ABBA: The Album

Last updated

ABBA: The Album
ABBA - The Album (Polar).jpg
Studio album by
ABBA
Released12 December 1977 (1977-12-12)
Recorded31 May – November 1977
Studio
Genre
Length40:01 (Polar LP 1977)
Label Polar
Epic (UK)
Atlantic (US original release)
Producer
ABBA chronology
Arrival
(1976)		ABBA: The Album
(1977)		 Voulez-Vous
(1979)
Original UK album cover
Abba-the-album-front.jpg
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Eagle" 5:51
2."Take a Chance on Me" 4:05
3."One Man, One Woman" 4:25
4."The Name of the Game"
4:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Move On"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:42
2."Hole in Your Soul" 3:41
3."Thank You for the Music" 3:48
4."I Wonder (Departure)"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:33
5."I'm a Marionette" 3:54
Total length:40:01

The last three tracks of Side two were originally from the 1977 tour mini-musical The Girl with the Golden Hair and presented on the album as "3 scenes from a mini-musical", labeled from A to C. [18] [19]

Deluxe edition

Released for the album's 30th anniversary. All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.

Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Eagle" (single edit) 4:25
2."Take a Chance on Me" (live version; alternate mix) 4:25
3."Thank You for the Music" (Doris Day version) 4:03
4."Al andar" (Spanish version of "Move On")
  • Andersson
  • Stig Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Buddy McCluskey
  • Mary McCluskey
4:43
5."I Wonder (Departure)" (live version; B-side of "The Name of the Game")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
4:27
6."Gracias por la música" (Spanish version of "Thank You for the Music")
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • B. McCluskey
  • M. McCluskey
3:49

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes. [20]

ABBA

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [42] Platinum50,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [43] 2× Platinum200,000^
Czechoslovakia—100,000 [44]
Denmark—225,000 [45]
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [46] Platinum57,618 [46]
France—150,000 [47]
Germany (BVMI) [48] Platinum500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [49] Platinum20,000*
Japan—300,000 [50]
Netherlands (NVPI) [51] Platinum100,000^
Norway—200,840 [52]
Sweden—753,420 [53]
United Kingdom (BPI) [54] Platinum1,000,000 [55]
United States (RIAA) [56] Platinum1,300,000 [57]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA</span> Swedish pop group

ABBA are a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the best-selling music acts in the history of popular music.

<i>Waterloo</i> (album) 1974 studio album by ABBA

Waterloo is the second studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA, and the first released internationally. It was originally released on 4 March 1974 in Sweden through Polar Music. The album's title track won ABBA the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and became a global hit, launching the group's career.

<i>Super Trouper</i> (album) 1980 studio album by ABBA

Super Trouper is the seventh studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA, released on 3 November 1980. It features the No.1 singles "The Winner Takes It All" and "Super Trouper". The album became the UK's biggest-selling album of 1980.

<i>ABBA</i> (album) 1975 studio album by ABBA

ABBA is the eponymous third studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released on 21 April 1975 through Polar Music and featured the hits "SOS", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "Mamma Mia".

<i>Ring Ring</i> (album) 1973 studio album by ABBA/Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid

Ring Ring is the debut studio album by the Swedish group ABBA, initially credited as Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida. It was released in Scandinavia on 26 March 1973, and later in a limited number of other territories, including West Germany, Australia, South Africa and Mexico, through Polar Music. It was a chart-topping album in Belgium, and a big success in the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa.

<i>Arrival</i> (ABBA album) 1976 studio album by ABBA

Arrival is the fourth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in Sweden on 11 October 1976 by Polar Records. It became one of ABBA's most successful albums to date, producing three of their biggest hits: "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You". The track "Fernando", which had been recently released as a single in March 1976, was included on the Australian and New Zealand versions of the album. Arrival was the best-selling album of 1977 in the United Kingdom and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Voulez-Vous</i> 1979 studio album by ABBA

Voulez-Vous is the sixth studio album by the Swedish supergroup ABBA. Released on 23 April 1979, the album yielded five hits, all of them big 1979 singles in Britain – "Chiquitita", "Does Your Mother Know", "I Have a Dream" and the double A-side "Voulez-Vous"/"Angeleyes".

