The Winner Takes It All

Last updated

"The Winner Takes It All"
ABBA - The Winner Takes It All-Elaine.png
Single by ABBA
from the album Super Trouper
B-side "Elaine"
Released21 July 1980 (1980-07-21)
Recorded1980
Genre Pop
Length
  • 4:54 (album version)
  • 4:20 (US promo edited version)
Label Polar
Songwriter(s) Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Producer(s) Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA singles chronology
"I Have a Dream"
(1979)		"The Winner Takes It All"
(1980)		"On and On and On"
(1980)
Music video
"The Winner Takes It All" on YouTube

"The Winner Takes It All" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. Released as the first single from the group's seventh studio album, Super Trouper (1980), it is a ballad in the key of G-flat major, reflecting on the end of a relationship. The single's B-side was the non-album track "Elaine". The song peaked at No.1 in several countries, including the UK, where it became their eighth chart-topper. It was also the group's final top 10 hit in the United States. It was written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, with Agnetha Fältskog singing the lead vocal.

Contents

In a 1999 poll for Channel 5, "The Winner Takes It All" was voted Britain's favourite ABBA song. This feat was replicated in a 2010 poll for ITV. In a 2006 poll for a Channel Five programme, "The Winner Takes It All" was voted "Britain's Favourite Break-Up Song."

Background

Ulvaeus and Andersson started writing "The Winner Takes It All" in the summer of 1979 in a cottage on the island of Viggsö. According to Andersson, the idea for the song suddenly came up "from old ideas, from old small musical pieces" they had. The demo had an original title of "The Story of My Life" and the first arrangement for the song was uptempo with a constant beat. However, they felt their first effort "much too stiff and metrical", so they left the song for a few days while they worked on other songs. Four days later they returned to the song, and Andersson came up with the idea of using a French chanson-style arrangement with a descending piano line and a looser structure. Ulvaeus then recorded a demo using nonsense French words for lyrics, and took the recording home to write the lyrics for "The Winner Takes It All". According to Ulvaeus, he drank whiskey while he was writing, and it was the quickest lyric he ever wrote. He said, "I was drunk, and the whole lyric came to me in a rush of emotion in one hour." Ulvaeus said that when he gave the lyrics to Fältskog to read, "a tear or two welled up in her eyes. Because the words really affected her." [1]

Ulvaeus denies the song is about his and Fältskog's divorce, saying the basis of the song "is the experience of a divorce, but it's fiction. 'Cause one thing I can say is that there wasn't a winner or a loser in our case. A lot of people think it's straight out of reality, but it's not". [2] However, Ulvaeus admitted that the heartache of their breakup inspired the song, but noted that the words in the song should not be taken literally. [1] He said: "Neither Agnetha nor I were winners in our divorce." [3] American critic Chuck Klosterman, who says "The Winner Takes It All" is "[the only] pop song that examines the self-aware guilt one feels when talking to a person who has humanely obliterated your heart" finds Ulvaeus' denial hard to believe in light of the original title. [4] The booklet for the double CD compilation The Definitive Collection states "The Winner Takes It All" is the song where Bjorn admits that the sad experience of his and Agnetha's divorce the previous year left its mark on the lyrics."

Reception

Record World said of it that "Gripping vocal drama is augmented forcefully by plush orchestration." [5]

Chart performance

"The Winner Takes It All" was a major success for ABBA, hitting No. 1 in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United Kingdom. It reached the Top 5 in Austria, Finland, France, West Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Zimbabwe, while peaking in the Top 10 in Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain and the United States (where it became ABBA's fourth and final American Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 8; the song spent 26 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, more than any other ABBA single). [6] It was also the group's second Billboard Adult Contemporary #1 (after "Fernando"). [7] "The Winner Takes It All" was also a hit in Brazil: it was included on the soundtrack of "Coração Alado" ("Winged Heart"), a popular soap opera in 1980, as the main theme.

