For the first time about the Swedish quartet "ABBA" became known in 1970. The musical compositions that the performers recorded repeatedly took off to the first lines of the music charts. For 10 years the musical group was at the pinnacle of fame.
It is the most commercially successful Scandinavian musical project. ABBA songs are still played on radio stations. Is it possible to imagine a New Year's Eve without the legendary musical composition of the performers?
Without exaggeration, the ABBA group is a cult and influential group of the 70s. There has always been an aura of mystery around the performers. For a long time, the members of the musical group did not give interviews, and did everything possible so that no one would know about their personal lives.
The history of the creation and composition of the ABBA group
The musical group "ABBA" consisted of 2 guys and 2 girls. By the way, the name of the group came from the capital names of the participants. Young people made up two couples: Agnetha Fältskog was married to Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lingstad were in a civil union for the first time.
The name of the group did not work out. In the city where the musical group was born, a company with the same name already worked. That's true, this company had nothing to do with show business. The company was engaged in the processing of seafood. Members of the musical group had to take permission from entrepreneurs to use the brand.
Each of the band members has been involved in music since childhood. Someone graduated from a music school, while someone had a huge mountain of texts behind them. The guys met in the late 1960s.
Initially, ABBA consisted only of a male team. Then, the performers meet Stig Anderson, who offers to take attractive girls into his team. By the way, it was Anderson who became the director of the musical group, and in every possible way helped the young singers to promote the group.
Each of the participants had good vocal abilities. They knew how to behave well on stage. The frenzied energy of the singers "forced" the listeners from the first minutes to fall in love with their compositions.
The beginning of the musical career of ABBA
The first recorded song is an exact hit in the top ten. The debut musical composition of the young band takes third place at the Swedish Melodifestivalen. The track "People Need Love" was released by Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid, peaked at number 17 on the Swedish music chart and became famous in the United States of America.
The musical group dreams of getting to the international Eurovision Song Contest. Firstly, this is a unique chance to glorify yourself to the whole world.
And secondly, after participation and a possible victory, a good prospect would open before the guys. The guys translate the track "People Need Love" and "Ring Ring" into English and record it for English listeners.
After many attempts, they write the musical composition "Waterloo" for the guys. This track brings them the long-awaited victory at Eurovision.
The musical composition becomes the first hit in the UK. But most importantly, the track takes the sixth line on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
They took their victory, and it seemed to the performers that now the “road” was open to any country and city. After winning Eurovision, the band members go on a world tour of Europe. However, listeners take them very coldly.
I warmly accept the musical group only in my native Scandinavia. But this is not enough for the group. In January 1976, Mamma Mia topped the English charts and SOS topped the American charts.
Interestingly, individual musical compositions are becoming many times more popular than ABBA albums.
The peak of the popularity of the group ABBA
In 1975, the musicians present one of the most popular albums in their discography. The record was called "Greatest Hits". And the track "Fernando" became a real hit, which at one time had no competitors.
In 1977, the performers again go on a world tour. This year was interesting because Lasse Hallström made a film about the musical group "ABBA: The Movie".
The main part of the film tells about the stay of the participants in Australia. The project contains the biographical data of the performers. The picture cannot be called successful.
On the territory of the countries of the Soviet Union, she was seen only in 1981. The film "did not enter" the American audience.
The peak of the popularity of the musical group falls on 1979. Finally, the group has the opportunity to invest in the development of their tracks.
And the first thing the guys do is buy the recording studio Polar Music in Stockholm. In the same year, the guys made another tour of North America.
The decline in the popularity of the group ABBA
In 1980, the members of the musical group agree that their tracks sound very monotonous. The Super Trouper album, the most famous songs of which were “The Winner Takes It Al” and “Happy New Year”, was released by ABBA in a new way. The tracks on this record use all the possibilities of the synthesizer.
In the same 1980, the guys presented the album Gracias Por La Música. The album was well received by fans and music critics. However, not everything was so smooth within the team. Within each of the couples, a divorce was planned. But the band members themselves consoled the fans, “Divorce will in no way affect the music of ABBA.
But the young people failed to maintain harmony in the group after the official divorce. By the time the group broke up, the musical group managed to release 8 albums. After the performers announced that the group ceased to exist, each performer pursued a solo career.
However, the solo career of the performers did not repeat the success of the group. Each of the team members was able to realize himself as a solo singer. But there could be no talk of any large scale.
ABBA Group now
Nothing was heard about the ABBA group until 2016. Only in 2016, in honor of the anniversary of the musical group, which could have turned 50 years old, the performers organized a big anniversary concert.
You can touch the history of the musical group in the American "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" located in Cleveland, or in the Swedish "ABBA Museum" (Abbamuseet) in Stockholm.
ABBA musical compositions do not have an "expiration date". The number of views of the group's video clips continues to increase, which once again indicates that ABBA is not just a pop group of the 70s, but a real musical idol of that time.
This group has made a great contribution to the development of music. Each of the participants, despite their age, has an Instagram page where you can get acquainted with their latest news.
In 2019, ABBA announced their reunion. This was very unexpected news. The performers noted that very soon they will present the tracks to the whole world.
In 2021, ABBA really surprised fans. The musicians presented the album after 40 years of creative break. Longplay was called Voyag. The collection appeared on streaming services. The album was topped by 10 tracks. In 2022, the musicians will present the album at a concert using holograms.