<i>The Visitors</i> (ABBA album) 1981 studio album by ABBA

The Visitors is the eighth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on 30 November 1981.

<i>Greatest Hits Vol. 2</i> (ABBA album) 1979 ABBA compilation album

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on October 29, 1979, to coincide with their tour of North America and Europe, which took place between September and November 1979. It was ABBA's second chart-topping album of the year and featured "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! ", a brand new single, recorded in August 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABBA discography</span>

The discography of Swedish pop music group ABBA consists of nine studio albums, two live albums, seven compilation albums, four box sets, five video albums, 50 singles, and 43 music videos. To date, ABBA have sold more than 150 million records worldwide becoming one of the best-selling music artists in history. They have scored 9 No. 1 singles and 10 No. 1 albums in the UK, becoming the most successful Swedish act of all time on the Official Charts.

<i>The Singles: The First Ten Years</i> 1982 compilation album by ABBA

The Singles: The First Ten Years is a double compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on November 8, 1982. Issued as a double album of their most famous single A-sides, the collection included two new tracks: "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack". Both songs were released as singles with "Cassandra" and "You Owe Me One" as their respective B-sides.

<i>Gracias Por La Música</i> 1980 ABBA album

Gracias Por La Música is a Spanish-language album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in Spain on 5 April 1980 and Latin America on May 10. Gracias Por La Música was originally released due to the unexpected surge in popularity for the group in Latin American countries such as Mexico and Argentina after the release of the Spanish-language versions of "Chiquitita" and "I Have a Dream" in 1979. These tracks were both released as singles and went on to become big hits. Encouraged by this success, the band therefore decided to record another eight tracks in Spanish and release a full-length album especially for the Latin American market. The album was also released in ABBA's native Sweden on June 23, and in Japan on July 21 after ABBA played eleven successful concerts earlier in March.

<i>ABBA Live</i> 1986 live album by ABBA

ABBA Live is an album of live recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA, released by Polar Music in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the third single to be released from their third studio album, ABBA (1975). The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and their manager Stig Anderson, and was released in April 1975 with "Rock Me" as the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle (ABBA song)</span> 1978 single by ABBA

"Eagle" is a song recorded in 1977 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the opening track on their fifth studio album, ABBA: The Album (1978), and at 5 minutes 51 seconds, the longest they ever released. As the third and final official single from the album, it was issued in a limited number of territories. These did not include the United States, where an intended release was cancelled, or United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thank You for the Music</span> 1977 song by ABBA

"Thank You for the Music" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured on the group's fifth studio album, The Album (1977), and was released as a double-A sided single with "Eagle" in May 1978 in limited territories, namely Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Australia. In South Africa where it peaked at number 2 in August 1978 and became the eighteenth best-selling single of that year.

<i>The Definitive Collection</i> (ABBA album) 2001 compilation album by ABBA

The Definitive Collection is a 2001 compilation album of all the singles released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It consisted of two discs: the first featuring the singles from 1972 to 1979, and the second including the singles from 1979 to 1982, with the tracks being listed in chronological order. The main exception is the track "Thank You for the Music", which, despite being written and recorded in 1977, was in fact released as a single in 1983 after the band had split up. It appears on disc two, along with two bonus tracks, "Ring Ring", and "Voulez-Vous". The Australian version of The Definitive Collection adds a further two bonus tracks: "Rock Me" and "Hasta Mañana". The 1974 remix of "Ring Ring" is the first appearance on CD of this version mastered from the original master tape, after the UK single master tapes had been returned to Polar Music by the former UK licensees, Epic Records. The track's previous appearance on CD, in a 1999 singles boxed set, was mastered from a vinyl single.

<i>The Best of ABBA</i> 1975 greatest hits album by ABBA

The Best of ABBA is a compilation greatest hits album by Swedish pop group ABBA, first released in August 1975 in the Netherlands.

<i>Live at Wembley Arena</i> 2014 live album by ABBA

Live at Wembley Arena is an album of live recordings by Swedish pop group ABBA, released by Polar Music on 26 September 2014, on 2 CD, 3 LP and digital format.