The track was listed as the 23rd most popular single on the US Billboard year-end chart for 1981. [8]

As of September 2021, it is the group's fifth-biggest song in the UK with 920,000 chart sales (including pure sales and streaming numbers). [9]

Music video

The Societetshuset in Marstrand town, where the music video was filmed in the summer of 1980 Marstrand-Societetshuset-15.jpg
The Societetshuset in Marstrand town, where the music video was filmed in the summer of 1980

A music video to promote the song was filmed in July 1980 on Marstrand, an island on the Swedish west coast. It was directed by Lasse Hallström. Appropriately, the video was shot ten days after the divorce of Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog was officially declared by the courts. It starts with a black-and-white photo montage of ABBA, then moves to the face of Agnetha singing the song. Interspersed in the video is footage of her walking alone, still photographs, and shots of other happier members of the band. [10]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Winner Takes It All"4:55
2."Elaine"3:42

Personnel

Additional musicians

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [43] Gold300,000 [43]
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [44] Gold45,000‡
France—250,000 [45]
Germany (BVMI) [46] Gold250,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [47] Gold50,000‡
Kenya—10,000 [48]
Netherlands (NVPI) [49] Gold100,000^
Portugal—20,000 [50]
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [51] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [52] Platinum847,000 [53]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers

See also

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>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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnetha Fältskog</span> Swedish singer (born 1950)

Åse Agneta Fältskog, known as Agnetha Fältskog and AnnaFältskog, is a Swedish singer, songwriter and a member of the pop group ABBA. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 self-titled debut album. She rose to international stardom in the 1970s as a member of ABBA, which is one of the best-selling music acts in history. She is the youngest member of ABBA, and the only one born in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamma Mia (ABBA song)</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"Mamma Mia" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It is the opening track on the group's third album, the self-titled ABBA (1975). The song was released in September 1975 as its sixth single. It tells the story of the narrator's on-again, off-again relationship with a lover who is repeatedly unfaithful to her. The song's name is derived from Italian and literally translates as "my mother", but is used as an interjection in situations of surprise, anguish, or excitement. The song was ABBA's first number one in the UK since "Waterloo" in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dancing Queen</span> 1976 single by ABBA

"Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Arrival (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus also produced the song. "Dancing Queen" was released as a single in Sweden in August 1976, followed by a UK release and the rest of Europe. It was a worldwide hit. It became ABBA's only number one hit in the United States, and topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, West Germany and the Soviet Union. "Dancing Queen" also reached the top five in many other countries.

<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".

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Trouper (song)</span> 1980 song by ABBA

"Super Trouper" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, and the title track from their 1980 studio album of the same name, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was released in November 1980 as the album's third single. The song – with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad – had the working title "Blinka Lilla Stjärna", and was the last track to be written and recorded for the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOS (ABBA song)</span> 1975 single by ABBA

"SOS" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in June 1975 as the fifth single from their self-titled 1975 album.

<i>Elva kvinnor i ett hus</i> 1975 studio album by Agnetha Fältskog

Elva kvinnor i ett hus is the fifth studio album by Swedish pop singer Agnetha Fältskog, released on 1 December 1975 by Cupol Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One of Us (ABBA song)</span> 1981 single by ABBA

"One of Us" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in December 1981 by Polar Music as the lead single from the band's eighth studio album, The Visitors (1981). Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who also produced it, the song has lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog and is about a woman trying to revive a relationship she had ended. It would become ABBA's last major hit for 40 years, and the last No. 1 single of their career, topping the charts in Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. "One of Us" was also a top-10 hit in countries like Austria, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In the US, where it was released in 1983, it only charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 107 and 33, respectively. The music video for the song was directed by Lasse Hallström, featuring Fältskog as a woman moving into her new house. "One of Us" has since been covered by Pandora in 1995, A-Teens in 1999 and Cher in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take a Chance on Me</span> Song by Swedish pop group ABBA

"Take a Chance on Me" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in January 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, ABBA: The Album (1977). Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad share the lead vocals on the verses and choruses, with Fältskog singing two bridge sections solo. The song reached the top ten in both the UK and US, and was notably covered by the British band Erasure in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring Ring (ABBA song)</span> 1973 single by Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida (ABBA)

"Ring Ring ", in English: "Ring Ring ", titled simply as "Ring Ring" in the English single version, is a song by Swedish group ABBA, released as the title track of their 1973 debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lay All Your Love on Me</span> 1981 single by ABBA

"Lay All Your Love on Me" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA in 1980 for their seventh studio album, Super Trouper. The song was not intended to be a single but after a remixed version gained popularity in nightclubs, the song was released as the album's sixth and final single in the summer of 1981, eight months after the album's release. At the time, it was the highest selling 12-inch record in UK chart history, where it peaked at No. 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knowing Me, Knowing You</span> 1977 song by ABBA

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in February 1977 as the third single from the group's fourth album, Arrival (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with Anni-Frid Lyngstad singing the lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head over Heels (ABBA song)</span> 1982 single by ABBA

"Head Over Heels" is a 1981 song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA and the second track from their eighth studio album, The Visitors. It was released as a single the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey, Honey</span> 1974 single by ABBA

"Honey, Honey" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released as the second single from their second studio album, Waterloo, after the success of the title track at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Visitors (song)</span> 1982 single by ABBA

"The Visitors", also known as "The Visitors ", is a 1981 song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It is the title track from the band's studio album of the same name, and was released as the fourth and final single in April 1982. The lead vocal was performed by Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When All Is Said and Done</span> 1981 single by ABBA

"When All Is Said and Done" is a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA, and is featured on the group's eighth studio album, The Visitors. The track – with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad – was released as a single in the United States on 31 December 1981 on Atlantic 3889, and reached No. 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 1982.

