ABBA group. History of ABBA

ABBA is one of the most successful groups in the history of pop music and the most popular group created in Scandinavia. Agneta Fältskog (vocals), Björn Ulvaeus (vocals, guitar), Benny Andersson (keyboards, vocals) and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (vocals) took the music world by storm, breaking into the charts across the planet in the 1970s.

ABBA became the first group in Europe to achieve leading positions in the charts of all English-speaking countries. The 70s even began to be called the “ABBA” decade. Every appearance of the quartet in public was an event, and a new recording was a hit. In the fall of 1982, with the release of the collection “The First Ten Years,” the musicians celebrated the tenth anniversary of the group, after which each of them began a solo career. AiF.ru tells how life turned out for the members of the legendary quartet after the collapse of the group.

Agnetha Fältskog

Agnetha's remarkable music career began when she was just 15 years old. Long before the creation of the ABBA group, the singer managed to appear in many musical groups and become popular in Sweden.

On July 6, 1971, Agnetha married Bjorn Ulvaeus. A romantic relationship with him arose during filming on Swedish television in May 1969. They had two children: daughter Linda Elin was born on February 23, 1973 and son Christian on December 4, 1977. Agnetha and Bjorn separated at the end of 1978, and Agnetha left their shared home on Christmas night. At the same time, they decided that their troubles in family life should not in any way affect their work together in the group. Agnetha was later married again, to the surgeon Thomas Sonnenfeld.

The singer currently lives in a small estate on the island of Helgo, one of the 14 islands on which Stockholm is located. Together with his grandchildren, he often sings the popular hits of his youth.

After the collapse of the legendary four, Fältskog recorded several solo discs in Swedish and English, and then disappeared from the world of music for a long time. The girl admitted more than once that she was tired of singing and was even afraid to approach the microphone. It took her several years to recover from a busy touring schedule and pressure from the press.

In 1996, the singer broke her silence and released an autobiography, and two years later, a music album with her best songs. In 2004, Agnetha recorded the collection “My Coloring Book”, composed of cover versions of hits of the 60s, which was especially warmly received by music critics and immediately entered the top 10 in many European countries. In 2013, the Swedish star finished work on the album “A”, which included only new compositions. After the record was released, fans of the Swedish four-piece became interested in Agnetha again, and the BBC television company made a documentary film “Agnetha: ABBA and Beyond...” dedicated to the singer’s life.

Currently, the former soloist of the popular quartet continues to engage in musical creativity. Lives in the suburbs of Stockholm, enjoys yoga, astrology, horse riding and often sings popular hits of his youth with his grandchildren.

Bjorn Ulvaeus

10 years before the appearance of ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus began performing on stage and had already worked with many successful Swedish groups. In addition to music, Björn has always been interested in foreign languages. Interestingly, at the time of the global popularity of the Swedish four, he was the only one of them who spoke English.

After his divorce from Agnetha, Ulvaeus married Lena Calercio, who worked as a music journalist. They got married on January 6, 1981. This marriage produced two daughters: Emma in 1982 and Anna in 1986.

Bjorn and Lena now live in Stockholm, although they lived in England from 1984 to 1990.

Björn Ulvaeus and his bandmate Benny Andersson are an example of true friendship: having started their creative work together long before ABBA, they still collaborate successfully. Former soloists worked on the project of the group “Gemini” in the late 80s, writing several compositions for the group. And in 1989, it was they who were approached by producer Judy Kramer, who came up with the idea of ​​​​creating the musical “Mamma Mia!” based on the band's songs.

Today, Bjorn and Benny are considered one of the wealthiest people in show business in their country: they founded their own companies and are involved in producing. However, now Ulvaeus has begun to pay less attention to music, and devotes himself more to social activities.

Benny Andersson

Benny Andersson is known to the world not only as the former lead singer of ABBA, but also as a composer, producer, and arranger. He first appeared on stage at the age of eight and still remains true to his talent.

Benny lived with Frida Lyngstad for 12 years, 3 of which were officially married from October 1978 to 1981.

He then married Swedish television presenter Mona Norklit in November 1981. In January 1982 their son Ludwig was born. Ludwig followed in his father's footsteps and created his own group, Ella Rouge.

In addition, Benny also has a son, Peter, and a daughter, born in the sixties during his relationship with Christina Grönwall. Son Peter Grönval is a talented composer and performer. In the mid-80s, he created his own musical group, Sound of Music, which later changed its name to One More Time.

Benny is excellent at creating both individual works and music for feature films. His first attempt at working with the big screen took place in the early 70s, when he wrote the composition for the Swedish film “The Seduction Of Inga”, which was never released. However, Benny's soundtrack was released in Japan and became a top ten hit. After the breakup of ABBA, Andersson wrote the music for the film Mio in the Land of Faraway, based on Astrid Lindgren's famous book Mio, My Mio, and in 1992, a popular theme song for the European Football Championship in Sweden.

