by Andersson and Ulvaeus with a slightly different backing track , by French chanteuse Mireille Mathieu at the end of 1980 - as " Bravo tu as gagné , " with French lyrics by Alain Boublil . November the same year saw the release of ABBA 's seventh album " Super Trouper ( album ) | Super Trouper " , which reflected a certain change in ABBA 's style with more prominent use of synthesizers and increasingly personal lyrics . It set a record for the most pre-orders ever received for a UK album after one million copies were ordered before release . The second single from the album , " Super Trouper ( song ) | Super Trouper , " also hit number-one in the UK , becoming the group 's ninth and final UK chart-topper . Another track from the album , " Lay All Your Love on Me , " released in 1981 as a Twelve-inch single single only in selected territories , managed to top the " Billboard " Hot Dance Club Play chart and peaked at number-seven on the UK singles chart becoming , at the time , the highest ever charting 12-inch release in UK chart history . |
Also in 1980 , ABBA recorded a compilation of Spanish-language versions of their hits called " Gracias Por La Música ( album ) | Gracias Por La Música " . This was released in Spanish-speaking countries as well as in Japan and Australia . The album became a major success , and along with the Spanish version of " Chiquitita , " this signalled the group 's breakthrough in Latin America . " ABBA Oro : Grandes Éxitos " , the Spanish equivalent of " ABBA Gold : Greatest Hits " , was released in 1999 . |
In January 1981 , Ulvaeus married Lena Källersjö , and manager Stig Anderson celebrated his 50th birthday with a party . For this occasion , ABBA recorded the track " Hovas Vittne " ( a pun on the Swedish name for Jehovah 's Witness and Anderson 's birthplace , Hova , Sweden | Hova ) as a tribute to him , and released it only on 200 red vinyl copies , to be distributed to the guests attending the party . This single has become a sought-after collectable . In mid-February 1981 , Andersson and Lyngstad announced they were filing for divorce . Information surfaced that their marriage had been an uphill struggle for years , and Benny had already met another woman , Mona Nörklit , whom he married in November 1981 . |
Andersson and Ulvaeus had songwriting sessions in early 1981 , and recording sessions began in mid-March . At the end of April , the group recorded a TV special , " Dick Cavett Meets ABBA " with the US talk show host Dick Cavett . " The Visitors ( ABBA album ) | The Visitors " , ABBA 's eighth and final studio album , showed a songwriting maturity and depth of feeling distinctly lacking from their earlier recordings but still placing the band squarely in the pop genre , with catchy tunes and harmonies . Although not revealed at the time of its release , the album 's title track , according to Ulvaeus , refers to the secret meetings held against the approval of totalitarian governments in Soviet-dominated states , while other tracks address topics like failed relationships , the threat of war , aging , and loss of innocence . The album 's only major single release , " One of Us ( ABBA song ) | One of Us , " proved to be the last of ABBA 's nine number-one singles in Germany , this being in December 1981 ; and the swansong of their sixteen Top 5 singles on the South African chart . " One of Us " was also ABBA 's final Top 3 hit in the UK , reaching number-one on some charts ( such as Record Mirror ) . |
Although it topped the album charts across most of Europe , including Ireland , the UK and Germany , " The Visitors " was not as commercially successful as its predecessors , showing a commercial decline in previously loyal markets such as France , Australia and Japan . A track from the album , " When All Is Said and Done ( song ) | When All Is Said and Done , " was released as a single in North America , Australia and New Zealand , and fittingly became ABBA 's final Top 40 hit in the US ( debuting on the US charts on 31 December 1981 ) , while also reaching the US Adult Contemporary Top 10 , and number-four on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart in Canada . The song 's lyrics , as with " The Winner Takes It All " and " One of Us , " dealt with the painful experience of separating from a long-term partner , though it looked at the trauma more optimistically . With the now publicised story of Andersson and Lyngstad 's divorce , speculation increased of tension within the band . Also released in the United States was the title track of " The Visitors " , which hit the Top Ten on the " Billboard " Hot Dance Club Play chart . |
In the spring of 1982 , songwriting sessions had started and the group came together for more recordings . Plans were not completely clear , but a new album was discussed and the prospect of a small tour suggested . The recording sessions in May and June 1982 were a struggle , and only three songs were eventually recorded : " You Owe Me One , " " I Am the City " and " Just Like That . " Andersson and Ulvaeus were not satisfied with the outcome , so the tapes were shelved and the group took a break for the summer . |
