Latest Release
- APR 5, 2024
- 4 Songs
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1976
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1979
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1977
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1981
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1980
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1974
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1976
- Voulez-Vous (Bonus Track Version) · 1979
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1975
- ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits · 1977
Essential Albums
- ABBA concluded their album-making career on a high (if bittersweet) note with The Visitors (1981). Marital discord and career pressures sealed the foursome’s fate — but rather than let their legacy peter out, ABBA offered something fresh and inventive. The Visitors bears the influence of technopop groups like Ultravox and the Buggles; its sleek sound conceals moody asides and quirky left turns. Themes of disillusionment replace the foursome’s typically upbeat sentiments — the title track throbs with paranoia, while “Like An Angel Passing Through My Room” stirs the ashes of dying love. Songs like “When All Is Said And Done” and “One Of Us” become vehicles for singers Frida and Agnetha to work out their post-romantic angst. The regrets underlying the songs are clearly evident, yet there’s a vigor to these tracks that mitigates the sorrow. The 2001 remastered version of the album includes the band’s final singles — “The Day Before You Came” (a narrative with Kurt Weill-esque musical overtones) and “Under Attack” (a nervously New Wavish tune). Also found here is “Should I Laugh Or Cry,” a non-album B-side with a simmering Euro-funk tempo. These tracks further enrich The Visitors, one of ABBA’s very best releases overall.
- There’s an undertone of sadness to ABBA’s 1980 album Super Trouper, hinting that all wasn't well with the Swedish quartet. After six years of international popularity, a bit of the shine may have worn off the group’s chart-topping success. But if the album’s lyrics reveal evidence of career fatigue and personal heartache, the rich melodies and unstoppable rhythms found here are as ear-catching as ever. From the exuberant bounce of the title track to the silken disco groove of “Me and I” and the medieval marching beat of “The Piper,” these tracks sustain ABBA’s tradition of almost indecent catchiness. The more downbeat moments—particularly “The Winner Takes It All” and “Our Last Summer”—have a wistful quality that hints at the group's ultimate breakup two years later. “On and On and On” catches the foursome at their most playful, while “Lay All Your Love on Me” lets singers Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad turn up the heat for the album’s sexiest moment. The bubbly yet tormented “Elaine” shows a definite new wave influence. If ABBA were entering their final phase, Super Trouper showed they still could deliver the pure pop goods when it counted.
- After a string of international hits, ABBA had polished its trademark Eurodisco-cum-American pop sound to an almost blinding sheen. Voulez-Vous (1979) represents some of the last creative gleanings in this direction; subsequent releases by the Swedish foursome would betray more of a modern rock influence. If the formula is familiar here, it still delivers an exhilarating rush on tracks like “Angeleyes,” “Does Your Mother Know?” and “Kisses Of Fire.” A few unexpected twists are thrown in, like the sitar-like synths on “I Have A Dream” and the classical embellishments in “As Good As New.” Along with the breathlessly upbeat tunes are two standout midtempo numbers, the Spanish-flavored “Chiquitita” and the lightly-funky “If It Wasn’t For The Nights.” Agnetha and Frida achieve their typically delectable vocal blend, while Bjorn and Benny reaffirm their stature as pop master-craftsmen. Voulez-Vous has a certain over-ripeness to it, a sense that fresher ideas would be needed for the next project. But for those with an appetite for ABBA’s irresistible hooks and scintillating harmonies, this album is more than satisfying.
- The release of The Album in 1978 signaled a new level of ambition in ABBA’s music. The giddy energy and sheer tunefulness that had always typified the Swedish foursome’s work is still present; what’s new is a more sophisticated use of musical influences and greater lyrical depth. The Album beefs up ABBA’s rock quotient with plenty of incisive lead guitar by Lasse Wellander and a tougher rhythm sound overall. The pop elements take on a heightened luster, with Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad merging voices sublimely on “Take a Chance on Me” and “The Name of the Game.” Chief composers Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus expand their sonic palette with touches of prog rock and European theater elements, heard in the stirring sweep of “Eagle” and the cabaret-like moodiness of “I’m a Marionette.” The latter song is likewise noticeable for its jaundiced view of show business; clearly, ABBA were stepping away from exclusively upbeat content at this point in their career. Elegantly emotive ballads like “Thank You for the Music” and “I Wonder (Departure)” further enrich this consistently impressive song collection.