Currently, the former lead singer of ABBA continues to write music for films and leads the Benny Andersson Orchestra, which is very popular in Sweden.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

On April 3, 1963, at the age of 17, Frida married salesman and musician Ragnar Fredriksson. They had two children: Hans Ragnar Fredriksson (born January 26, 1963) and Anne Lisa-Lotte Fredriksson (February 25, 1967 – January 13, 1998). Frida and Ragnar separated shortly after the birth of their daughter and officially divorced on May 19, 1970. On the same day, Frida's grandmother Agnew died; she was 71 years old.

In May 1969, Frida met Benny Andersson. Since 1971, they began to live together, but officially formalized their relationship only on October 6, 1978, when ABBA was at the peak of its popularity. Their official marriage lasted only 3 years; they divorced in 1981.

In 1982 she left Sweden and moved to London. Throughout 1984, her album “Shine” was recorded in Paris. Then in 1986 she moved to Switzerland, where she still lives.

On August 26, 1992, Frida married her longtime friend, Prince Heinrich Ruzzo Reuss von Plauen (May 24, 1950 - October 29, 1999). Since then, she has been officially known as Her Serene Highness Princess Anni-Fried Reuss von Plauen. Prince Henry died of cancer in 1999, and a year earlier, on January 13, 1998, her daughter Lisa-Lotte died in a car accident in Livonia, near Detroit (USA).

Because her husband attended the same school as the current King of Sweden, Princess Reuss became a close friend of the Swedish Royal Family.

After the breakup of the group, the singer released several solo albums, but now she is only involved in charity work, is an honorary member of various public organizations, finances a fund to help orphans and sponsors a music festival in Switzerland.

In an interview, the Swedish star states that she does not miss ABBA, as she has a new life that brings a lot of joy.

Compound

Agnetha Fältskog (Swedish: Agnetha Ase Fältskog) - vocals (b. April 5, 1950, Jönköping, Sweden);

Björn Ulvaeus (Swedish: Björn Kristian Ulvaeus) - vocals, guitar (b. April 25, 1945, Gothenburg, Sweden);

Benny Andersson (Swedish: Benny Bror Göran Andersson) - keyboards, vocals (b. December 16, 1946, Stockholm, Sweden);

Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad (FRIDA) - vocals (b. November 15, 1945, Ballangen / Narvik, Norway).

Brief history of the group until the beginning of the 21st century

The founders of the group were musicians, singers and songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. They first met at a party in Vastervik in the summer of 1966, where they decided that they should write songs together. At that time, Benny was the keyboard player of the popular Swedish group "Hep stars", Bjorn was a singer and guitarist in the ensemble "Hootenanny Singers". At a concert in Malmö, Benny met singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who, from the age of thirteen, sang with various groups and even performed at song festivals in Japan and Venezuela. At the same time, Björn heard on the radio how Agneta Fältskog was singing her own song “I Was So In Love”, and decided to invite her to the group.

CONTINUED BELOW

In 1971, Benny and Björn joined Polar as producers. The tragic death of Bengt Bernhag, the closest friend and associate of Polar head Stig Anderson, brought producer Björn Ulvaeus to the vacant position. Stig offered the young author this position, but Björn was not entirely happy with it. He agreed on the condition that his co-author, Benny Andersson, would also be hired. The head of the company did not have a salary for two, and aspiring authors had to work part-time.

In February 1973, the quartet's song "Ring Ring", rejected by the Eurovision Song Contest committee, was recorded in Swedish, German, Spanish and English and topped the charts in Sweden, Austria, Holland, Belgium and South Africa. In March 1973, the quartet's first long-playing album, entitled "Ring Ring", was released. On April 6, 1974, ABBA's song "Waterloo" won the Eurovision Song Contest in the English city of Brighton by an absolute margin (20 to 1). "Waterloo" began an unprecedented sequence of eighteen consecutive UK top ten hits. Eight of them reached the top: "Mamma Mia" (1976), "Fernando" (1976), "Dancing Queen" (1976), "Knowing Me", "Knowing You" (1977), "The Name Of The Game" ( 1977), "Take A Chance On Me" (1978), "The Winner Takes It All" (1980), "Super Trouper" (1980). Eight of the band's albums also topped the charts, starting with the compilation album "Greatest Hits", released in Sweden at the end of 1975.

The achievements of the four overseas were much more modest: only “Dancing Queen” stayed at the top of the list for a week in April 1977. Three albums went gold in the States, and only ABBA - “The Album” (1977) went platinum. On June 18, 1976, ABBA performed for the King of Sweden on the eve of the royal wedding, presenting to the public a completely new song, “Dancing Queen.” In February 1977, they made their first British tour (two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall (11 thousand seats) received 3.5 million applications). The final part in March took place in Australia, where most of the material for the film ABBA was filmed.