Back in the studio again in early August , the group had changed plans for the rest of the year : they settled for a Christmas release of a double album compilation of all their past single releases to be named " The Singles : The First Ten Years " . New songwriting and recording sessions took place , and during October and December , they released the singles " The Day Before You Came " / " Cassandra ( ABBA song ) | Cassandra " and " Under Attack " / " You Owe Me One , " the A-sides of which were included on the compilation album . Neither single made the Top 20 in the United Kingdom , though " The Day Before You Came " became a Top 5 hit in many European countries such as Germany , the Netherlands and Belgium . The album went to number one in the UK and Belgium , Top 5 in the Netherlands and Germany and Top 20 in many other countries . " Under Attack , " the group 's final release before disbanding , was a Top 5 hit in the Netherlands and Belgium . |
The group travelled to London to promote " The Singles : The First Ten Years " in the first week of November 1982 , appearing on " Saturday Superstore " and " The Late , Late Breakfast Show " , and also to West Germany in the second week , to perform on Show Express . On 19 November 1982 , ABBA appeared for the last time in Sweden on the TV programme Nöjesmaskinen , and on 11 December 1982 , they made their last performance ever , transmitted to the UK on Noel Edmonds ' " The Late , Late Breakfast Show " , through a live link from a TV studio in Stockholm . |
Andersson and Ulvaeus began collaborating with Tim Rice in early 1983 on writing songs for the musical project " Chess ( musical ) | Chess " , while Fältskog and Lyngstad both concentrated on international solo careers . While Andersson and Ulvaeus were working on the musical , a further co-operation among the three of them came with the musical " Abbacadabra " that was produced in France for television . It was a children 's musical utilising 14 ABBA songs . Alain Boublil | Alain and Daniel Boublil , who wrote " Les Misérables ( musical ) | Les Misérables " , had been in touch with Stig Anderson about the project , and the TV musical was aired over Christmas on French TV and later a Dutch version was also broadcast . Boublil previously also wrote the French lyric for Mireille Mathieu 's version of " The Winner Takes It All . " |
Lyngstad , who had recently moved to Paris , participated in the French version , and recorded a single , " Belle , " a duet with French singer Daniel Balavoine . The song was a cover of ABBA 's 1976 instrumental track " Arrival ( song ) | Arrival . " As the single " Belle " sold well in France , Cameron Mackintosh wanted to stage an English-language version of the show in London , with the French lyrics translated by David Wood ( actor ) | David Wood and Don Black ( lyricist ) | Don Black ; Andersson and Ulvaeus got involved in the project , and contributed with one new song , " I Am the Seeker . " " Abbacadabra " premiered on 8 December 1983 at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London , to mixed reviews and full houses for eight weeks , closing on 21 January 1984 . Lyngstad was also involved in this production , recording " Belle " in English as " Time , " a duet with actor and singer B. A. Robertson : the single sold well , and was produced and recorded by Mike Batt . In May 1984 , Lyngstad performed " I Have a Dream " with a children 's choir at the United Nations Organisation Gala , in Geneva , Switzerland . |
All four members made their ( at the time , final ) public appearance as four friends more than as ABBA in January 1986 , when they recorded a video of themselves performing an acoustic version of " Tivedshambo " ( which was the first song written by their manager Stig Anderson ) , for a Swedish TV show honouring Anderson on his 55th birthday . The four had not seen each other for more than two years . That same year they also performed privately at another friend 's 40th birthday : their old tour manager , Claes af Geijerstam . They sang a self-written song titled " Der Kleine Franz " that was later to resurface in " Chess " . Also in 1986 , " ABBA Live " was released , featuring selections of live performances from the group 's 1977 and 1979 tours . The four members were guests at the 50th birthday of Görel Hanser in 1999 . Hanser was a long-time friend of all four , and also former secretary of Stig Anderson . Honouring Görel , ABBA performed a Swedish birthday song " Med En Enkel Tulipan " a cappella .. raffem.com - ABBA 's last known appearance ( 1999 ) |
Andersson has on several occasions performed ABBA songs . In June 1992 , he and Ulvaeus appeared with U2 at a Stockholm concert , singing the chorus of " Dancing Queen , " and a few years later during the final performance of the B & amp ; B in Concert in Stockholm , Andersson joined the cast for an encore at the piano . Andersson frequently adds an ABBA song to the playlist when he performs with his Benny Anderssons Orkester | BAO band . He also played the piano during new recordings of the ABBA songs " Like an Angel Passing Through My Room " with opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter , and " When All Is Said and Done " with Swede Viktoria Tolstoy . In 2002 , Andersson and Ulvaeus both performed an a cappella rendition of the first verse of " Fernando " as they accepted their Ivor Novello award in London . Lyngstad performed and recorded an a cappella version of " Dancing Queen " with the Swedish group the Real Group in 1993 , and also re-recorded " I Have a Dream " with Swiss singer Dan Daniell in 2003 . |
