All About ABBA (# 029)

Inside Rock

All About ABBA (S2-E14)

The JabberGuys remember the rise of one of the most successful pop groups of all time, ABBA, with insights to some of the band member's highs and lows.

Listen to the playlist on SPOTIFY

The early years:
Bjorn Ulvaeus: Hootenany Singers
Benny Andersson: Hep Stars (one of biggest pop groups in Sweden in the 1960s)
Anni-Frid Lyngstad: won a talent contest and a contract with EMI Sweden (originally from Norway)
Agnetha Faltskog: Solo career (4 solo albums between 1968-1971)

The 4 meet and start writing songs and performing together
Benny+Frida, Bjorn+Agnetha, become couples

1970 - Festfolk was their first attempt together, with not-so-great results

1973 - They enter the contest at Melodifestivalen, and qualify for Eurovision with the song “Ring-Ring” finishing third

1974 - Eurovision, ABBA wins the competition with the song “Waterloo”, with their new name “ABBA”

“ABBA” is an acronym for their names… Anni-Frid, Benny, Bjorn, and Agnetha

The ABBA name is already in use by a food company who've had the name since 1838, but the company allows them to share the name

While they are popular behind the “Iron-Curtain”, due to the cold war and embargos on Russian currency, ABBA gets paid in oil commodities by eastern-block countries

18 months pass before their next hit… “SOS”

Swedish high taxes are mitigated by writing off their extravagant stage clothes

Agnetha is known for the best ‘butt’ in pop music

1976- ‘Arrival’, their 4th album is a big hit

1976- “Dancing Queen” is released as a single, and tops the charts in the USA in 1977

ABBA’s Australian TV special receives more viewership in Australia than the moon landing

1979- Schedule a tour of the USA and Canada. Agnetha was fearful of large groups, traveling and specifically flying. Going into Boston, their flight is delayed due to their landing airport being wiped out by a level 4 tornado.

1979- “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” is released

1979- Bjorn and Agnetha file for divorce
(1981 - Benny and Frida file for divorce, but ABBA continues to perform together)

1980- “Super Trooper”, “Winner Takes It All”

1980- ABBA’s last performance in front of a live concert crowd in Japan

The touring, Agnetha’s social issues, 2 divorces all start to catch up with them
1982- Band members start to do some separate projects

1992- Release the compilation album “ABBA GOLD”, selling over 31 million copies

1999- “Mama Mia” play and movie bring ABBA introduces their music to a new group of people

Agnetha at this point becomes a bit of a recluse

2010- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Frida’s supposedly deceased father turns out to be alive, and a former Nazi

This week in Rock News (Oct 25th, 2021)
- ABBA announces new album “Voyage”, and special stadium for digital show
- Adele shuts down Griffith Observatory for secret show
- Ed Sheeran tests positive for COVID
- Mike Portnoy from Dream Theatre talks about wanting to join RUSH as Neil Peart’s successor

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Listen to the playlist on SPOTIFY

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