On December 15, the world premiere of the film took place there. In the quartet's homeland, the film premiered on Christmas evening in 1977. On January 9, 1979, the quartet took part in a UNICEF charity event in New York and donated all proceeds from the single "Chiquitita" to the organization. On September 13, 1979, ABBA opened its first North American tour with a concert in Edmonton, Canada. The tour ended in mid-November in Europe.

Since the winter of 1981/1982, the group's activity has noticeably declined. ABBA's last single recorded together, "Under Attack", was released in December 1982, although their last hit was "Thank You For The Music".

A new growth in the popularity of ABBA, as well as all music of the disco boom, began in 1992. Polydor has reissued all the group's hits on two CDs. "Erasure" made an EP with modern ABBA-esque covers of songs, and the Australian group "Bjorn again" achieved rapid success with a faithfully reproduced and highly recognizable ABBA image and sound.

According to media reports, in 2000 ABBA refused a contract for a round-the-world series of performances with the “good old” line-up worth almost $1 billion.

1972-1973

Benny Andersson was the keyboard player of the Swedish pop group Hep Stars, popular in the second half of the 1960s. They performed remakes of international hits. The strength of the group was their live performances with spectacular shows. Their fans were mostly young girls. They were rightfully called the Swedish Beatles, although their stage image more closely resembled the Dors.

Andersson played the synthesizer and gradually began writing original compositions for the group, many of which became hits. Björn Ulvaeus was the lead singer of the popular folk group "Hootenanny Singers". He and Andersson sometimes met and agreed to record together.

Stig Anderson, manager of the Hootenanny Singers and founder of the record label Polar Music, saw great potential in the collaboration between Andersson and Ulvaeus and strongly supported any of their endeavors. He, like no one else, believed that someday they would become famous throughout the world. The duo eventually recorded the album "Lycka" ("Happiness"), in which they included their own compositions.

On some songs, the female voices of their friends, Agnetha and Frida, were clearly heard. Agneta Fältskog is the youngest member of the group. When she was 17 years old, her song became number 1 in Sweden. Many critics believed that she was a talented composer, most of her songs were written in the style of popular music. Along with writing her own songs, she also recorded cover versions of foreign hits and performed them at Swedish amateur competitions. As a result, she became the most popular pop singer of the time.

In 1969, Agnetha met Frida on a TV show, and a few months later she met Björn at a concert. While filming a TV show in 1969, she and Björn met again, became acquainted and married in 1971. In 1972, Agnetha received the role of Mary Magdalene in the Swedish production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. Critics praised her work in this project.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad has been singing with various dance groups since she was 13 years old. Later she joined a jazz band. In 1969, she won a national talent competition. Her professional career began with signing a contract with the Swedish branch of EMI in 1967. At the same time, singles with songs performed by her began to be released, but a full-fledged long-playing album was released only in 1971.

In 1969 she participated in "Melodifestivalen" and her song "Härlig är vår jord" took 4th place. She met Benny Andersson at a TV studio. A few weeks later, on a concert tour in southern Sweden, a second meeting took place. Soon they begin to live together.

Benny Andersson recruits Frida and Agneta as backing vocalists for the album "Lycka". From that time on, he began producing Frida's solo career. Despite ABBA's growing popularity, Frida completed work on her Swedish-language solo album at the end of 1975. It is noteworthy that this record opened with the world famous song “Fernando”, but in Swedish. Fearing idle speculation, band director Stig Anderson insisted on continuing the ensemble's joint work. The subsequent solo album of the dark-haired lead singer of ABBA was released only in 1982.

In the early 1970s, although Björn and Agnetha were married and Benny and Frida were living together, they continued to pursue their own independent musical careers in Sweden.

Stig Anderson wanted to break into the international music market. He inspired Benny and Björn to write a song for the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, which was to be performed by Lena Anderson. The song "Say It With a Song" took 3rd place in the competition, which confirmed Stig's opinion that he was on the right track. Benny and Björn experimented in songwriting with new sound and vocal arrangements. One of their songs was "People Need Love" with girls' voices to great effect. Stig released this song as a single, under the credits of "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid". The song reached number 17 in the Swedish charts.

The single also became the song's first to chart in the United States, where it peaked at number 14 on the Cashbox singles chart and number 17 on the Record World's chart. The single was later released on Playboy Records. Although, in Stig's opinion, the song should have become a much bigger hit in the United States, the small record company Playboy Records did not have the necessary resources to distribute the record to retailers and radio stations.