ABBA never officially announced the end of the group or an indefinite break , but it was long considered dissolved after their final public performance together in 1982 . Their final public performance together as ABBA before their 2016 reunion was on the British TV programme " The Late , Late Breakfast Show " ( live from Stockholm ) on 11 December 1982 . While reminiscing on " The Day Before You Came , " Ulvaeus said : " we might have continued for a while longer if that had been a number one . " In January 1983 , Fältskog started recording sessions for a solo album , as Lyngstad had successfully released her album " Something 's Going On " some months earlier . Ulvaeus and Andersson , meanwhile , started songwriting sessions for the musical " Chess " . In interviews at the time , Björn and Benny denied the split of ABBA ( " Who are we without our ladies ? Initials of Brigitte Bardot ? " ) , and Lyngstad and Fältskog kept claiming in interviews that ABBA would come together for a new album repeatedly during 1983 and 1984 . Internal strife between the group and their manager escalated and the band members sold their shares in Polar Music during 1983 . Except for a TV appearance in 1986 , the foursome did not come together publicly again until they were reunited at the Swedish premiere of the " Mamma Mia ! ( film ) | Mamma Mia ! " movie on 4 July 2008 . The individual members ' endeavours shortly before and after their final public performance coupled with the collapse of both marriages and the lack of significant activity in the following few years after that widely suggested that the group had broken up . |
In an interview with the " Sunday Telegraph " , following the premiere , Ulvaeus and Andersson said that there was nothing that could entice them back on stage again . Ulvaeus said : " We will never appear on stage again . [ ... ] There is simply no motivation to re-group . Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were . Young , exuberant , full of energy and ambition . I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff . I think that hit the nail on the head . " |
However , on 3 January 2011 , Fältskog , long considered to be the most reclusive member of the group and a major obstacle to any reunion , raised the possibility of reuniting for a one-off engagement . She admitted that she has not yet brought the idea up to the other three members . In April 2013 , she reiterated her hopes for reunion during an interview with " Die Zeit " , stating : " If they ask me , I 'll say yes . " |
In a May 2013 interview , Fältskog , aged 63 at the time , stated that an ABBA reunion would never occur : " I think we have to accept that it will not happen , because we are too old and each one of us has their own life . Too many years have gone by since we stopped , and there 's really no meaning in putting us together again . " Fältskog further explained that the band members remained on amicable terms : " It 's always nice to see each other now and then and to talk a little and to be a little nostalgic . " |
The same year the members of ABBA went their separate ways , the French production of a " tribute " show ( a children 's TV musical named " Abbacadabra " using 14 ABBA songs ) spawned new interest in the group 's music . |
After receiving little attention during the mid-to-late-1980s , ABBA 's music experienced a resurgence in the early 1990s due to the UK synth-pop duo Erasure , who released " Abba-esque " , a four track extended play release featuring cover versions of ABBA songs which topped several European charts in 1992 . As U2 arrived in Stockholm for a concert in June of that year , the band paid homage to ABBA by inviting Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson to join them on stage for a rendition of " Dancing Queen , " playing guitar and keyboards . September 1992 saw the release of " Gold : Greatest Hits ( ABBA album ) | ABBA Gold : Greatest Hits " , a new compilation album . The single " Dancing Queen " received radio airplay in the UK in the middle of 1992 to promote the album . The song returned to the Top 20 of the UK singles chart in August that year , this time peaking at number 16 . With sales of 30 million , The enormous interest in the " ABBA Gold : Greatest Hits " compilation saw the release of " More ABBA Gold : More ABBA Hits " in 1993 . |
In 1994 , two Australian cult film s caught the attention of the world 's media , both focusing on admiration for ABBA : " The Adventures of Priscilla , Queen of the Desert " and " Muriel 's Wedding " . The same year , " Thank You for the Music ( album ) | Thank You for the Music " , a four-disc box set comprising all the group 's hits and stand-out album tracks , was released with the involvement of all four members . " By the end of the twentieth century , " American critic Chuck Klosterman wrote a decade later , " it was far more contrarian to hate ABBA than to love them . " |
ABBA were soon recognised and embraced by other acts : Evan Dando of the Lemonheads recorded a cover version of " Knowing Me , Knowing You " ; Sinéad O 'Connor and Boyzone 's Stephen Gately have recorded " Chiquitita " ; Tanita Tikaram , Blancmange ( band ) | Blancmange and Steven Wilson paid tribute to " The Day Before You Came . " Cliff Richard covered " Lay All Your Love on Me , " while Dionne Warwick , Peter Cetera , and Celebrity Skin ( band ) | Celebrity Skin recorded their versions of " SOS ( ABBA song ) | SOS . " US alternative-rock musician Marshall Crenshaw has also been known to play a version of " Knowing Me , Knowing You " in concert appearances , while legendary English Latin pop songwriter Richard Daniel Roman has recognised ABBA as a major influence . Swedish metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen covered " Gimme ! Gimme ! Gimme ! ( A Man After Midnight ) " with slightly altered lyrics . |
