ABBA

ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972, comprising Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. ABBA is an acronym of the first letters of the band members' first names and is sometimes stylized as the registered trademark ᗅᗺᗷᗅ. The band became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1975 to 1982 when the band split. It also won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, giving Sweden its first triumph in the history of the contest and being the most successful group ever to take part in the competition. ABBA has sold over 380 million albums and singles worldwide, which makes it one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and the second best-selling music group of all time. ABBA was the first group to come from a non-English-speaking country that enjoyed consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The group also enjoyed significant success in Latin American markets, and recorded a collection of their hit songs in Spanish.
== Links To Peel ==
In 1993, Peel paid tribute to the group in the TV documentary A For ABBA:
:"In the 1970s, when I should have been humming Pink Floyd b-sides, I caught myself humming ABBA singles. Now, when I should be humming Nirvana b-sides, I catch myself humming ABBA singles".
Although a self-proclaimed fan of the group, who made their breakthrough at the Eurovision Song Contest he admired so muchSee Nul Points: A Brief Story Of The Eurovision Song Contest., Peel admitted on his 16 October 2001 show that he never played any ABBA songs on his show. He did, however, play many ABBA cover versions, including from an album of ABBA hits in Hindi by Salma & Sabina, as well as a version of Dancin' Queen by Cheeze that he claimed on 08 March 1992 to be better than the original - the single was later found in John Peel's Record Box. He kept only one ABBA LP, Voulez-Vous, in his Record Collection.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
*None, although the Trembling Blue Stars song "Abba on the Jukebox" reached #19 in the 1996 Festive Fifty.
== Sessions ==
*None.
== Shows Played ==
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1996
* Punk Fiction: Mamma Mia
;TV
* 05 May 1983 (TOTP): Waterloo (clip from 02 May 1974)
* A For ABBA: Many songs
== Covered ==
(The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site. Please add more information if known.)
Artist | Track | First Known Play
*Cheeze: Dancin' Queen 23 February 1982
*Th' Faith Healers: SOS 11 January 1992
*Favourites: SOS 23 July 1979
*Frank Hannaway: I Have A Dream 25 May 1981
*Leather Nun: Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) Peel 035 (BFBS) (15 May 1986)
*Loves Ugly Children: Honey, Honey 23 February 1996
*Lush: Hey Hey Helen (session) 19 February 1990
*Meat Purveyors: SOS 23 April 2002
*Palast Orchester mit seinem Sänger Max Raabe: Super Trouper 06 December 2000
*Röövel Ööbik: Mamma Mia 01 August 1990
*Salma & Sabina: Ho Jayegi Badnami ('Money, Money, Money') 14 August 1993
*Salma & Sabina: Hum Rahi (Fernando) 04 November 1987
*Salma & Sabina: Mitha Maze Dar ('Dancing Queen') 24 October 2001
*Salma & Sabina: Pehli Pehli Preet ('Super Trouper') 03 November 1987
*Salma & Sabina: Toba Toba ('Mamma Mia') 11 November 1987
*Samurai Seven: Thank You For The Music/Mamma Mia (session) 29 February 2000
*Sludgefeast: SOS 26 March 2003
*Superette: Knowing Me, Knowing You 24 February 1996
*Swoons: Knowing Me, Knowing You 22 January 1994 (BFBS)
*Volebeats: Knowing Me, Knowing You 24 March 2004
== See Also ==
*Record Collection: A
*UK Singles Chart Number Ones
* Sounds
* Brotherhood Of Man
* Blancmange
== References ==
== External Links ==
* Wikipedia
* Discogs
* Official Website
Category:Artists
Category:Covered