ABBA, the Swedish group made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, formed in 1972 and became one of the most successful acts in UK chart history.
Number one singles
ABBA had nine UK number one singles. Their breakthrough came with Waterloo, which won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden in 1974 and went on to top the UK chart.
The others were Mamma Mia, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, The Name of the Game, Take a Chance on Me, The Winner Takes It All and Super Trouper, their last UK number one in 1980.
Dancing Queen was also their only number one in the United States.
Albums
ABBA had a run of UK number one albums from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Their compilation Gold: Greatest Hits, released in 1992 long after the band stopped recording, is the UK’s second-biggest album of all time, behind Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits, according to the Official Charts Company.
Who sang what
Agnetha and Anni-Frid sang most of the leads, often together, as on Dancing Queen. Agnetha took the lead on The Winner Takes It All, and Anni-Frid on Fernando, Knowing Me, Knowing You and Super Trouper. Benny and Björn wrote the songs, and Björn sang lead on Does Your Mother Know.
The return
ABBA stopped recording in the early 1980s. In 2018 they said they had recorded new songs, and in November 2021 Voyage, their first album of new material for 40 years, went straight to number one in the UK, the BBC reported. In May 2022 ABBA Voyage, a concert show featuring digital versions of the band, opened in a purpose-built arena in east London (BBC).
Why they lasted
Strong melodies, clear production and songs about love and heartbreak that work across ages and languages kept the band in the charts. The Mamma Mia! stage musical and films have since brought the songs to new generations.