ABBA - Disco History

Identify Your Dance Diva: Download Realtones

ABBA might have made it big in the U.S. save for their name problem: their initial success was under the group name Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. The Scandinavian foursome penned their first hit, “People Need Love” in the early 70s. The single was a European hit. While it hit low on the U.S. charts, it nevertheless put music literati on alert. In fact a follow-up single, “Ring Ring,” earned the attention of producer/artist Neil Sedaka who took the tune and penned a translation that made it accessible to English audiences. The group’s name was quickly shortened to ABBA in 1973.

ABBA became one of the most influential 70s acts in music. Their sound was unique, European and offered a cross-genre appeal. Dance clubs took to their up-tempo tunes and the Pop charts were dominated with ABBA hits. Success was international.

American Chart Hits

Waterloo was ABBA’s first U.S. album under their new name. The title track was an instant hit in 1974 and remains a signature ABBA hit. Their second and self-titled album is one of the most popular still. Singles “SOS” and “Mamma Mia” shot the Euro-pop act through the chart ceilings all over the globe, save for the U.S. market. The group enjoyed modest success in the States, but remained clearly undersold comparatively. The group changed all that in 1976 when they released a Greatest Hits album that introduced “Fernando,” the single that caught on finally with U.S. fans.

By the last half of the 70s ABBA charged up their sound with more dance rhythms. The album,Arrival, sealed the group’s fame. Singles “Dancing Queen” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You” remain not only hot dance anthems, but two of the most recognizable melodies in music history.

Ring Ring (1973):

1. Ring Ring
2. Another Town, Another Train
3. Disillusion
4. People Need Love
5. I Saw it in the Mirror
6. Nina, Pretty Ballerina
7. Love Isn’t Easy
8. Me and Bobby and Bobby’s Brother
9. He Is Your Brother
10. She’s My Kind of Girl
11. Rock ‘n Roll Band

Waterloo (1974):

1. Waterloo
2. Sitting in the Palmtree
3. King Kong Song
4. Hasta Mañana
5. My Mama Said
6. Dance
7. Honey, Honey
8. Watch Out
9. What About Livingstone
10. Gonna Sing You My Love Song
11. Suzy-Hang-Around

ABBA (1975):

1. Mamma Mia
2. Hey, Hey Helen
3. Tropical Loveland
4. SOS
5. Man in the Middle
6. Bang-a-Boomerang
7. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
8. Rock Me
9. Intermezzo No. 1
10. I’ve Been Waiting For You
11. So Long

Arrival (1976):

1. When I Kissed the Teacher
2. Dancing Queen
3. My Love, My Life
4. Dum Dum Diddle
5. Knowing Me, Knowing You
6. Money, Money, Money
7. That’s Me
8. Why Did it Have to Be Me
9. Tiger
10. Arrival (instrumental)

The Album (1977):

1. Eagle
2. Take A Chance On Me
3. One Man One Woman
4. The Name of the Game
5. Move On
6. Hole In Your Soul
7. Thank You For the Music
8. I Wonder
9. I’m A Marionette

Voulez-Vous (1979):

1. As Good As New
2. Voulez-Vous
3. I Have a Dream
4. Angeleyes
5. The King Has Lost His Crown
6. Does Your Mother Know
7. If It Wasn’t For the Nights
8. Chiquitita
9. Lovers
10. Kisses of Fire

Super Trouper (1980):

1. Super Trouper
2. The Winner Takes it All
3. On and On and On
4. Andante, Andante
5. Me and I
6. Happy New Year
7. Our Last Summer
8. The Piper
9. Lay All Your Love on Me
10. The Way Old Friends Do (Live)

The Visitors (1981):

1. The Visitors
2. Head Over Heels
3. When All is Said and Done
4. Soldiers
5. I Let the Music Speak
6. One of Us
7. Two for the Price of One
8. Slipping Through My Fingers
9. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room