Every occasion is the right occasion for ABBA. From wistful ballads like “The Winner Takes It All” to uplifting anthems like “Dancing Queen,” the twin vocals of Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and the songwriting craft of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, have stood the test of time. Now, 40 years after their last public performance together in 1982, the Swedish supergroup has returned with a new album, Voyage, and a new digital show. To celebrate, we look back at their origins, relationships, fashions, hit songs, and pop culture legacy.
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC • RELATABLE LYRICS WITH A UNIQUE SOUND MAKE ABBA AN ENDURING PART OF THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES.
IN POP WE TRUST • MUSIC BROUGHT AGNETHA FÄLTSKOG, ANNI-FRID LYNGSTAD, BENNY ANDERSSON, AND BJÖRN ULVAEUS TOGETHER, BUT LOVE MADE THEM A BAND.
SWEDISH SUPERGROUP • HONING THEIR CRAFT IN SCANDINAVIA, THE QUARTET ADOPTED A NAME, HIRED A VISIONARY MANAGER, AND AIMED FOR GLOBAL STARDOM.
WHAT IS MELODIFESTIVALEN?
STIG ANDERSON • (1931—1997)
BREAKING THE MOLD • EUROVISION HAD NEVER HEARD THE LIKES OF “WATERLOO” IN 1974, BUT ONCE IT DID, POP MUSIC AS WE KNOW IT CHANGED FOREVER.
WHAT IS EUROVISION?
HELLO, WORLD • EUROPEAN TOURS AND U.S. TELEVISION APPEARANCES STARTED PILING UP, BUT A SURPRISING BOOST FROM DOWN UNDER PROPELLED THE BAND TO THE TOP OF THE CHARTS.
ABBA ON COUNTDOWN
AB FAB • LUSH PRODUCTION, ANGELIC HARMONIES, AND OUTRAGEOUS COSTUMES ADDED UP TO A FORMULA FOR FABULOUSNESS.
HIT MACHINE • FROM 1976 TO 1981, CRITICS AND FANS WERE WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ON ANY SONG ABBA RECORDED.
THE ABBA LOGO: THE BACKWARD B
THE 40-YEAR BREAK • THE PRESSURE THAT CAME WITH IMMENSE SUCCESS LED TO FRAYED RELATIONSHIPS AND A PROLONGED HIATUS, YET THE PUBLIC’S DEVOTION TO THEM NEVER WANED.
ABBA-CADABRA: MAKING WORLDWIDE CHART MAGIC
A NEW VOYAGE • DIGITAL AVATARS, A NEW ALBUM, AND A CONCERT RESIDENCY MARK THE RETURN OF ABBA AND A CONTINUATION OF THEIR LEGACY.
THE ULTIMATE ABBA QUIZ • KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU, KNOWING ABBA! TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THINGS ABBA OVER 50 YEARS OF POP PERFECTION.
ABBA: The Complete Story
PHOTO CREDITS