Two different compilation albums of ABBA songs have been released . " ABBA : A Tribute " coincided with the 25th anniversary celebration and featured 17 songs , some of which were recorded especially for this release . Notable tracks include Go West 's " One of Us , " Army of Lovers " Hasta Mañana , " Information Society 's " Lay All Your Love on Me , " Erasure 's " Take a Chance on Me " ( with MC Kinky ) , and Lyngstad 's a cappella duet with the Real Group of " Dancing Queen . " A second 12-track album was released in 1999 , entitled " ABBAmania " , with proceeds going to the Youth Music charity in England . It featured all new cover versions : notable tracks were by Madness ( " Money , Money , Money " ) , Culture Club ( " Voulez-Vous " ) , the Corrs ( " The Winner Takes It All " ) , Steps ( " Lay All Your Love on Me , " " I Know Him So Well " ) , and a medley entitled " Thank ABBA for the Music " performed by several artists and as featured on the Brits Awards that same year . |
In 1997 , an ABBA tribute group was formed , the ABBA Teens , which was subsequently renamed the A-Teens to allow the group some independence . The group 's first album , " The ABBA Generation , " consisting solely of ABBA covers reimagined as 1990s pop songs , was a worldwide success and so were subsequent albums . The group disbanded in 2004 due to a gruelling schedule and intentions to go solo . In Sweden , the growing recognition of the legacy of Andersson and Ulvaeus resulted in the 1998 " B & amp ; B Concerts " , a tribute concert ( with Swedish singers who had worked with the songwriters through the years ) showcasing not only their ABBA years , but hits both before and after ABBA . The concert was a success , and was ultimately released on CD . It later toured Scandinavia and even went to Beijing in the People 's Republic of China for two concerts . In 2000 , ABBA was reported to have turned down an offer of approximately one billion US dollars to do a reunion tour consisting of 100 concerts . |
For the 2004 semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest , staged in Istanbul 30 years after ABBA had won the contest in Brighton , all four members made cameo appearances in a special comedy video made for the interval act , entitled " Our Last Video Ever . " Other well-known stars such as Rik Mayall , Cher and Iron Maiden ' s Eddie ( mascot ) | Eddie also made appearances in the video . It was not included in the official DVD release of the Eurovision Contest , but was issued as a separate DVD release , retitled " The Last Video " at the request of the former ABBA members . The video was made using puppet models of the members of the band . The video has surpassed 8 million views on YouTube as of November 2019 . |
In 2005 , all four members of ABBA appeared at the Stockholm premiere of the musical " Mamma Mia ! " . |
The compilation album " ABBA Gold : Greatest Hits " , originally released in 1992 , returned to number-one in the UK album charts for the fifth time on 3 August 2008 . On 14 August 2008 , the " Mamma Mia ! ( film ) | Mamma Mia ! The Movie " film soundtrack went to number-one on the US " Billboard " charts , ABBA 's first US chart-topping album . During the band 's heyday the highest album chart position they had ever achieved in America was number 14 . In November 2008 , all eight studio albums , together with a ninth of rare tracks , was released as " The Albums " .Thomas , Stephen . ( 11-24-2008 ) . AllMusic . Retrieved 30 April 2012 . It hit several charts , peaking at number-four in Sweden and reaching the Top 10 in several other European territories . |
In 2008 , Sony Computer Entertainment Europe , in collaboration with Universal Music Group Sweden AB , released " List of SingStar titles | SingStar ABBA " on both the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 games consoles , as part of the SingStar music video games . The PS2 version features 20 ABBA songs , while 25 songs feature on the PS3 version . |
On 22 January 2009 , Fältskog and Lyngstad appeared together on stage to receive the Swedish music award " " Rockbjörnen " " ( for " lifetime achievement " ) . In an interview , the two women expressed their gratitude for the honorary award and thanked their fans . On 25 November 2009 , PRS for Music announced that the British public voted ABBA as the band they would most like to see re-form . |
A book entitled " ABBA : The Official Photo Book " was published in early 2014 to mark the 40th anniversary of the band 's Eurovision victory . The book reveals that part of the reason for the band 's outrageous costumes was that Swedish tax laws at the time allowed the cost of wikt : garish | garish outfits that were not suitable for daily wear to be tax deductible . |
A sequel to the 2008 movie " Mamma Mia ! " , titled " Mamma Mia ! Here We Go Again " , was announced in May 2017 ; the film was released on 20 July 2018 . Cher , who appeared in the movie , also released " Dancing Queen ( Cher album ) | Dancing Queen " , an album full of ABBA covers , in September 2018 . |
In June 2017 , a blue plaque outside Brighton Dome was set to commemorate their 1974 Eurovision win . |
On 20 January 2016 , all four members of ABBA made a public appearance at " Mamma Mia ! The Party " in Stockholm . , ABBA have finally reunited in Sweden , for the opening of a Mamma Mia-themed restaurant , 2016-01-21 , Cameron Adams , News Corp Australia Network before they were joined on stage by Andersson and Ulvaeus . |