"My Love, My Life" is a song recorded by ABBA for their album, Arrival. The song was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

References

  1. 1 2 Palm, Carl Magnus (2009). Bright Lights Dark Shadows – The Real Story of Abba. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857120571.
  2. ↑ McLean, Craig (13 July 2008). "Knowing Mia knowing you". The Guardian. London.
  3. ↑ "Abba: Five working titles which thankfully got changed..." BBC.
  4. ↑ Klosterman, Chuck (2009). Eating the Dinosaur . New York: Scribner. pp.  170–71. ISBN   978-1-4165-4421-0.
  5. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 15 November 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "United States of America". Home.zipworld.com.au. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 15.
  8. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1981 / Top 100 Songs of 1981". musicoutfitters.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  9. ↑ UK Official Charts ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs
  10. ↑ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (2004). Abba's Abba Gold. Bloomsbury Continuum. pp. 100–101. ISBN   978-0826415462.
  11. ↑ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 15 November 1980. p. 34.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 . St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  15. ↑ "ABBA: The Winner Takes It All" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  17. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Winner Takes It All". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 8 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "ABBA".
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  20. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  21. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". VG-lista. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  23. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  24. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  25. ↑ "ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  26. ↑ "ABBA: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  27. ↑ "ABBA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  28. ↑ "ABBA Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  29. ↑ Downey, Pat; Albert, George; Hoffmann, Frank W (1994). Cash Box pop singles charts, 1950–1993 . Libraries Unlimited. p.  1. ISBN   978-1-56308-316-7.
  30. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "ABBA: The Winner Takes It All" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  32. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1980". Kent Music Report. 5 January 1981. Retrieved 17 January 2022– via Imgur.
  33. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1980". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  34. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1980". Ultratop. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  35. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980" . Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  36. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  37. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1980" . Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  38. ↑ "The official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1980". Official Charts .
  39. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  40. ↑ "Top Annuali Single 1981" . Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  41. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  42. ↑ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1981". Cashbox Magazine . Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  43. 1 2 "Winning in Brazil" (PDF). Cash Box. 2 May 1981. p. 39. Retrieved 19 November 2019– via American Radio History.
  44. ↑ "Danish single certifications – ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  45. ↑ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Fabrice Ferment (ed.). "TOP – 1980". 40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles (in French). OCLC   469523661. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022– via Top-France.fr.
  46. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ABBA; 'The Winner Takes It All')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  47. ↑ "Italian single certifications – ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  48. ↑ "ABBA the World - Kenya". Billboard. 8 November 1979. p. ABBA-18. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  49. ↑ "Dutch single certifications – ABBA – The Winner Takes It All" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 19 November 2019.Enter The Winner Takes It All in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  50. ↑ Fernando, Tenente (8 November 1979). "ABBA the World - Portugal". Billboard. p. ABBA-30. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  51. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  52. ↑ "British single certifications – ABBA – The Winner Takes It All". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  53. ↑ Myers, Justin (22 April 2019). "ABBA's Official Top 20 biggest songs". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  54. ↑ "Cher on new Abba covers album: The songs are hard to sing". Irish Examiner. 9 August 2018. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  55. ↑ "The Winner Takes It All". Amazon. Epic. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  56. ↑ "Love Scenes". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  57. ↑ "Susan Boyle covers ABBA - listen". Digital Spy. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  58. ↑ "Tor James Faulkner - Other works". IMDb.
  59. ↑ "The Reflection". 21 February 2010 – via open.spotify.com.
  60. ↑ "Debbie Sims – The Winner Takes It All" – via genius.com.
  61. ↑ "A ty se ptáš, co já by Helena Vondráčková". Seconghandsongs.com. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  62. ↑ "ABBA - The Winner Takes It All …". Facebook.
  63. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (9 October 2018). "'Better Call Saul' Season Finale Recap: Winner Takes It All". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 3 January 2019.
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.