ABBA: From Swedish Export To UK Chart Phenomenon

Mamma Mia! They're (hopefully) back again!

ABBA Band
By AVRO (FTA001019454_012 from Beeld & Geluid wiki) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

They're one of Sweden's greatest exports and one of the most successful acts in pop music history. Together, they co-wrote timeless hits like 'Dancing Queen', 'Mamma Mia', 'Waterloo' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'. Now, ABBA are back in the studio recording some new songs, and their legacy even influenced this summer's romantic musical hit, 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!'.

In order to celebrate the group's success and comeback, Tom Bowles of Betway Insider has been busy collating stats on ABBA's chart success in the UK. His findings are pretty special, document the band's main run between 1972-1983, then look at just how much impact releases like 'Gold: Greatest Hits' have had in years since.

New songs, like 'I Still Have Faith In You' (which will feature as part of an upcoming BBC documentary this December), mark the first time ABBA have put out fresh music in 35 years. Longtime fans are hopeful their resurgence in popularity and the doc itself will convince them to go out on the road again for a worldwide tour in 2019.

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Bowles' focus on ABBA's 25 charting UK singles and 10 original albums gives a fascinating look into music that should be treasured. Perhaps most interestingly, he also breaks down exactly which members sang on the group's most memorable tunes, and examines why Britain adopted ABBA as a firm favourite in the '70s.

To read the article in full, please head on over to the Betway Insider website. Go on, take a chance, take a chance, take a ch-ch-ch-chance...

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.