British manager Simon Fuller announced in a statement in October 2016 that the group would be reuniting to work on a new ' digital entertainment experience ' . |
In September 2018 , Ulvaeus revealed that the two new songs , " I Still Have Faith in You " and " Don 't Shut Me Down , " as well as the aforementioned TV special now called " ABBA : Thank You for the Music , An All-Star Tribute " , would be released no earlier than March 2019 . |
In June 2019 , Ulvaeus announced that the first new song and video containing the Abbatars would be released in November 2019 . In September , he stated in an interview that there were now five new ABBA songs to be released in 2020 . |
In October 1984 , Ulvaeus and Andersson together with lyricist Tim Rice released the musical concept double-album " Chess ( musical ) | Chess " . The singles " One Night in Bangkok " ( with vocals by Murray Head and Anders Glenmark ) and " I Know Him So Well " ( a duet by Barbara Dickson and Elaine Paige , and later also recorded by Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston ) were both hugely successful . The former reached number-one in Australia , Germany , Spain and Switzerland ; number-two in Austria , France and New Zealand , and number-three in Canada , Norway , Sweden and the US . In May 1986 , the musical premiered in London 's West End , and ran for almost three years . " Chess " also opened on Broadway theatre | Broadway in April 1988 , but closed within two months due to bad reviews . In Stockholm , the composers staged " Chess på svenska " ( " Chess in Swedish " ) in 2003 , with some new material , including the musical numbers " " Han är en man , han är ett barn " " ( " He 's a Man , He 's a Child " ) and " " Glöm mig om du kan " " ( " Forget Me If You Can " ) . In 2008 , the musical was again revived for a successful staging at London 's Royal Albert Hall which was subsequently released on DVD , and then in two successful separate touring productions in the United States and United Kingdom , in 2010 . |
Andersson and Ulvaeus ' next project , " Kristina från Duvemåla " , an epic Swedish musical , premiered in Malmö , in southern Sweden in October 1995 . The musical ran for five years in Stockholm , and an English version has been in development for some considerable time . It has been reported that a Broadway production is in its earliest stages of pre-production . In the meantime , following some earlier workshops , a full presentation of the English translation of the musical in concert , now with the shortened name of " " Kristina " " , took place to capacity crowds in September 2009 at New York 's Carnegie Hall , and in April 2010 at London 's Royal Albert Hall , followed by a CD release of the New York recordings . |
Since 1983 , besides " Chess " and " Kristina från Duvemåla " , Andersson has continued writing songs with Ulvaeus . The pair produced two English-language pop albums with Swedish duo Gemini ( Swedish band ) | Gemini in 1985 and 1987 . In 1987 , Andersson also released his first solo album on his own label , Mono Music , called " " Klinga mina klockor " " ( " Ring My Bells " ) , containing material inspired by Swedish folk music - and followed it with a second album titled " November 1989 ( album ) | November 1989 " . |
During the 1990s , Andersson wrote music for the popular Swedish cabaret quartet Ainbusk | Ainbusk Singers , giving them two hits : " Lassie " and " " Älska mig " " ( " Love me " ) , and later produced " Shapes ( album ) | Shapes " , an English-language album by group 's Josefin Nilsson with all-new material by Andersson and Ulvaeus . Andersson has also regularly written music for films ( most notably to Roy Andersson ' s " Songs from the Second Floor " ) . In 2001 , Andersson formed his own band , Benny Anderssons Orkester ( BAO ) , which released three successful albums in 2001 , 2004 and 2007 . Andersson has the distinction of remaining the longest in the Swedish Radio Svensktoppen charts ; the song " " Du är min man " " ( " You Are My Man " ) , sung by Helen Sjöholm , spent 278 weeks there between 2004 and 2009 . Andersson released his third album BAO 3 in October 2007 , of new material with his band BAO and vocalists Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg , as well as playing to full houses at two of Sweden 's largest concert venues in October and November 2007 , with an audience of 14,000 . |
Andersson and Ulvaeus have been highly involved in the worldwide productions of the musical " Mamma Mia ! " , alongside Lyngstad who attends premieres . They were also involved in the production of the successful film version of the musical , which opened in July 2008 . Andersson produced the soundtrack utilising many of the musicians ABBA used on their albums and tours . Andersson made a cameo appearance in the movie as a " fisherman " piano player in the " Dancing Queen " scene , while Ulvaeus is seen as a Greek god playing a lyre during the closing credits . |
Andersson and Ulvaeus have continuously been writing new material ; most recently they wrote seven songs for Andersson 's 2011 BAO album " O Klang Och Jubeltid " , performed as usual by vocalists Sjöholm , Körberg and Moreus . In July 2009 , BAO ( now renamed the Benny Andersson Band ) released their first international album , " The Story of a Heart " . The album was a compilation of 14 tracks from Andersson 's five Swedish-language releases between 1987 and 2007 , including five songs now recorded with lyrics by Ulvaeus in English ; the new title song premiered on BBC2 's " Ken Bruce Show " . A Swedish-language version of the title track , " " Sommaren Du Fick " " ( " The Summer You Got " ) , was released as a single in Sweden prior to the English version , with vocals by Helen Sjöholm . In May 2009 , Andersson released a single recorded by the staff at his privately owned Stockholm hotel " Hotel Rival " , titled " 2nd Best to None , " accompanied by a video showing the staff at work . |