The following year they made an attempt to break into Melodifestivalen with the song "Ring Ring". The studio production was handled by Michael Tretov, who experimented with the “wall of sound” technology that had become a fixture on ABBA recordings. Stig commissions Neil Sedaka and Phil Cody to translate the lyrics into English. They intend to win first place, but only end up third. However, the promotional group releases the album "Ring Ring" under the same awkward title "Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida". The album sold well and the song "Ring Ring" became a hit in many European countries, but Stig felt that a breakthrough would only come if the song became a British or American hit.

Name Abba

In the spring of 1973, Stig, tired of the group's awkward name, began calling it privately and publicly as ABBA. This was a joke at first, as Abba was the name of a well-known fish processing company in Sweden. According to Agnetha’s memoirs, “ When we decided to call ourselves A-B-B-A, we had to get permission from this company. There they answered us: “We agree, just make sure that we don’t feel ashamed of you.”»

The very first time ABBA's name was found written on paper was during a recording session at Metronome Studio in Stockholm on October 16, 1973. The first single released under the ABBA name was "Waterloo".

ABBA is an acronym formed from the first letters of each member's name: Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid (FRIDA). The first B in the group's name became inverted in 1976, becoming a registered trademark.

1974-1977

In 1972 and 1973, Björn, Benny and manager Stig believed in the possibilities of Melodifestivalen and Eurovision. Later, in 1973, composers were invited to write a new song for the 1974 competitions. Choosing between several new songs, they unexpectedly settled on "Waterloo" - because the band was impressed by the growth of glam rock in England.

"Waterloo" was an undeniable glam rock pop single, recorded by Michael B. Tretow using wall of sound technology. ABBA won hearts in their homeland and in their 3rd attempt they were more prepared for international competitions. The song was presented at a show at the Brighton Dome in England, took first place and made them widely known in England and also rose to the top of the charts throughout Europe. "Waterloo" was ABBA's first number 1 song in England.

In America, it peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, paving the way for their first album there, although the album only peaked at number 145 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Their next single, "So Long", reached the top 10 in Sweden and Germany, but failed to chart in England. But the next release, “Honey, Honey,” managed to break through to number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

In November 1974, ABBA embarked on their first international tour to Germany, Denmark and Austria. The tour did not turn out to be as successful as the band had hoped because many tickets were not sold and due to a lack of demand. ABBA were even forced to cancel several concerts, including a previously planned concert in Switzerland.

The second leg of the tour, which ABBA undertook in Scandinavia in January 1975, was completely different from the first: they sold out houses and finally received the reception they had expected. For 3 weeks in the summer of 1975, ABBA made up for what they had done the previous summer on a tour of Sweden. They performed 16 outdoor concerts in Sweden and Finland, attracting huge crowds. Their show in Stockholm at the Gröna Lund amusement park was watched by 19,000 people. The release of their 3rd ABBA album and 3rd single "SOS" entered the top 10 and the album reached number 13. The band was no longer treated as a one-hit wonder.

Success in Britain was confirmed when "Mamma Mia" reached number 1 in January 1976. In the United States, "SOS" was a Top 10 Record World 100 hit and No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, and received a BMI Award for the most played song of 1975.

Despite this, ABBA's success in the States was inconsistent. Although they were able to break into the singles market, having already had four top 30 songs before 1976, the album market was too tough a nut to crack. ABBA's album achieved fewer than 3 singles, peaking only at number 165 on the Cashbox album chart and number 174 on the Billboard 200. In the US, the consensus was that it was due to the same very poor promotion (see ABBA in the US).

In November 1975, the group released the collection "Greatest Hits". It includes 6 songs that reached the Top 40 in the UK and US. It becomes the first album to reach number one in England and includes the song "Fernando" (which was originally written in Swedish for Frida and appeared on her 1975 solo album).

One of ABBA's well known and very popular tracks "Fernando" did not appear on the Swedish or Australian releases of the Greatest Hits album. In Sweden, the song waited until 1982 and appeared on the compilation album The Singles-The First Ten Years. In Australia, the track was released on the 1976 album "Arrival". "Greatest Hits" catapulted the band into the top 50 in the US on the best albums list, selling over 1 million copies in the US. In the United States, "Fernando" reached the top 10 of the Cashbox Top 100 and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single also reached number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the first ABBA single to reach the top of any US chart. In Australia, Fernando's 2006 hit holds the record for the longest stay at number one (15 weeks) (tied with the Beatles' "Hey Jude").

The next album, "Arrival", reached a higher level both in the level of lyrics and the quality of studio work. It received excellent reviews from English music weeklies such as Melody Maker and New Musical Express, as well as very good reviews from American critics. In fact, several hits from this disc: “Money, Money, Money”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and the strongest hit “Dancing Queen”.

In 1977, the album "Arrival" was nominated for a BRIT Award in the category "Best International Album of the Year". At this time ABBA were very popular in England, much of Eastern Europe and Australia. However, their popularity in the US was at a much lower level and "Dancing Queen" only became number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, "Arrival" became ABBA's breakthrough in the US, where it peaked at number 20 on the Billboard album chart.

