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| '''ABBA''' are a ] ] group, the most successful one from their native land and second only to ] in total worldwide sales. The group was started around ] by ], ], ], and ] and the name ABBA incorporates their first initials. They became widely known when they won the 1974 ] with ''Waterloo''. ABBA split up in ]. | '''ABBA''' are a ] ] group, the most successful one from their native land and second only to ] in total worldwide sales. The group was started around ] by ], ], ], and ] and the name ABBA incorporates their first initials. They became widely known when they won the 1974 ] with ''Waterloo''. ABBA split up in ]. | ||
Revision as of 13:53, 6 March 2003
ABBA are a Swedish pop group, the most successful one from their native land and second only to The Beatles in total worldwide sales. The group was started around 1970 by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, and Annifrid Lyngstad and the name ABBA incorporates their first initials. They became widely known when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo. ABBA split up in 1982.
Discography:
- Ring Ring (1973)
- Waterloo (album) (1974)
- ABBA (album) (1975)
- Arrival (1976)
- The Album (1977)
- Voulez-Vous (1979)
- Super Trouper (1980)
- The Visitors (1981)
- The Singles (1982)
- Live (1986)
Other important people around ABBA were Stikkan Anderson (manager), Michael B. Tretow (sound technician), and Anders Eljas (arrangements). The group was in some ways "manufactured", as the women, already successful singers in their own right, were drafted in to help the two male songwriters, who were not great performers of their own work.
Bjorn and Benny also wrote the music for the West End show, Chess, in partnership with Tim Rice. The group's eventual break-up was partly caused by their domestic situation. Bjorn and Agnetha divorced at the height of ABBA's fame, and Benny and Annifrid also split up.
ABBA were well known for their colourful costumes (the epitome of 1970s fashion), and also for the videos which accompanied some of their biggest hits -- these being among the earliest examples of the genre. ABBA chose to make them because they were often touring and could not appear in all the countries where the song was likely to be a hit. Some of these videos became classics. For example, the video of Knowing Me, Knowing You was satirised on the BBC comedy show, Not the Nine O'Clock News.
The title, Knowing Me, Knowing You, was also borrowed for a spoof chat show on BBC radio and television, starring Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge, who always entered the studio shouting "Aha!", this being the next word in the lyrics of the original song.
ABBA experienced a resurgence of sorts in the 1990s. The sound track of the successful Australian film Muriel's Wedding (1994) consisted entirely of ABBA songs. A new Swedish band, the A-Teens, consider themselves a rebirth of the original band. And a Broadway (originally West End) musical, Mamma Mia, whose music is also all ABBA songs, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical.
In 2000, ABBA was reported to have turned down an offer of approximately one billion dollars to do a reunion tour.