Book Review: ABBA At 50

After winning 1974’s Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Waterloo,” ABBA catapulted to fame, capturing hearts across the globe with their melodic and ever-so-catchy pop songs. Formed in Stockholm, in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, ABBA became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide with classic hits such as “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man after Midnight),” “SOS,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.”

ABBA - Super Trouper

Today (November 3rd) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Super Trouper, the seventh studio album from the Swedish pop group ABBA. This 1980 release spent thirty-eight weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 17. It also charted at number 11 in Germany, number 8 in France, number 7 in Canada, number 5 in Australia and New Zealand, number 3 in Austrai, and number 1 the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.

ABBA - Voulez-Vous (35th anniversary)

Today (April 23rd) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Voulez-Vous, the sixth studio album from the Swedish pop group ABBA.

Click here to read my full review of the album.

ABBA - Voulez-Vous

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

On April 23rd, 1979, the Swedish pop group ABBA released their sixth studio album entitled Voulez-Vous. This Platinum seller peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 6 in Canada and France, number 5 in Australia, number 2 in New Zealand, and number 1 in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.

Happy Birthday, Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Today November 15th, sixty six years ago, Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad was born in Norway. She had been singing since age thirteen, mainly in jazz and cabaret styles. At age 22 she won a national talent competition where the prize was a recording contract in Sweden. In 1969, she eventually hooked up with her future bandmates that would form the international singing sensations ABBA, enjoying success for a decade from 1972 to 1982.

In 1982, she returned to solo work with an album in English. Something's Going On was produced by Phil Collins and sold very well. It also produced a hit single "I Know There's Something Going On" which was a number 1 hit in Belgium, Costa Rica, France and Switzerland, and a top five hit in Austria, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. In the US the single reached number 13 and was the twentieth biggest selling single in the US that year. It features Collins' amazing drums.

Frida continues her music career to this day, showing few signs of slowing down. In September 2010 she released her most recent album Reconnection. She is also involved in charity work and in environmental protection efforts.

For their self-titled 1975 album ABBA, click here

For the group's final album from 1981 the Visitors, click here

ABBA - The Visitors

1981 was the year that ABBA released their eighth and final studio album as a group. The Visitors went Platinum in both the UK and Germany; chart-wise it went to number 1 in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK. In the US, the album went to number 29 on the Billboard 200 album charts. The album has a different sound than earlier efforts which garnered them mixed reviews from critics. Lessened are the light pop music influences as the compositions and lyrics tended to reflect more complicated and mature themes. This too was reflective of the turmoil of the personal relationships of the former couples that made up the quartet.

ABBA - ABBA

Welcome to another edition of "Seventies Saturday".

ABBA had already been gaining worldwide success coming off their previous album Waterloo. In 1975, the pop quartet released their self-titled third album ABBA, which went to number one in many countries (their native Sweden, Norway, Zimbabwe, Poland and Australia). The United States was late to get on the bandwagon; the album only reached 174 on the Billboard 200 album charts.