ABBA (music group)

ABBA is a Swedish pop group that came to prominence in the 1970s. The band found international acclaim with hits such as "Mama Mia," "Dancing Queen," and "Take a Chance on Me." While the band was only together for a little more than a decade, its influence and popularity continued into the twenty-first century with reissues of its albums, new compilation and live albums, a musical and film based on ABBA's hit songs, and a digital concert residency in London.

Background

The origins of the band ABBA date back to 1966. Benny Andersson, a keyboardist and vocalist, was working with the pop band the Hep Stars, and Björn Ulvaeus was serving as the guitarist and vocalist of the folk band the Hootenanny Singers. The two met and started writing songs together. They also produced music for Polar Music/Union Songs, which was owned by Stig Anderson, who also composed music. Anderson later became ABBA's manager.

By the end of the 1960s, Andersson and Ulvaeus had met the women who would become their bandmates and wives. Ulvaeus met vocalist Agnetha Faltskog around 1969. Faltskog was a solo performer who was known in Sweden for her number-one hit "I Was So in Love." Andersson met Norwegian jazz singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, known as Frida. She was also pursuing a solo career.

The four did not initially form a group, but they did collaborate on several recordings. In 1970, they came together as Festfolk but did not have much success. Faltskog also performed in theater. In 1971, the same year she and Ulvaeus married, she played Mary Magdalene in a Swedish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's production Jesus Christ Superstar. Her rendition of "Don't Know How to Love Him" became a hit song in the country.

Andersson and Ulvaeus recorded the song "People Need Love" with Faltskog and Lyngstad on backup vocals. The song became a hit in 1972, and the four formally established the band Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. The group decided to enter the 1973 Melodifestivalen song contest using "Ring, Ring." It came in third place. The song and subsequent album of the same name, which was the group's debut, became huge hits in Sweden and several other countries.

By 1974, the band decided to change its name to ABBA, an acronym of the members' first names. A canned fish company shared the same name, but it agreed to let the band use the name. ABBA entered the 1974 Melodifestivalen contest with the song "Waterloo." This time, ABBA took first place. The single became a huge international hit, even climbing US music charts. ABBA's second album, Waterloo, became a huge hit in Sweden, but the band struggled to achieve additional fame in its home country because its popularity at this time was tied to the song contest win.

The band's third album, ABBA, debuted in 1975 and produced the single "SOS," which became an international hit. The second single from the album, "Mamma Mia," propelled the band to success not only in Sweden but also in other countries, such as Australia.

Continued Career

The band saw continued success with its fourth album, Arrival (1976). It spawned the hits "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You." ABBA also released the compilation album Greatest Hits in 1976. It contained the single "Fernando," which brought the band more success.

In 1977, ABBA released its fifth studio album, ABBA: The Album, which generated the singles "Take a Chance on Me" and "The Name of the Game." The album was released at the same time as the documentary film ABBA: The Movie. While the band mostly saw European success up to this time, its singles "Waterloo," "Dancing Queen," and "Take a Chance on Me" became US hits. "Dancing Queen" topped the American music charts in 1977. The same year, ABBA embarked on its first international tour.

In 1978, Andersson and Lyngstad married. As their marriage was beginning, Ulvaeus and Faltskog's union was ending, and the latter couple announced their separation and eventual divorce. ABBA's music from its next album, Voulez-Vous (1979), focused on romantic suffering and incorporated a disco feel. Also in 1979, ABBA began a tour of Canada, the United States, and Europe and released its second compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 2.

ABBA began a tour in Japan in 1980 and released Super Trouper (1980). Soon, both couples had broken up, with Andersson and Lyngstad divorcing in 1981. The band members continued to work together and released The Visitors. The album became the band's last to feature new material. ABBA disbanded at the end of 1982.

Lyngstad and Faltskog pursued solo careers, while Andersson and Ulvaeus worked with Tim Rice on another project. None of the band members managed to achieve the fame they saw with ABBA. However, the band's music continued to be hugely popular with fans.

Several compilations and live albums were released in the years that followed. ABBA Gold was released in 1992, and More ABBA Gold debuted the following year. The box set Thank You for the Music came out in 1994.

ABBA's music continued to find its way into popular culture. The band U2 covered its song "Dancing Queen" during its 1993 Zoo TV tour, and several ABBA songs were featured in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding. In 1999, the musical Mamma Mia!, which was based on ABBA's music, opened in London. The show made its debut on Broadway in 2001 and opened in Sweden in 2005. All four of ABBA's former members attended the Swedish premiere. A film version of the same name was released in 2008. The members attended the opening of the movie in Stockholm, Sweden.

In the twenty-first century, ABBA's music continued to receive much attention even through the band had no plans for a reunion. In 2010, ABBA was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ABBA: The Museum, an interactive exhibit featuring ABBA, opened in Stockholm in 2013. In addition, the band's albums continued to be expanded and reissued along with several new compilations and live albums over the years. The live concert Live at Wembley Arena became the band's first concert to be released as an album in 2014.

In 2016, ABBA performed together for the first time in more than thirty years. The members reunited for a private event in Stockholm. The band also announced plans for a virtual tour project in 2019, but it was delayed. In September 2021, the band released the first two tracks from their first new studio album in about forty years, Voyage, which was released in November 2021. Voyage was a commercial success, reaching number two on both the US and Canadian charts, and also earned ABBA their first-ever Grammy nomination, with the single "I Still Have Faith in You" nominated for Record of the Year.

The band also recorded a novel virtual concert experience, also called Voyage. The virtual concert was shown nightly at the new ABBA Arena in London starting in May 2022, and accompanied by a ten-piece live band. The immersive Voyage experience featured "ABBAtars," digital avatars of the bandmates circa 1979, performing songs from the ten-track Voyage album as well as a selection of the band's greatest hits. The ABBAtars were created by Industrial Light & Music, the special effects company originally founded by George Lucas, using motion-capture technology.

Bibliography

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