In 2008 , Andersson and Ulvaeus wrote a song for Swedish singer Sissela Kyle , titled " " Jag vill bli gammal " " ( " I Wanna Grow Old " ) , for her Stockholm stage show " " Your Days Are Numbered " " , which was never recorded and released , but was performed on television . Ulvaeus also contributed lyrics to ABBA 's 1976 instrumental track " Arrival " for Sarah Brightman ' s cover version recorded for her 2008 album " Winter Symphony " . New English lyrics have also been written for Andersson 's 1999 song " " Innan Gryningen " " ( then also named " Millennium Hymn " ) , with the new title " The Silence of the Dawn " for Barbara Dickson ( performed live , but not yet recorded and released ) . In 2007 , they wrote the song " " Han som har vunnit allt " " ( " He Who 's Won It All " ) for actor / singer Anders Ekborg . |
Ulvaeus also wrote English lyrics for two older songs from Andersson 's solo albums : " After the Rain " ( " Efter regnet , " 1987 ) for opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter , for her Andersson tribute album " I Let the Music Speak " , and " I Walk with You Mama " ( " Stockholm by Night , " 1989 ) . Barbara Dickson recorded ( but not yet released ) a Björn & amp ; Benny song entitled " The Day The Wall Came Tumbling Down " ; the track was eventually released by Australian " Mamma Mia ! " musical star Anne Wood on her album of ABBA covers , " Divine Discontent " . , Ulvaeus has mentioned writing new material with Andersson for a BAO Christmas release ( also mentioned as a BAO ' box ' ) . Andersson ( together with Kristina Lugn and Lars Rudolfsson ) composed music for a Swedish language obscure musical , " Hjälp Sökes " ( " Help Wanted " ) , which premiered in February 2013 . Andersson has also written music for a documentary film about Olof Palme , re-recording the track " Sorgmarsch " ( " Dirge " ) . |
Both female members of ABBA pursued solo careers on the international scene after their work with the group . In 1982 , Lyngstad chose Genesis ( band ) | Genesis drummer and vocalist Phil Collins to produce the album " Something 's Going On " and unveiled the hit single and video " I Know There 's Something Going On " in August of that year . The single became a number-one hit in Belgium and Switzerland and was a Top 10 hit in Australia , Austria , Finland , France , Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Norway , Poland , South Africa and Sweden . The track also proved successful in the US , peaking at No. 13 ( and spending almost four months on the " Billboard " Hot 100 ) . Sveriges Television documented this historical event , by filming the whole recording process . The result became a one-hour TV documentary , including interviews with Lyngstad , Collins , Ulvaeus and Andersson as well as all the musicians . This documentary and the promotion videos from the album are included in " Frida - The DVD " . |
Lyngstad 's second international solo album , " Shine ( Frida album ) | Shine " ( produced by Steve Lillywhite ) , was recorded in Paris and released in 1984 . This would be Lyngstad 's final studio album release for twelve years . It featured " Slowly , " the last known Andersson-Ulvaeus composition to have been recorded by one of the former female ABBA vocalists to date . The promotional videos and clips for " Shine " are included in " Frida - The DVD " . |
In 1992 , Lyngstad was chosen to be the chairperson for the environmental organisation " " Artister för miljön " " ( " Artists for the Environment " ) in Sweden . She was chairperson for this organisation until 1995 . To mark her interests for the environment , she recorded the Julian Lennon song " Saltwater " and performed it live in Stockholm . She arranged and financed summer camps for poor children in Sweden , focusing on environmental and ecological issues . Her environmental work for the organisation led to the decision to record again . The album " Djupa andetag " ( " Deep Breaths " ) was released in 1996 and became a number-one success in Sweden . The lyrics for the single , " Även en blomma " ( " Even a Flower " ) , deal with environmental issues . |
In 2004 , Lyngstad recorded a song entitled " The Sun Will Shine Again , " written especially for her and released with former Deep Purple member Jon Lord . The couple made several TV performances with the song in Germany . |
On 5 December 2005 , -hour documentary " Frida - The DVD " . On this DVD , which covers her entire singing career , the viewer is guided by Lyngstad herself through the years from her TV debut in Sweden in 1967 to the TV performances she made in Germany in 2004 . Many rare clips are included in the set and each performance is explained by Lyngstad herself . The interview with Lyngstad was filmed in the Swiss Alps in mid-2005 . |
Lyngstad returned to the recording studio in 2010 to record vocals for the Cat Stevens song " Morning Has Broken , " for Swedish guitarist Georg Wadenius ' s album " Reconnection " . The album , which featured other guest vocalists , reached number 17 in Sweden.2017 |
