5 things to know about the legendary Swedish disco-pop group

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ABBA makes a comeback on Friday with a new album Trip, after forty years of silence. The Swedish disco-pop group is putting the finishing touches to a concert of digital avatars in a venue under construction in London next year. While waiting for their return on stage, here are 5 anecdotes about this legendary quartet.

1One name, four first names, and herring

Formed in stages at the dawn of the 1970s, the group experienced its first successes in Sweden. But he struggles to find a name and after the flop of the name “Festfolk” and a competition launched in the newspapers, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad finally retain “ABBA”, an acronym of their four first names. . Problem: the name is already used by a fish cannery. After a phone call to the director of the company, Agnetha obtains permission to use the name, in exchange for an easy promise never to go into the fishmonger. Abba herring – without capital letters – is still sold in all supermarkets in Sweden.

2“Waterloo”, a triumph at Eurovision Song Contest

After missing the boat in 1973 with the single Ring ring, the quartet manages to qualify to represent Sweden at Eurovision 1974, which is held in Brighton, in the south of England. With their guitar in the shape of a star and their costumes so “seventies” in tight satin, ABBA triumphs with Waterloo, relegating to sixth place the diva of Grease, Olivia Newton-John. In front of millions of viewers, the phenomenon was born. Its title, spinning the sentimental metaphor on the famous Napoleonic defeat, becomes number one in Europe. Mamma mia (1975), then Dancing Queen (1976) – first performed on the occasion of the marriage of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav to Queen Silvia in June 1976 – confirmed the start of a long list of hits.

3Crazy costumes

Originally wanted to stand out from the crowd of Eurovision Song Contestants, the sparkling costumes would become ABBA’s hallmark. “I asked Björn: ‘what would you like, what can I produce for you?’ And he replied: ‘nothing is too crazy’ “, explains Owe Sandström, the designer of the famous outfits of the group, in front of a selection on display at the ABBA museum in Stockholm. A call for extravagance followed with joy by the costume designer, who mixes influences from cabarets, circus, animals … Sequins, pearls, crystals, all that glitters is for ABBA. One of his favorites: the one worn by Björn during the presentation of the tube Chiquitita (1979) at the United Nations, an outfit inspired by flamenco.

4Sweden, champion of music exports

Even today, only three countries in the world export more music than they import: the United States, the United Kingdom and … Sweden, according to a recent independent study commissioned by Export Music Sweden. With its 400 million sales on all media claimed by the record company Universal, Abba is one of the biggest record sellers in history and has helped put the Nordic country of some 10 million inhabitants at the top. But the trend continued with the success of Swedish groups like Roxette, Ace of Base, The Cardigans, or more recently Swedish House Mafia, Lykke Li or the late Avicii, not to mention very influential producers like Max Martin, natural father of dozens of hits.

5Two marriages and two divorces

ABBA is a quartet but has also formed two couples. In 1971, Agnetha married Björn. In 1978, Frida and Benny, together for several years, get married in turn. But the duets are exhausted, tired in particular by the success of the group. In 1979, Agnetha and Björn divorced and in 1981 it was Frida and Benny’s turn to separate. An end of their passion which is reflected in their songs, like the poignant The Winner Takes It All (1980). In 1981, ABBA released a last album and the following year the group stopped performing in public. But its success will continue, especially with the compilation ABBA Gold released in 1992.


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