In the early 70’s, four Swedes named Anni-Frid, Agnetha, Bjorn Y Benny They formed one of the most successful groups of the 1970s and early 1980s.
They baptized the group playing with the initials of its four members. The result: ABBA.
Benny andersson (born 1946) was a member of The Hep Stars, a popular Swedish pop-rock band, who made Swedish versions of international hits. Benny he played the keyboard and began to write original compositions for his band, many of which would become huge hits such as: “No Response“(1965),”Sunny girl“,”Wedding“,”Consolation“(all in 1966), and”Speleman“.
Björn ulvaeus (born in 1945) at the age of 18 belonged to the group The Hootenanny Singers, a popular Swedish folk and skiffle music group. Björn began writing material for his band, while trying to pursue a solo career.
Sometimes the bands of Benny Y Björn They met while on tour and, on one occasion in June 1966, decided to write a song together. Stig anderson, representative of The Hep Stars and founder of the record company Polar Music, He saw a lot of potential in their collaboration, and encouraged them to compose more songs.
The two musicians met two beautiful singers who also had a previous musical background, the Swedish Agnetha Faltskog (born April 5, 1950), who had achieved number 1 in Sweden in 1968 with the single “I was so in love“and had successfully played the role of Maria Magdalena in the Nordic theater production of “Jesus Christ Superstar“.
On the other hand, the Norwegian Anni-Frid Lyngstad (born November 15, 1945), under the name of Frida was a singer, mainly jazz, quite popular in her native country.
The four would become boyfriends and later marry throughout the 1970s. Bjorn with Agnetha (in 1971) and Benny with Frida (in 1978).
In April 1970, when the two couples were on vacation in Cyprus, what started as a song for fun on the beach ended in an impromptu presentation to the UN Blue Helmets on the island, thus being the first performance of future members of ABBA.
The first joint work as a quartet (under the guidelines of their manager Stig andersson) was produced in 1973, when they appeared representing Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest with the theme “Ring Ring“, a song that would rank third in the competition but would become a notable hit across Europe.
A few months later, they would cut the band’s name (since they had previously recorded the Lp “Ring Ring“(1973) as Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida) and using the initials of their respective names they would be called ABBA.
Their leap to fame was in 1974, when they won the Eurovision Song Contest, in its best edition, with the song “Waterloo“.
From that moment on, all his albums were on the bestseller lists throughout Europe.
The full album of ‘Waterloo‘includes songs of very different styles, trying to discover those that could most please the public.
On his next album, ‘Arrival‘, they already show their own style of music, which was continued in’Abba‘, which includes some of his most successful songs, such as’Mamma mia‘,’I do, I do, I do‘ Y ‘SOS‘.
One of his most successful songs and still known today is “Mamma mia“(Which gives name to the musical that is based on the songs of this wonderful group), appeared shortly after, in 1975, which became Number 1 in Australia and the United Kingdom. The following year, the success of songs like”Ferdinand” Y “Dancing queen“(the group’s best known song, and its only # 1 on the Billboard chart in the United States) meant that the group began to make versions in other languages - not only Swedish and English – of their songs, also in Spanish.
After several successful albums and in full triumph in Europe, they decided to conquer the North American market, creating a new album, ‘Voulez-Vous‘, with rhythms totally in keeping with the disco music of the time, the result was a resounding failure, as they failed to awaken the American public from their indifference.
At the height of his fame, the film was produced in 1977 based on his Australian tour that year, “Abba: The Movie“It was the sweetest stage of ABBA and that of the conversion of his music from pop to disco, but also in which the friendship of the members would begin to break down.
In 1979, Björn Y Agnetha announced their divorce, also reflected in many of the melodies composed since then, such as “The Winner takes it all“1980. Later, in 1981, the other couple in the group also divorced, and this time the situation was untenable enough to keep a group standing in which harmony between its members was essential.
This did not prevent the release of his eighth album “The Visitors“at the end of the year, which contained the song “One Of Us“, his last known success. But the group was already dissolved, from the moment in which each one had its own objectives.
So in 1982 Benny Y Björn they progressively distanced themselves from the group for their work in the musical “Chess“, Y Agnetha Y Frida for preparing for his impending solo careers. After the release of the single “The Day Before You Came“(last track recorded) and the relative failure of the group’s latest single,”Under attack“In December 1982, ABBA announced their separation.
Through the years his songs have continued to be valid and have continued to pay dividends. Compilations like “ABBA Gold“(1992) produced 26 million sales, and the musical”Mamma mia“, premiered in London in 1999, continues to be performed and has been viewed by more than 17 million people, according to the official website of ABBA.
On October 22, 2005, “Waterloo“was chosen the best song in the history of Eurovision on the 50th anniversary of the festival.
Madonna, used the melody of the theme “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme“on your subject”Hung up“, first place for many weeks in the world.
The last appearance of the group members ABBA It was in 2008, at the premiere of the film of the musical “Mamma mia“.