In January 1977, ABBA went on tour in Europe. At this time, the group's status changes radically and they become superstars. ABBA begin their long-awaited trip to Oslo, Norway with a show that includes scenes from their self-composed mini-operetta. This concert attracted a lot of media attention from Europe and Australia. ABBA continued their tour of Europe and ended with two concerts in London at the Royal Albert Hall. Tickets for these concerts were only available for ordering through the mail, and as it turned out later, the mail received more than three and a half million orders for tickets. However, there were complaints that the show was too "sterile and slick."

After the European leg of the tour in March 1977, ABBA played 11 concerts in Australia. The tour was accompanied by mass hysteria and enormous press attention, which is well illustrated in the full-length film "ABBA: The Movie", directed by the group's music video director Lasse Hallström.

The Australian tour and the movie based on it contain some fun details. Agnetha played the role of the good-looking blonde and "postcard girl" in the group, a role she rebelled against. Throughout the tour, she appeared on stage in a leather, white, very tight jumpsuit, which gave rise to one newspaper to write the headline “Agnetha’s Ass Show.”

In December 1977 in Sweden (in many countries - in January 1978), the album "The Album" was released. Although the disc was less critically received than others, it did contain several hits: "The Name of the Game" and "Take A Chance On Me", both of which reached number one in England and number 12 and 3 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. in USA. The album also included the song "Thank You for the Music", which was later released as a single in England, and was also featured as the flip-side to "Eagle" in places where the song was released as a single.

1978-1979

ABBA were super popular in 1978. They converted an old cinema into the recording studio "Polar Music" in Stockholm, where other very famous bands later recorded. For example, "Led Zeppelin" (album "In Through the Out Door") and "Genesis".

Recorded in 1978, the single "Summer Night City" became the last single to reach number one in the Swedish charts. It preceded the next giant disc, "Voulez-Vous", released in April 1979. Two songs on this album were recorded at the family's Criteria Studios in Miami with the help of legendary engineer Tom Dowd. The album ranks first in Europe and Japan, in the top ten in Canada and Australia, and in the top twenty in the United States.

Interestingly, none of the album's songs reached number one on the English charts, but "Chiquitita", "Does Your Mother Know", "Voulez-Vous" and "I Have a Dream" all did not go below number 4. In Canada, "I Have A Dream" becomes the second #1 song on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart, following "Fernando". In January 1979, the group performed the song "Chiquitita" at the "music for UNICEF" concert during the UN assembly. ABBA donated all proceeds from this worldwide hit to UNICEF.

Later that year, the group released their second compilation album, "Greatest Hits Vol. 2", which featured the new track "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (A Man After Midnight), their most famous disco hit in Europe. On September 13, 1979, ABBA began their first and only North American tour in Edmonton, Canada, to a full house of 14,000 people. Over the next four weeks they performed 17 shows, 13 in the US and 4 in Canada. The last planned concert in the United States in Washington was canceled due to Agnetha's emotional breakdown, which she suffered during a flight from New York to Boston, when the private plane she was on encountered extreme weather conditions and could not land for a long time.

The tour ended with a show in Toronto in Canada in front of approximately 18,000 spectators. This performance caused a flood of complaints from the group's fans, who said that ABBA was still more of a studio than a live show group. On October 19, the tour continued in Western Europe, where the musicians performed 23 concerts, including six nights at London's Wembley Arena.

1980: Japan Tour and "Super Trouper"

In March 1980, ABBA went on tour to Japan. When they arrived at the airport, they were attacked by hundreds of their fans. The group performed 11 sold out concerts, including 6 performances at the Tokyo Budokan. This tour turned out to be the last in the quartet's career.

In November 1980, their new album "Super Trouper" was released, which reflected a slight change in the group's style with greater use of synthesizers and personal lyrics. More than 1 million orders for this album were received even before its release, which was a record.

The main favorite of this album was the single "The Winner Takes It All", which reached number eight in the UK charts. In the US, it reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written as if about the marital problems of Agnetha and Björn. The follow-up song, "Super Trouper", also hit #1 in England, but failed to reach the top 40 in the US. Another track from the "Super Trouper" album, "Lay All Your Love on Me", had a limited release in some countries. top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

Also in June 1980, ABBA released a compilation album of their hits in Spanish, "Gracias Por La Música". It was released in Spanish-speaking countries, as well as Japan and Australia. The album became very successful, and together with the Spanish-language version of "Chiquitita", became a breakthrough for their success in South America.

1981: Benny and Frida's divorce, album “The Visitors”

In January 1981, Björn married Lena Calerso, and the band's manager, Stig Anderson, celebrated his 50th birthday with a party attended by many people. For this event, ABBA prepared a gift for him by recording the song "Hovas Vittne", dedicated to him and released in only 200 copies on red vinyl records. The entire circulation was distributed to the guests present at the party. This single is now the most coveted item among collectors.

