The Definitive Collection (ABBA album)

Last updated
The Definitive Collection
Abbadefinitivecollection.jpg
Compilation album by
ABBA
Released2 November 2001
Recorded1972–1982
Studio Metronome Studios, Stockholm; Polar Studios, Stockholm; Criteria Studios, Miami; Europafilm Studios, Stockholm; KMH Studios, Stockholm; Marcus Studios, Stockholm; Bohus Studio, Kungälv,
Genre Pop
Length147:38
Label Universal Music Group
Producer Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA chronology
Thank You for the Music
(1994)		The Definitive Collection
(2001)		 The Name of the Game
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

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 ("People Need Love" to "Does Your Mother Know"), and the second including the singles from 1979 to 1982 ("Voulez-Vous" to "Under Attack"), 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 (primarily in the UK) in 1983 after the band had split up. It appears on disc two, along with two bonus tracks, "Ring Ring" (1974 UK single remix), and "Voulez-Vous" (1979 US promo extended remix). 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.

Contents

The Definitive Collection is the only ABBA compilation to include all the UK single releases from 1973 to 1983. The four "unofficial" UK ABBA singles are included, these being the 1974 remix of "Ring Ring", "Angeleyes", "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "Thank You for the Music". An "unofficial single" is one that was not released by ABBA's record label, Polar Music, in any Scandinavian country. A DVD also called The Definitive Collection was released in 2002, and features all of ABBA's videos, as well as five bonus videos and a picture gallery. In the US the 2-CD set was bundled with the DVD.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 179 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, [4] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, and coming in at number 303 in the 2020 edition. [5] [6]

The Essential Collection , an album with a similar track listing but with different artwork and mastering, was released in 2012. [7]

Track listing

All songs which are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus unless otherwise noted. Tracks 1-4 were originally released under the name "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid".

Disc one

No.TitleAlbum of OriginLength
1."People Need Love" Ring Ring (1973); first released as a single the previous year2:45
2."He Is Your Brother"Ring Ring; first released as a single the previous year3:18
3."Ring Ring" (Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus, Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody)Ring Ring3:04
4."Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)"Ring Ring2:53
5."Waterloo" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) Waterloo (1974)2:47
6."Honey, Honey" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)Waterloo2:55
7."So Long" ABBA (1975); released as a single the previous year3:05
8."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)ABBA3:16
9."SOS" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)ABBA3:20
10."Mamma Mia" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)ABBA3:32
11."Fernando"Non-album single; subsequently included on later releases of Greatest Hits (1975)4:14
12."Dancing Queen" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) Arrival (1976)3:51
13."Money, Money, Money"Arrival3:05
14."Knowing Me, Knowing You" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus)Arrival; released as a single the following year4:01
15."The Name of the Game" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus) ABBA: The Album (1977)4:52
16."Take a Chance on Me"ABBA: The Album4:05
17."Eagle" (1999 edited version)ABBA: The Album; released as a single the following year4:27
18."Summer Night City"Non-album single; later included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1979)3:35
19."Chiquitita" Voulez-Vous (1979)5:24
20."Does Your Mother Know"Voulez-Vous3:13
21."Rock Me" (Australian bonus track)ABBA (1975); released as a single the following year3:08
22."Hasta Mañana" (Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus; Australian bonus track)Waterloo3:11

Disc two

No.TitleAlbum of OriginLength
1."Voulez-Vous"Voulez-Vous5:08
2."Angeleyes"Voulez-Vous4:19
3."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1979)4:50
4."I Have a Dream"Voulez-Vous4:42
5."The Winner Takes It All" Super Trouper (1980)4:56
6."Super Trouper"Super Trouper4:13
7."On and On and On"Super Trouper3:42
8."Lay All Your Love on Me"Super Trouper4:34
9."One of Us" The Visitors (1981)3:56
10."When All Is Said and Done"The Visitors3:17
11."Head over Heels"The Visitors3:47
12."The Visitors (Crackin' Up)"The Visitors5:46
13."The Day Before You Came" The Singles: The First Ten Years (1982)5:51
14."Under Attack"The Singles: The First Ten Years3:47
15."Thank You for the Music"ABBA: The Album (1977); released as a single in support of Thank You for the Music (1983)3:51
16."Ring Ring" (1974 UK single remix; Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus, Sedaka, Cody; bonus track)Previously unreleased on CD (2001)3:10
17."Voulez-Vous" (1979 US promo extended remix; bonus track)Previously unreleased on CD6:07

