Thank You for the Music

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Thank You for the Music (disambiguation).

"Thank You for the Music"
Single by ABBA
from the album The Album
A-side	"Eagle"
Released	18 May 1978
Recorded	21 July 1977
Studio	Glen Studio
Genre	Pop
Length	3:52
Label	Polar
Songwriter(s)	Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus
Producer(s)	Benny Andersson Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA singles chronology
"Take a Chance on Me" (1978) "Thank You for the Music" / "Eagle" (1978) "Summer Night City" (1978)
"Under Attack" (1982) "Thank You For The Music" (1983) "Dancing Queen" (1992)

Weekly charts Chart (1980) Peak position Argentina [2] 7 Australia (Kent Music Report) [3] 82 South Africa (Springbok) [4] 2 Chart (1983–84) Peak position Ireland (IRMA) [5] 17 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [6] 38 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [7] 23 UK Singles (OCC) [8] 33

Year-end charts Chart (1978) Rank South Africa (Springbok) [9] 18

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [10]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

ABBA

• Agnetha Fältskog – lead and backing vocals
• Anni-Frid Lyngstad – backing vocals
• Björn Ulvaeus – backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, mandolin
• Benny Andersson – backing vocals, keyboards

Additional personnel and production staff

• Lasse Wellander – acoustic lead guitar, mandolin
• Rutger Gunnarsson – bass
• Roger Palm – drums, tambourine

Cover versions

• Irish siblings The Nolans, who were often seen on various British variety TV programmes in the 1970s and early 1980s, recorded their own cover of this song. It is included on their album Nolan Sisters .
• German eurodance group E-Rotic recorded a cover of the song for their 1997 ABBA tribute album Thank You for the Music. ^[11]
• British vocalist Dame Vera Lynn recorded a version of this song ^[12] for her self-titled album.
• The song's chorus was included as part of a medley entitled "Thank ABBA for the Music" on the 1999 compilation ABBAmania , which coincided with a British TV special. It was performed by Tina Cousins, Billie Piper, Steps, Cleopatra and B*Witched, and peaked on the UK Singles Chart at number 4 in April 1999.
• The subsequent ABBAMania 2 album from 2004 contains a cover of the song performed with British TV actors Charlotte Bellamy, Jane Danson, Wendi Peters, Bernie Nolan (of the Nolans), Tricia Penrose, Will Mellor, and Lee Otway on lead vocals.
• The German 2004 ABBA Mania compilation features a cover version performed by all the music artists who appeared in the TV special, with Barbara Schöneberger on lead vocals.
• American actress/singer Jan Gelberman recorded a cover of the song for her album With Love To Share. ^[13]
• A cover of the song by Finnish a cappella choral ensemble Rajaton can be found on their 2006 ABBA tribute album Rajaton Sings ABBA With Lahti Symphony Orchestra. ^[14]
• In the soundtrack for the 2008 film adaptation of the stage musical Mamma Mia!, the song is included as a hidden track sung by actress Amanda Seyfried. In the film itself, it is heard in the end credits.
• In August 2008, Gunilla Backman performed Björn Ulvaeus' Swedish version of the song from Mamma Mia! ("Tack för alla sånger") on TV show Allsång på Skansen (Sing-along at Skansen). ^[15] It may be notable for the lyric which in the English version is "Thanks for all the joy they're bringing / Who can live without it" but in Swedish is "Vem behöver religioner? / Dom kan vi va utan" ^[16] which roughly translates as "Who needs religion? / We can live without it", the line continuing with (roughly translated) "but never without music".

Live covers and appearances in other media

• A live version was performed on TV by The Carpenters on The Tonight Show hosted by John Davidson, on 27 June 1978. ^[17] They first heard the song when ABBA performed it on Starparade , as the Carpenters were sharing the bill with them for that particular episode. They laid down a track for it but Richard Carpenter said:

  Nobody does ABBA like ABBA. I realized that, as usual, Benny and Bjorn had done the definitive arrangement and all I'd be doing was copying it; something I just don't do, of course. It's an outtake, never completed and in storage with the rest of the stuff in Pennsylvania. ^[18]

• ABBA performed the song live on the Mike Yarwood Christmas show in 1978.
• The song is performed in the Mamma Mia! musical by the characters of Sophie and Harry. It is also sung by Amanda Seyfried in the end credits of the 2008 Universal Picture.
• The song is briefly included in the ABBA medley performed by Alan Partridge on his mock chat show Knowing Me Knowing You, which is itself titled after the ABBA single of the same name. One of the show's running gags is based around the character's fondness of the band.
• This song was the last to be heard on Magic (TV channel) as a part of its closing trailer before it shuttered on 1 July 2024.

References

1. UK Official Charts ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs
2. "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). Cashbox . 17 May 1980. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
3. David Kent (2006). Australian Charts Book 1993—2005. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. p. 10. ISBN   978-0-646-45889-2.
4. "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989" . Retrieved 1 September 2018.
5. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Thank You for the Music". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – ABBA" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
7. "Dutch Charts > ABBA" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
8. "Official Charts Company" ABBA". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 15 August 2021.
9. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1978" . Retrieved 12 October 2018.
10. "British single certifications – ABBA – Thank You for the Music". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 13 August 2021.
11. "E-Rotic Page". Eurodancehits.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
12. Oldham, A, Calder, T & Irvin, C: "ABBA: The Name of the Game", page 209. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1995
13. "Resume". Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
14. Sitefactory (22 July 2012). "Lauluyhtye Rajaton - Etusivu". Rajaton.net. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
15. "ABBA on TV - Allsång på Skansen". abbaontv.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
16. "Björn Ulvaeus speaks on Humanism". iheu.org. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
17. Carpenters: Decade 1969-1979; Edited by: The Carpenters.
18. Carpenter, Richard. "Carpenters Fans Ask: Question 21". Richard Carpenter's richardandkarencarpenter.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2019.

External links

• Lyrics of this song
• Thank You For The Music on YouTube