In mid-February, Venya and Frida announced that they were going to divorce. It later became known that their marriage had been experiencing problems for quite some time and Benny had already met another woman - Nora Norklit, whom he married in November of the same year. Björn and Benny spent the early part of 1981 writing songs for the new album and began recording in the studio in mid-March.

At the end of April, the group took part in a TV program in the USA. The recording of the album was halfway through when the studio bought a new digital 32-track tape recorder to replace the 16-track analogue one. Recording of the album continued throughout the fall in order to release it by Christmas.

1982: band disbands

ABBA never officially announced the end of their activities, but the group has been considered broken up for a long time.

On January 1, 1982, ABBA gave its last concert in Stockholm. Their last performance as a group was on the British television program "The Late, Late Breakfast Show" (live from Stockholm) on December 11, 1982.

In January 1983, Agnetha began recording a solo album, while Frida had already released her own album, Something's Going On, a few months earlier. The album turned out to be very successful. Bjorn and Benny began writing songs for the musical Chess and their new project with the group “Gemini”. And the ABBA group was “put on the shelf.”

Bjorn and Benny denied the band's breakup in their interviews (" Who are we without our girls?! Brigitte Bardot's initials?"). Frida and Agnetha said several times that ABBA would certainly get together again to record a new album in 1983 or 1984. However, the group members no longer had the same relationships conducive to teamwork. In addition, the relationship with Stig Anderson has reached a dead end. Since then, the Swedish foursome have not appeared in public in full force (with the exception of January 1986) until July 4, 2008, when the Swedish premiere of the musical film Mamma Mia! took place.

The fate of the participants after the breakup

After the breakup of the group, Agnetha Fältskog released several discs; in 1996, her autobiography was published, and two years later, a music album with the best songs. She tried to start a family with doctor Thomas Sonnenfeld, but separated from him in 1993. Now the lead singer of the famous ensemble has retired to her villa on Ekero Island in the suburbs of Stockholm. There she indulges in yoga classes, is interested in astrology, keeps several trotters in her own stable, and takes long horseback and foot walks in the mornings.

Frida's daughter Liz-Lott died in a car accident. After a long illness, her second husband, Prince Ruzzo Reus von Plauen, died. Frida herself became an active fighter for environmental protection.

The lives of Bjorn and Benny were much more successful. Both married again and had children. They founded companies and promote young talents in every possible way. Now former ABBA members are considered the wealthiest people in the country's music world.

2006-2008: Mamma Mia!

During the premieres of the musical in different countries, the group members repeatedly appeared in front of the public. In October 2006, three members of the famous Swedish quartet Frida Reuss, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson came to Moscow especially for the premiere of the musical. Agnetha Fältskog thanked her in writing for the invitation, but chose to stay.

At the premiere of Mamma Mia! in Stockholm in 2008, for the first time in almost 20 years, all four members of the group gathered at the same time in one place. The cameras recorded them on the balcony of the cinema hall, mixed with the leading actors in the film. It was not possible to photograph all four separately from the other artists.

An association?

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph following this premiere, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson confirmed that they would no longer get together on stage. " We will never appear on stage together again", Ulvaeus stated. " There is nothing that can force us to unite. Money is not a factor that matters to us in this matter. We would like people to always remember us as we were: young, bright, full of energy and ambition. I remember Robert Plant once said about Led Zeppelin that they are a cover band because everything they do is covers of themselves, of their own past works. And, in my opinion, this is a very correct definition».

However, in 2010, Lyngstad said that she had met with Agneta Faltskog - and they discussed the possibility of performing together for the first time since the group broke up in 1983.

Who doesn't know about ABBA? This is one of the most famous groups in the world, and today we will tell its story.

In Scandinavia their record has not yet been broken. This band put Sweden on the map and is still a favorite of many people. ABBA was created in 1972, and the name was chosen simply as the first letters of the group members. ABBA is (“dark”), (“light”), and also.

The first ABBA songs in English were somewhat clumsy, since they were written by the men of the group who were just learning the language. Songs in their native Swedish language could not bring success in the world, so it was decided to do the entire repertoire in English. The group's first album, called Ring Ring, did well on the charts, but it was still not super popular.

And the real popularity began with the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. Then ABBA performed the song Waterloo and won. The album of the same name immediately took first place in the charts and the group’s goal was achieved.

After this, ABBA was recognized as the first group whose hits took first place in all English-speaking countries. This includes the USA, Canada, Australia, and even New Zealand. In the 1970s, everyone sang their hits: Mamma-Mia, Dancing Queen, Money Money Money and others.

In addition to amazing songs, the group surprised with their costumes, which were new every time and looked, to put it mildly, unusual. The group's concerts were dynamic, Agneta and Frida gave their best.