In 1980 , Fältskog and her then 7-year-old daughter Linda Ulvaeus | Linda recorded " Nu tändas tusen juleljus " , a Swedish Christmas album . Released in 1981 , it was Fältskog 's first Swedish-language recording for the Polar Music label after she left CBS-Cupol . It peaked at No. 6 on the Swedish album chart in January 1982 , and has since been re-released on CD by Polar Music / PolyGram / Universal Music . The album title is derived from one of Scandinavia 's best-known Christmas carols , " Nu tändas tusen juleljus " ( " Now a thousand Christmas candles are lit " ) . |
In 1983 , Fältskog released the solo album " Wrap Your Arms Around Me " , which achieved platinum sales in Sweden . This included the single " The Heat Is On ( Agnetha song ) | The Heat Is On , " which was a hit in Europe and Scandinavia . It reached number-one in Sweden and Norway and peaked at number-two in the Netherlands and Belgium . In the United States , Fältskog earned a " Billboard " Top 30 hit with " Can 't Shake Loose . " The title track of the album was another successful hit , topping the charts in Belgium and Denmark , reaching the Top 5 in the Netherlands , South Africa and Sweden , and the Top 20 in Germany and France . The album sold 1.2 million copies worldwide . The album was produced Mike Chapman , also known for his work with The Sweet , Mud ( band ) | Mud , Suzi Quatro , Blondie ( band ) | Blondie , Pat Benatar and The Knack . |
Fältskog 's second English-language solo album , " Eyes of a Woman " ( produced by Eric Stewart of 10cc ) , was released in March 1985 . It peaked at number two in Sweden ( becoming a platinum seller ) . The first single from the album was her self-penned " I Won 't Let You Go . " Her duet with Ola Håkansson , " The Way You Are , " was a number-one hit in Sweden in 1986 and was awarded double platinum status . |
In early 1987 , Fältskog recorded a Swedish-language album , " Kom följ med i vår karusell " ( " Come Join Us on Our Carousel " ) with her son Christian and a children 's choir . The single " På Söndag " ( " On Sunday " ) received significant airplay on Swedish radio and even made the Swedish Top 10 , unique for a song made for kids to enjoy . |
Also in 1987 , Fältskog released her third English-language solo album , the Peter Cetera -produced " I Stand Alone ( Agnetha Fältskog album ) | I Stand Alone " , which also included the " Billboard " Adult Contemporary duet with Cetera , " I Wasn 't the One ( Who Said Goodbye ) , " as well as the European charting singles " The Last Time " and " Let It Shine . " The album was extremely successful in Sweden , where it spent eight weeks at number-one and was awarded double-platinum status . Shortly after some minor European promotion for the album in early 1988 , Fältskog withdrew from public life and halted her music career . In 1996 , she released her autobiography , " As I Am " , and a compilation album featuring her solo hits alongside some ABBA classics . |
In 2004 , Fältskog made a successful comeback , with the release of the critically acclaimed album " My Colouring Book " , containing covers of songs that had the most impact on her teenage years in the 1960s . It debuted at number-one in Sweden ( achieving triple-platinum status ) , and was a Top 10 hit in Denmark , Finland and Germany . It also became Fältskog 's second solo album to reach the UK Top 20 , peaking at number 12 . The single " If I Thought You 'd Ever Change Your Mind " ( a cover of the song recorded by Cilla Black ) became Fältskog 's biggest solo hit in the UK , reaching number 11 , while peaking at number-two in her native Sweden . A second single , " When You Walk in the Room , " was released but met with less success . In January 2007 , Fältskog sang a live duet on stage with Swedish singer Tommy Körberg at the after party for the final performance of the musical , " Mamma Mia ! " , in Stockholm , at which Andersson and Ulvaeus were also present . |
In May 2013 , Fältskog released a solo album entitled " A ( Agnetha Fältskog album ) | A " through Universal Music Group | Universal International . In a promotional interview , Fältskog explained that the album was unplanned and it was after she heard the first three songs that she felt that she " had to do this [ record the album ] . " She also revealed that she completed singing lessons prior to recording the album , as she felt her throat was " a bit rusty . " Fältskog stated that she would not be undertaking any tours or live performances in support of the album , explaining : " I 'm not that young anymore . I don 't have the energy to do that , and also I don 't want to travel too much . " The title of the album was conceived of by the studio production team . " A " proved successful upon release , reaching the Top 10 in many European countries , including Germany , Sweden and the UK ( where it peaked at number-six and is Fältskog 's highest-charting solo album to date ) , as well as Australia . |
In 2018 , Lyngstad and multi-Grammy winning Jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval released a reworking of the ABBA song " Andante , Andante " as a single , which is also featured on Sandoval 's album " Ultimate Duets " . |
ABBA were perfectionists in the studio , working on tracks until they got them right rather than leaving them to come back to later on . |
The band created a basic rhythm track with a drummer , guitarist and bass player , and overlaid other arrangements and instruments . Vocals were then added , and orchestra overdubbing | overdubs were usually left until last . |