<i>Voyage</i> (ABBA album) 2021 studio album by ABBA

Voyage is the ninth and final studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA, released on 5 November 2021. With ten songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, it is the group's first album of new material in forty years, following The Visitors (1981). The album was supported by the dual single release of "I Still Have Faith in You" and "Don't Shut Me Down", released alongside the album announcement on 2 September 2021. "Just a Notion" was issued as the third single on 22 October 2021, followed by the fourth single "Little Things" on 3 December. A digital concert residency in support of the album, ABBA Voyage, opened in London on 27 May 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "NME Album Reviews – Abba". NME. UK. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  2. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (11 August 2018). "The 25 Best ABBA Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 4. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  4. 1 2 Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991). Guinness Book of Rock Stars. Enfield: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 1. ISBN   0-85112-971-4.
  5. 1 2 Palm, Carl Magnus (1 September 2008). Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of Abba. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9781847724199.
  6. 1 2 Tesch, Christopher Patrick (2008). ABBA : let the music speak : an armchair guide to the musical soundscape of the Swedish supergroup (1st ed.). Fairfield Gardens, Qld.: Christopher J N Patrick. pp. 43–45. ISBN   9780646496764.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "In focus: ABBA - The Album - pushing boundaries". ABBA. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "CD ABBA - The Album - Deluxe Edition CD+DVD". Sound of Music. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "40th Anniversary Of ABBA – The Album". ABBA. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "ABBA / The Album: 40th anniversary reissues across a number of formats – SuperDeluxeEdition". 16 September 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "ABBA – The Album (2008, 180g, Gatefold,, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  12. 1 2 Eder, Bruce. "The Album - ABBA | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  13. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN   978-1-84609-856-7.
  14. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "ABBA". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  1. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ↑ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 3, 4.
  16. ↑ Rockwell, John (23 March 1978). "ABBA: The Album : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  17. ↑ "Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  18. 1 2 "Album the-album « ABBA – The Album | Albums | ABBA". Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  19. ↑ "In Focus: The Girl With The Golden Hair – ABBA's mini-musical". ABBA. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  20. ↑ ABBA: The Album (booklet). ABBA. New York: Atlantic Records. 1977.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 . St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 10. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  22. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – ABBA – The Album" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4628a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – ABBA – The Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  25. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "ABBA". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 8. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – The Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  27. ↑ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp Print Us. ISBN   9781094705002.
  28. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  29. ↑ "Charts.nz – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  30. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  31. 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – ABBA – The Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  32. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  33. ↑ "ABBA Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  34. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts — Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) — Week: 45/2021". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  35. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1978" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  36. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of '78". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  37. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  38. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  39. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  40. ↑ "1970s Albums Chart Archive". everyhit.com. The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 6 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  41. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard . Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  42. ↑ "CashBox Magazine" (PDF). Billboard . 16 September 1978. p. 50. Retrieved 13 November 2021– via World Radio History.
  43. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Abba – The Album". Music Canada . Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  44. ↑ "Abba The World - Czechoslovakia". Billboard. 8 September 1979. p. ABBA-8.
  45. ↑ Orsted, Knud (3 June 1978). "Sales in Denmark Hit New High At $64 Mil; Imports Bite Reduced" (PDF). Billboard. p. 98 – via American Radio History.
  46. 1 2 "Abba" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  47. ↑ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1978". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC   469523661. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2022– via Top-France.fr.
  48. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Abba; 'The Album')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  49. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  50. ↑ "ABBA Cracks Japan Mart; Sales Surge". Billboard. 10 March 1979. p. 76.
  51. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – ABBA – The Album" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 5 August 2018.Enter The Album in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1978 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  52. ↑ Hultin, Randi (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  53. ↑ Schulman, Leif (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  54. ↑ "British album certifications – ABBA – The Album". British Phonographic Industry.
  55. ↑ "ABBA Million". Billboard . 90 (30): 70. 29 July 1978. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 31 May 2022– via Google Books.
  56. ↑ "American album certifications – Abba – The Album". Recording Industry Association of America.
  57. ↑ Schulman, Leif (5 May 1979). "ABBA LP Sets Scene For Foreign Touring". Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved 4 November 2020– via Google books.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.