DVD

No.TitleLength
1."Waterloo"2:47
2."Ring Ring"3:04
3."Mamma Mia"3:32
4."SOS"3:20
5."Bang-A-Boomerang"2:50
6."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"3:16
7."Fernando"4:14
8."Dancing Queen"3:51
9."Money, Money, Money"3:05
10."Knowing Me, Knowing You"4:01
11."That's Me"3:16
12."The Name of the Game"4:52
13."Take a Chance on Me"4:05
14."Eagle"4:27
15."One Man, One Woman"4:37
16."Thank You for the Music"3:51
17."Summer Night City"3:35
18."Chiquitita"5:24
19."Does Your Mother Know"3:13
20."Voulez-Vous"5:08
21."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"4:50
22."On and On and On"3:42
23."The Winner Takes It All"4:56
24."Super Trouper"4:13
25."Happy New Year"4:23
26."When All Is Said and Done"3:17
27."One of Us"3:56
28."Head over Heels"3:47
29."The Day Before You Came"5:51
30."Under Attack"3:47
31."When I Kissed the Teacher"3:01
32."Estoy soñando" ("I Have a Dream")4:45
33."Felicidad" ("Happy New Year")4:23
34."No hay a quien culpar" ("When All Is Said and Done")3:17
35."Dancing Queen" (Live at the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm, Sweden) 

Personnel

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [22] 2× Platinum140,000^
Australia (ARIA) [23]
video 		3× Platinum45,000^
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [24] Gold50,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [25] Gold25,000^
France (SNEP) [26] Gold50,000*
Germany (BVMI) [27] Platinum300,000^
Germany (BVMI) [28]
video 		2× Platinum100,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON) [29]
video 		Gold10,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [30]
video 		Gold40,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [31] Gold7,500^
South Korea—134,996 [32] [33] [34] [35]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [36] Gold20,000^
Sweden (GLF) [37] Gold40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [38] Gold100,000*
United Kingdom (BPI) [39]
video 		Platinum50,000*
United States—342,000 [40]

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

Related Research Articles

<i>Crush</i> (Bon Jovi album) 2000 studio album by Bon Jovi

Crush is the seventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on May 29, 2000, by Mercury Records in the UK and on June 13, 2000, by Island Records in the US. It was produced by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Luke Ebbin. The album marks the longest timespan between studio albums for the band, with five years between the release of These Days (1995) and this album. After the initial plan to team up with producer Bruce Fairbairn fell through because of his death a year earlier, Bon Jovi and Sambora hired Luke Ebbin to update their sound.

<i>Britney</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Britney Spears

Britney is the third studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 31, 2001, by Jive Records.

<i>Escapology</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Robbie Williams

Escapology is the fifth studio album recorded by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It was released on 18 November 2002 through EMI Records. The album features a guest appearance by singer Rose Stone and was produced by Guy Chambers and Steve Power. The album's lead single "Feel" was released on 2 December 2002, two weeks after the album. The track was an international hit, reaching the top of the charts in Austria, Poland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and top five positions in countries such as Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Three other singles from the album were released: "Come Undone", "Something Beautiful" and "Sexed Up".

<i>La Luna</i> (Sarah Brightman album) 2000 studio album by Sarah Brightman

La Luna is the seventh album recorded by English soprano Sarah Brightman in 2000. It was released under license by Nemo Studios to Angel Records. The album combines pieces written by classical and modern composers. It is the 17th top-selling classical album of the 2000s in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and is Brightman's second highest seller in the country after her 1997 release Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye. Aside from the US, the album experienced its strongest sales in Asia, where it received a quintuple platinum certification in Taiwan and earned Brightman's first Gold award in Japan.

