Biography
ABBA is a Swedish pop group whose members were Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Ulvaeus and Andersson wrote most of the group's material, while Fältskog and Lyngstad shared lead vocals.[1]
The group's personal lives were closely tied to its music. Ulvaeus and Fältskog divorced in 1979 to 1980, and Andersson and Lyngstad divorced in 1981.[1][2] Their 1980 album Super Trouper became the best-selling album in the United Kingdom that year.[2]
Among their enduring hits is The Winner Takes It All, a 1980 ballad that reached number one in the UK and number eight in the US, and was later voted Britain's favourite ABBA song.[1]
The group won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with Waterloo, and the promotional travel that followed repeatedly interrupted their recording sessions.[3]
Songwriting and production were led by Andersson and Ulvaeus, with manager Stig Anderson contributing lyrics and titles, including the title of Dancing Queen, which the group recorded in 1975 at Glen Studios near Stockholm and which became their only number one in the United States.[3][4]
With the 1976 album Arrival, critics argue, ABBA moved past the Eurovision novelty tag and became a polished hit-making act.[5]
References
- The Winner Takes It All (Wikipedia) — Songwriting background, Ulvaeus's comments on the divorce, reception, charts, music video and covers.
- Super Trouper (album) (Wikipedia) — Album writing and recording timeline, personal themes, and commercial success.
- Dancing Queen (Wikipedia) — Overview of writing credits, release history and chart performance.
- How ABBA Found Pop Perfection with "Dancing Queen" (Produce Like a Pro) — Recording details: Glen Studios, producers and engineer.
- Making ABBA: Arrival (Classic Pop) — Retrospective on the album as ABBA's move past the Eurovision novelty tag.