You might dismiss Abba’s music as the kind that your parents listen to, which is, of course, an epic fail if you’re under 20. But admit it, every time you hear Gimme, Gimme, Gimme or Dancing Queen on the radio, you find yourself singing along. Even if you don’t know the names behind the voices, or cannot understand the lyrics to One Of Us (with lines that go “robbing me of my rightful chances”, don’t blame yourself for not getting it), you still recognise the tunes as old friends.
That’s how popular and catchy the Swedish group’s music still is 42 years after they formed.
In 1975, Abba released their eponymous album. The singles SOS and Mamma Mia were instant hits. From 1975 to 1982, Abba topped the charts worldwide
This year marks the 40th anniversary since Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest with their song Waterloo. Even in 1974, when Abba took to the stage in Brighton, UK, what everyone first noticed was their loud costumes and big hair. But when the first notes of Waterloo started, they never stopped.
Not only did Abba give Sweden its first ever victory at the Eurovision, but Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid went on to become one of the most commercially successful pop groups the world has ever seen. In fact, to date, Abba have sold more than 380 million albums and singles worldwide.
Waterloo wasn’t the group’s first attempt at Eurovision glory. In 1973, they had performed Ring Ring but failed to qualify as the Swedish entry. Despite this failure, the group immediately started preparing for the 1974 contest, which they won. Soon after their Eurovision success, they toured Europe. Waterloo topped many of the charts in Europe, including in the UK and Germany.
In 1975, Abba released their eponymous album. The singles SOS and Mamma Mia were instant hits. From 1975 to 1982, Abba topped the charts worldwide.
Eventually, the cracks started showing. In 1982, Abba released what would eventually be their final album, The Singles: The First Ten Years. On November, 1982, Abba appeared for the last time on Swedish television and on December 11, 1982, they made their last performance ever, which was shown on The Late, Late Breakfast Show hosted by Noel Edmonds.