The most successful year in the group's career was 1977. ABBA released The Album and went on a world tour. Then ABBA released several more albums, which also occupied the top positions in the charts, but the relationship between the group members was no longer the same.

It should be mentioned here that ABBA is not only four people, it is also two couples. Agnetha and Bjorn were married for 9 years and have two children, and Anni-Frid and Benny were also married. By 1979, while continuing to perform together, Agnetha and Bjorn divorced, and in 1981 the second couple of the group also divorced.

In 1982 the group broke up. Everyone wanted to write their own songs and create solo albums. But, unfortunately, Agnetha’s solo discs were not popular, as was the singer’s personal life. Now she lives near Stockholm in her house, does not appear in public and avoids publicity in every possible way. Anni-Frid's daughter died in a car accident, and then her second husband died. Now the singer lives in Zermatt with her third husband.

For the men of the group, the situation was more optimistic - they both got married and had children. In 1999, they presented the musical Mamma-Mia to the public, which became popular not only in Sweden, but also in other countries.

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ABBA

Swedish group. Formed in 1970 in Gothenburg under the names Folkfest Quartet and Engaged Couples. The group included:
Frida Lyngstad, full name Anni-Frid Lyngstad Fredriksson, born 11/15/1945, Ballangen, Norway - vocals;
Agnetha Faltskog, 04/5/1950, Jonkoping, Sweden - vocals;
Benny Andersson, full name Goran Bror Benny Andersson, born 12/16/1946, Stockholm, Sweden - keyboards, vocals
and Bjorn Ulvaeus, born April 25, 1945, Gothenburg, Sweden - guitar, vocals.

History of the group

In the 60s, Björn performed with various session Swedish folk groups, including the popular formation The Hootenanny Singers, and at the end of the 60s he met Benny in the beat group Hep Stars. In 1970, following the advice of the inventive Scandinavian producer Stig Andersson, Björn and Benny left the Hep Stars and recorded a joint album, "Lycka". Soon, carried away by the success of this record, the musicians decided to create a group, to which they invited their friends, and later their wives - Agnetha and Frida, who were already known on the Scandinavian music market. (The first with the 1968 hit “I Was So In Love” and appearances on entertainment television shows, and the second as a member of Bengt Sandlund’s big band).

The newly formed group made their debut in the clubs of Gothenburg, and in 1972 moved to Stockholm, where they recorded several singles, for example, "Santa Rosa" and "People Need Love". That same year, as well as the following year, Björn and Benny took part, but without success, in the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest (they then presented the songs “Better To Have Loved” and “Ring Ring”). During this period, the quartet's debut album "Ring Ring" appeared under the following group name: Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida. But soon they change the name to Abba(from the first letters of the names of the group members: Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid) and in 1974 they again compete for the right to perform at the Eurovision festival. The song they proposed, "Waterloo", not only allowed them to enter the festival, but also brought them victory at it, soared to the top of the British chart and became a bestseller in the USA. True, the re-released single “Ring Ring” and the rather banal “I Do I Do I Do” did not bring much success to the group, but in 1975 their work “SOS” became a worldwide hit. The success of this work was greatly influenced by the perfection of the recording, which was based on the vocal counterpoints of the two pairs, and on the arrangement, with a very easy perception. All this predetermined the triumph of the following singles of the quartet: “Mamma Mia”, “Fernando” and “Dancing Queen”, the latter of which became the only one in the group’s career that soared to the top of the American charts. After such success Abba became a worldwide sensation, and the number of records they sold was equal to the number of records sold by The Beatles in their heyday.

In 1977, the group embarked on a world tour, attracting attention with their extravagant outfits, dazzling stage design and song arrangements. That same year, three of their next hits hit the top of the British chart: “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, “The Name Of The Game” and “Take A Chance On Me”. Melodies that were easy to remember were supported by avant-garde video clips for that time. The 1977 feature Abba: The Movie, directed by Lass Hallström, was only a short-lived sensation, but the band profited from it too.

80s Abba began with the next hits “The Winner Takes It All” and “Super Trouper”. Both reached the top of the UK charts, adding to their golden record of seven recorded in the previous less than 6 years of activity. Even the divorce of both married couples did not stop the group. Musical success went hand in hand with commercial success. In 1982 income Abba exceeded the income of the Volvo automobile company (however, both were later driven to bankruptcy by the fiscal tax system of the Swedish Social Democrats).

In the same year, the group reached all possible heights and, having received everything possible from the gold-bearing pop style, broke up. Agnetha and Frida took up solo activities, although without much success. Björn and Benny continued their collaboration and concentrated on composing. Two musicals brought them success - "Abbacadabra" in 1983, which was based on the group's hits Abba, and 1984's "Chess" with a libretto by Tim Rice and the hit single "One Night in Bangkok" performed by Murray Head. Both also supervised the Swedish duo Gemini and wrote the repertoire for their 1986 album "Gemini". In 1992, the anthology album “Gold - The Greatest Hits” appeared on the music market, which sold more than 3 million copies, and despite the fact that the group had not existed for 10 years, in May 1993 in Monaco at the ceremony of the World At the Music Awards, she received the title "Best Selling Performer of the Year in Sweden."