<i>Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1</i> 2004 greatest hits album by Hikaru Utada

Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1 is the first compilation album by Hikaru Utada, released on March 31, 2004. It features all A-sides of her hit singles to that date, including 11 number-one hits and all 15 tracks reached the top 5. The album version was remastered by Ted Jensen. The album was released on iTunes in April 2004.

<i>Sogno</i> 1999 studio album by Andrea Bocelli

Sogno (Dream) is the fifth studio album by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

<i>This Is the Remix</i> (Destinys Child album) 2002 remix album by Destinys Child

This Is the Remix is a remix album by American R&B group Destiny's Child. Released in the United States on March 12, 2002 by Columbia Records, the album compiles previously released R&B and dance remixes of songs originally featured on the band's first three studio albums: Destiny's Child (1998), The Writing's on the Wall (1999) and Survivor (2001). The album also includes one new track: "Heard a Word", a solo track performed by member Michelle Williams. The album's title is a reference to a lyric in the first track "No, No, No Part 2".

<i>Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya</i> 2000 studio album by Boyz II Men

Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya is the fifth album by R&B group Boyz II Men in 2000. The only LP issued during the group's brief contract with Universal Records, its title reflects the album's ambitions; unlike previous records, the majority of the tracks were written and produced by Boyz II Men themselves. The two singles, "Pass You By" and "Thank You in Advance", both performed below expectations on the charts.

<i>Moment of Glory</i> 2000 studio album by Scorpions

Moment of Glory is an album by German hard rock band Scorpions. It was recorded in collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and released in 2000. The album features re-arranged songs from the Scorpions repertoire, as well as classical interludes, a cover song and the new single "Moment of Glory". Initially, English composer Andrew Powell was asked to provide arrangements and Michael Kamen was designated next for the orchestral material. After the latter gave up the job in order to work with Metallica for their album S&M, finally the Austrian arranger and conductor Christian Kolonovits proved to be the right collaborator.

<i>Live at Knebworth</i> 2003 live album by Robbie Williams

Live at Knebworth, also known as Live Summer 2003 with different cover text, is a live album by English pop singer Robbie Williams, recorded and released in 2003. The album is his first live album, and is a compilation of songs performed during three consecutive shows at Knebworth, England on 1–3 August 2003.

<i>Shaman</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Santana

Shaman is the nineteenth studio album by Santana. Shaman was released on October 22, 2002, and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 298,973. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA and Gold in Greece.

<i>Aquarius</i> (Aqua album) 2000 studio album by Aqua

Aquarius is the second studio album by Danish–Norwegian band Aqua. The album was released on 28 February 2000 by Universal.

<i>Britney Spears Live from Las Vegas</i> 2002 video by Britney Spears

Britney Spears Live from Las Vegas is the fourth video album by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was released on January 22, 2002 through Jive Records. Recorded during Spears' concert during the Dream Within a Dream Tour (2001–02) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, originally broadcast on HBO, Spears performed sixteen songs in between dance routines and costume changes.

<i>Thalía</i> (English-language album) 2003 studio album by Thalía

Thalía is the ninth studio album and third eponymous album by Mexican recording artist Thalía, released on July 8, 2003, by Virgin Records and EMI Latin. It is her first English-language album, and shares a title with Thalía's 1990 and 2002 Spanish-language albums. The album had a moderate success selling 750,000 in three months of release.

<i>The Prince of Egypt</i> (soundtrack) 1998 soundtrack album by various artists

The official soundtrack for The Prince of Egypt was released on November 17, 1998. It features songs and scoring from the film, as well as songs not used in the film. The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Top Contemporary Christian chart, and No. 25 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>t.A.T.u. Remixes</i> 2003 remix album by t.A.T.u.

t.A.T.u. Remixes, or simply Remixes, is an official compilation of remixes from t.A.T.u. The album features remixes from 200 Po Vstrechnoy as well as from 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane and some new remixes. The Russian release included one CD format, other one includes two CDs and one DVD that featured music videos, video remixes and live performances, however, other releases did not include an extra CD or DVD.