- If there’s a single definitive ABBA album, it may well be 1977's Arrival: a brilliant synthesis of everything the Swedish foursome did well. The group’s fourth album is at once ambitious and immediately ear-catching, filled with irresistible pop hooks and stirring rhythms. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus exceed their typically high melodic standards here, whether they’re whipping up frothy Europop (“When I Kissed the Teacher,” “Dum Dum Diddle”), veering into Teutonic cabaret sounds (“Money, Money, Money”) or introducing a Celtic folk element (the title tune). Agnetha Faltskog and Frida Lyngstad’s twin lead vocals have plenty of room to shine, especially on richly sculpted ballads like “My Love, My Life” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” Most of all, Arrival is remembered for “Dancing Queen,” one of the great pop singles of the '70s, as well as ABBA’s only No. 1 hit in the States. Beyond its individual tracks, Arrival radiates a confidence and joyful spirit that transcends its near-flawless sense of craft. ABBA were sailing high when they made this album, and it shows. (The 2001 reissue adds the band’s Spanish-tinged international hit “Fernando” and the breezy B-side “Happy Hawaii.”)
Albums
Artist Playlists
- Glittery songs that established pop's gold standard.
- See all their best videos, including the brand-new “I Still Have Faith in You.”
- Glamour, grace, and a whole lotta fun for your next workout or yoga practice.
- Check out the set list from ABBA’s unprecedented virtual residency in London.
- The quartet's meticulously crafted pop echoes through the ages.
- Masters of the high-caliber—and winkingly off-kilter—pop song.
Live Albums
Compilations
Appears On
- Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Lily James
- Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Lily James
- Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Meryl Streep & Amanda Seyfried
More To Hear
- Political commentator Alastair Campbell talks ABBA with Björn.
- Shania and Björn discuss the writing of their biggest hits.
- Björn from ABBA tells the stories behind their biggest hits.
- Director Johan Renck and Björn discuss the ABBA Voyage concerts.
- More of Björn's conversation with the Mamma Mia! playwright.
- Björn is joined by the writer of Mamma Mia! the musical.
More To See
About ABBA
The world didn’t know how much it needed a Swedish Beatles until ABBA came along. With keyboardist Benny Andersson and guitarist Björn Ulvaeus as the songwriting geniuses and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog providing the vocal power, ABBA turned pure pop into high art, becoming one of the biggest groups on the planet. Before forming in Stockholm in 1972, Anni-Frid and Agnetha had been successful solo artists in Sweden, while Björn and Benny had been working as a duo; they became two married pairs as well as musical partners. The title track from their second album, 1974’s Waterloo, won the Eurovision song contest that year and became an international smash, introducing the world to ABBA’s seamless, epic production style (Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound taken to a celestial level), soaring melodies, and earworm hooks. ABBA owned the rest of the ’70s, scoring with blockbusters like the aching power ballad “Fernando,” the disco anthem “Dancing Queen,” and the sophisticated tapestry “Take a Chance on Me,” racking up multiplatinum sales, monopolizing pop radio worldwide, and becoming the mainstream pop stars it was cool for rockers (even Elvis Costello) to love. By the time of their final album, 1981’s The Visitors, both couples had broken up, and their formerly cheery tunes took a darker turn musically and lyrically. After 1982 they didn’t perform together again until a one-off at a party in 2016. Later, tantalizing announcements of new material in the works began. But as fans endured the wait, the theater and movie musical Mamma Mia! and the undying popularity of ABBA’s classics guaranteed them a continued place in pop culture.
- ORIGIN
- Stockholm, Sweden
- FORMED
- September 1972
- GENRE
- Pop