ABBA
Formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972, ABBA is one of the most wellFrid "Frida" Lyngstad, the name ABBA is taken from the first letter of each of their first names. Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds, the quartet worked together on various projects before creating ABBA, one of the most successful bands of all time.
The Band
The roots of ABBA can be traced to 1970, when Björn and Benny recorded an album called ''Lycka'' that featured Agnetha and Frida on backup vocals. The pair continued with their
music and in 1972 released "People Need Love," which featured the women in greater prominence. The success of this song led to the decision to record an album as a foursome.
In 1973, the group decided to have a try at Melodifestivalen, a Swedish Eurovision Song Contest. They put forth the song "Ring, Ring," but placed third and did not make it to the international competition. Despite this, they released "Ring, Ring" as the lead single off of their first
album of the same name.
In 1974, they were invited to contribute a song for that year's Eurovision contest. With the help of the upbeat track "
Waterloo," they won the whole competition and were given the opportunity to tour Europe and perform on major TV shows. "Waterloo" reached number one in the UK, Germany, and Australia, and charted at #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
In the early eighties, however, the band started to deteriorate, and in December of 1982, they had their last public performance. Despite never officially announcing the end of the group, they've each embarked on their own projectswith no intent on reforming ABBA. In fact, the foursome did not come together publicly until the Swedish premiere of the film ''Mamma Mia!''
Top Sellers
The Music in Popular Culture
After receiving little attention during the midHits'>''ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits'' was released and the single "Dancing Queen" got a lot of airplay.
This revival saw the emergence of a new found love for ABBA and their music. Songs like "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," and "Take a Chance on Me" have become cultural norms. Tribute albums, including
''ABBAmania'', have been released to great success; entire tribute bands have also been formed, like Swedish pop group
SingStar ABBA was released for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3; it featured 20 (PS2) and 25 (PS3) ABBA songs.
Thanks to their early success and this newer revival, ABBA was honored with a spot in the 2010 class at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Mamma Mia!
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