<i>Coast to Coast</i> (Westlife album) 2000 studio album by Westlife

Coast to Coast is the second studio album by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 6 November 2000 by RCA Records. Five hit singles were released from the album: "Against All Odds", "My Love", "What Makes a Man", "I Lay My Love on You" and "When You're Looking Like That". The album was a commercial success in both Ireland and the United Kingdom, selling 1.8 million copies in Britain alone. The album was the third-best selling of 2000 in Britain. As of October 2001, it sold seven million copies worldwide.

<i>Unbreakable – The Greatest Hits Volume 1</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Westlife

Unbreakable – The Greatest Hits Volume 1 is the first greatest hits album by Irish boy band Westlife. The album was released on 11 November 2002. The album consists of all of the group's past singles along with six new songs. Hit single "Flying Without Wings" was re-recorded as a duet with South Korean singer BoA and Mexican singer Cristian Castro, and each respective duet was included on the Asian and Spanish editions of the album respectively. The first single released from the album was "Unbreakable", a UK number-one single. The second single, the double A-side "Tonight" / "Miss You Nights" peaked at number three in the UK and at number one in Ireland.

<i>Turnaround</i> (Westlife album) 2003 studio album by Westlife

Turnaround is the fourth studio album by Irish boy band Westlife, released on 24 November 2003 by BMG. The first single released was the upbeat track, "Hey Whatever". The next single was a cover of the Barry Manilow hit, "Mandy". The band's version earned them their 12th UK number one and an Irish record of the year award. "Obvious", an original song, was the third and final single released from the album.

<i>Platinum Christmas</i> 2000 compilation album by Various artists

Platinum Christmas is a 2000 holiday album released by Jive Records on November 14, 2000. "My Gift to You" by Donell Jones appears only in the North American release, in the rest of the world Jones's song has been replaced by "Perfect Christmas" by S Club 7.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r559219
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN   978-1-84609-856-7.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ "#179 The Definitive Collection". Rolling Stone . 1 November 2003. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  5. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  6. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  7. ↑ "The Essential Collection - ABBA | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – ABBA – The Definitive Collection" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – ABBA – The Definitive Collection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 44, 2001". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  12. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  13. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  14. ↑ "Charts.nz – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – ABBA – The Definitive Collection" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  16. ↑ "Top 40 Albums - 22 / 2004". Tracklisten. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  17. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  20. ↑ "ABBA: The Definitive Collection" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  21. ↑ "Lescharts.com – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  22. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  23. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 DVDs" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  24. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – ABBA – The Definitive Collection" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  25. ↑ "Danish album certifications – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  26. ↑ "French album certifications – ABBA – The Definitive Collection" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  27. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ABBA; 'The Definitive Collection')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  28. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ABBA; 'The Definitive Collection')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  29. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas . Retrieved 3 November 2020.Type ABBA in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and The Definitive Collection in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  30. ↑ "Dutch video certifications – ABBA – The Definitive Collection" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 3 November 2020.Enter The Definitive Collection in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2004 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  31. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – ABBA – The Definitive Collection". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  32. ↑ "자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2003년 - POP 음반 판매량" (in Korean). MIAK. Archived from the original on 2007-07-17.
  33. ↑ "자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2004년 총결산 POP음반 판매량" (in Korean). MIAK. Archived from the original on 2007-06-16.
  34. ↑ "자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2001년 - POP 음반 판매량" (in Korean). MIAK. Archived from the original on 2007-06-16.
  35. ↑ "자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2003년 - POP 음반 판매량" (in Korean). MIAK. Archived from the original on 2006-04-16. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  36. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Definitive Collection')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  37. ↑ "Sweden certifications (2002)" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  38. ↑ "British album certifications – Abba – The Definitive Collection". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  39. ↑ "British video certifications – Abba – The Definitive Collection". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  40. ↑ Trust, Gary (23 January 2009). "Ask Billboard: Mariah Carey, Abba, Oasis, The Verve". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
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.