Discography:

1973: Ring Ring
1974: Waterloo
1974: Honey Honey
1975: Abba
1976: Greatest Hits
1976: Arrival
1977: Abba - The Album
1979: Voulez-Vouz
1979: Greatest Hits Volume 2
1980: Super Trouper
1980: The Magic Of Abba
1981: Visitors
1981: Gracias Por La Musica
1982: The Singles, The First Ten Years
1983: Thank You For The Music
1984: I Love Abba
1986: Abba Live
1986: The Best Of Abba
1988: Absolute Abba
1989: The Love Songs
1989: Greatest Hits Volume 3
1992: Gold - The Greatest Hits
1993: More Abba Gold - More Abba Hits
1994: Thank You For The Music

AGNETHA FALTSKOG

1968: Agnetha Faltskog
1969: Agnetha Volume 2
1970: Som Jag Ar
1971: Nar En Vacker Tanke Blir En Sang
1973: Agnetha Faltskog's Basta
1974: Agnetha
1975: Elva Kuinnor I Ett Hus
1979: Tio Ar Med Agnetha
1980: Nu Tandas Tusen Juleljus
1983: Wrap Your Arms Around Me
1985: Eyes Of The Woman
1986: Sjung Denna Sang
1986: Agnetha Collection
1986: Kom Folj Med I Var Karusell
1987: I Stand Alone.

ANNI-FRID LYNGSTAD

1971: Min Egen Stad
1971: Anni-Frid Lyngstad
1971: Frida
1975: Frida Ensam
1982: Something's Going On
1984: Shine
1991: Pa Egen Hand.

ABBA is a musical group from Sweden, created in 1972 and named after the first letters of the names of the performers: Agneta Fältskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Ten years later, in 1982, ABBA broke up.

ABBA's rise began in 1972 with the song "People Need Love." These guys knew what they were singing about, because the band consisted of two loving couples...

For almost ten years, complete harmony reigned in the ABBA group, and then it all ended. What happened? Yes, love just passed!

Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus were officially married, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson lived in a civil marriage. Agnetta and Björn separated in 1978, Anni-Frid and Benny in 1981.

And although the musicians in the group promised fans that problems in their personal lives would not affect the fate of the group, already in 1982 ABBA broke up. On December 11, the glorious biography of the popular group ABBA ended: their last joint appearance on British television took place. Moreover, they said nothing about the dissolution of the group - on the contrary, the members of the quartet assured that in a year they would record a new disc.

However, Bjorn and Benny continued to collaborate: together they composed the musical “Chess”, began producing a new group, and recorded several albums. “And who are we now? Brigitte Bardot's initials? - they joked.

In January 1981, Björn married journalist Lena Calercio. Over time, he somewhat moved away from music and began to devote more time to social activities.

In the same year, Benny also found personal happiness in his third marriage - with TV presenter Mona Norklit. His sons, Peter (from his first marriage) and Ludwig (from his third), became famous musicians. Benny still writes music for film and stage. By the way, in 1992, his composition became the anthem of the World Football Championship held in Sweden. He has his own group - the Benny Andersson Orchestra. The group actively tours and regularly delights fans with new albums.

Agnetha didn’t give up music either. The biography of her solo career after the collapse of ABBA was better than that of the others. Ms. Fältskog released solo albums while she was still part of the quartet, and when she was left alone, she developed into full force. In the 1980s, her albums in Swedish and English were very popular.

But in 1987, Agneta broke down: she stopped performing, stopped communicating with the press... Only many years later did the singer admit that she could not stand the touring race. In 1996, she returned to show business with a new album and autobiography. Later she released several more discs, the last one called “A” - it was released two years ago.

Only Anni-Frid left music forever. She, however, recorded two solo albums - one in London, the other in Paris, and a few years later she moved to Switzerland, where she still lives. In 1992, the singer married for the third time - to a German prince. But at the end of the 1990s, a dark streak came for her: her daughter from her first marriage died in an accident, then her beloved husband suddenly died of cancer. Charity work helped Anni-Frid overcome her grief.

Thanks to her high status, she has great opportunities: Her Serene Highness Anni-Frid Reuss von Plauen is friends with the royal couple of Sweden, she is received in the best houses in Europe. Her busy schedule prevented her from coming to Stockholm, where the ABBA museum opened on May 7, 2013. The rest of the participants happily signed autographs, and answered fans’ questions about the revival of the band with a smile: “Anything can happen!”