Fältskog and Lyngstad contributed ideas at the studio stage . Andersson and Ulvaeus played them the backing tracks and they made comments and suggestions . According to Fältskog , she and Lyngstad had the final say in how the lyrics were shaped . |
Their single " S.O.S. " was " heavily influenced by Phil Spector 's Wall of Sound and the melodies of the Beach Boys , " according to " Billboard " writer Fred Bronson , who also reported that Ulvaeus had said , " Because there was the Latin-American influence , the German , the Italian , the English , the American , all of that . I suppose we were a bit exotic in every territory in an acceptable way . " |
ABBA was widely noted for the colourful and trend-setting costumes its members wore . Choreography by Graham Tainton also contributed to their performance style . |
The videos that accompanied some of the band 's biggest hits are often cited as being among the earliest examples of the genre . Most of ABBA 's videos ( and " ABBA : The Movie " ) were directed by Lasse Hallström , who would later direct the films " My Life as a Dog " , " The Cider House Rules ( film ) | The Cider House Rules " and " Chocolat ( 2000 film ) | Chocolat " . " ABBA : Bang a Boomerang " . Australian Broadcasting Corporation , January 2013 ( documentary , 57 mins ) , see 6 : 00-12 : 00 min ( ) |
ABBA made videos because their songs were hits in many different countries and personal appearances were not always possible . This was also done in an effort to minimise travelling , particularly to countries that would have required extremely long flights . Fältskog and Ulvaeus had two young children and Fältskog , who was also Fear of flying | afraid of flying , was very reluctant to leave her children for such a long time . ABBA 's manager , Stig Anderson , realised the potential of showing a simple video clip on television to publicise a single or album , thereby allowing easier and quicker exposure than a concert tour . Some of these videos have become classics because of the 1970s-era costumes and early video effects , such as the grouping of the band members in different combinations of pairs , overlapping one singer 's profile with the other 's full face , and the contrasting of one member against another . |
In 1976 , ABBA participated in an advertising campaign to promote the Panasonic | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co . ' s brand , National , in Australia . The campaign was also broadcast in Japan . Five commercial spots , each of approximately one minute , were produced , each presenting the " National Song " performed by ABBA using the melody and instrumental arrangements of " Fernando " and revised lyrics . |
In September 2010 , band members Andersson and Ulvaeus criticised the right-wing Danish People 's Party ( DF ) for using the ABBA song " Mamma Mia " ( with modified lyrics ) at rallies . The band threatened to file a lawsuit against the DF , saying they never allowed their music to be used politically and that they had absolutely no interest in supporting the party . Their record label Universal Music later said that no legal action would be taken because an agreement had been reached . |
During their active career , from 1972 to 1982 , ABBA placed 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 | " Billboard " Hot 100 , 14 of which made the Top 40 ( 13 on the Cashbox Top 100 ) , with 10 making the Top 20 on both charts . A total of four of those singles reached the Top 10 , including " Dancing Queen " which reached number-one in April 1977 . While " Fernando " and " SOS " did not break the Top 10 on the " Billboard " Hot 100 ( reaching number 13 and 15 respectively ) , they did reach the Top 10 on Cashbox ( " Fernando " ) and Record World ( " SOS " ) charts . Both " Dancing Queen " and " Take a Chance on Me " were certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies each .. RIAA . Retrieved 19 April 2014 . |
The group also had 12 Top 20 singles on the " Billboard " Adult Contemporary chart with two of them , " Fernando " and " The Winner Takes It All , " reaching number-one . " Lay All Your Love on Me " was ABBA 's fourth number-one single on a " Billboard " chart , topping the Hot Dance Club Play chart . |
Nine ABBA albums made their way into the top half of the Billboard 200 | " Billboard " 200 album chart , with seven reaching the Top 50 and four reaching the Top 20 . " ABBA : The Album " was the highest-charting album of the group 's career , peaking at No. 14 . Five albums received RIAA gold certification ( more than 500,000 copies sold ) , while three acquired platinum status ( selling more than one million copies ) . |
The compilation album " ABBA Gold : Greatest Hits " topped the " Billboard " Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in August 2008 ( 15 years after it was first released in the US in 1993 ) , becoming the group 's first number-one album ever on any of the " Billboard " album charts . It has sold 6 million copies there.Abba Fan Club Magazine , Helga van de Kar , " Abba 's Gold Medal , " September 2012 , p . 3 . |
On 15 March 2010 , ABBA were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bee Gees members Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb . The ceremony was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City . The group was represented by Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson . |
The members of ABBA were married as follows : Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus from 1971 to 1980 : Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad from 1978 to 1981 . |
Studio albums |