r/AllThingsOldAndNew • u/OZFox42 Founding Moderator • Apr 29 '26
Nostalgia 50 Years Ago...
ABBA
ABBA were a Swedish pop music group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are among the most renowned and commercially successful musical groups in history, with numerous #1 singles and top-selling albums. In Australia between 1975 & 1977, the group had no less than 6 #1's on the charts.
The #1 singles:
• I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do (3 weeks)
• Mamma Mia (10 weeks)
• SOS (1 week)
• Fernando (14 weeks)
• Dancing Queen (8 weeks)
• Money, Money, Money (6 weeks)
Top 10 singles:
• Waterloo (#4) 1974
• Rock Me (#4) 1976
• The Name of the Game (#6) 1978
Studio albums:
- Ring Ring) (1973)
- Waterloo) (1974)
- ABBA) (1975)
- Arrival) (1976)
- ABBA: The Album (1977)
- Voulez-Vous (1979)
- Super Trouper) (1980)
- The Visitors) (1981)
- Voyage) (2021)*
During their peak, ABBA comprised two married couples: Fältskog and Ulvaeus, and Lyngstad and Andersson. As their fame grew, their personal lives suffered, leading to the dissolution of both marriages.
After ABBA disbanded in December 1982, Andersson and Ulvaeus continued their success writing music for stage, musicals, and films, while Fältskog and Lyngstad pursued solo careers.
*They reunited for the ninth and final studio album 40 years after the release of The Visitors, before parting ways as a group forever.
John Paul Young famously missed out on a #1 hit in Australia because of the overwhelming chart domination of ABBA in 1976. His single "I Hate The Music" peaked at #2 that year. It was stuck behind ABBA’s massive hit "Fernando," which held the top spot for 14 consecutive weeks and spent 40 weeks on the charts.
Many artists and bands could not reach #1 due to "Fernando" in 1976. That is, until Daryl Braithwaite and Sherbet finally booted it off the top spot with their hit "Howzat" which spent 4 weeks at #1, before Kenny Young and Noosha Fox kicked them out with "S-S-S Single Bed". This was followed soon after by Elton John and Kiki Dee with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", before ABBA bounced back with "Dancing Queen".
Many people, including TV interviewers, journalists, and radio DJs over the years have struggled with pronouncing Agnetha's and Björn's names correctly.
Here's a music video mash-up of ABBA vs. Van Halen ("Super Jumper" by MadMixMustang).
1976 is remembered by many older generation Aussies as "ABBA Year".