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ABBA

ABBA are the most successful Swedish act of all time on the Official Chart. Group members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad set their career in motion with the 1974 Eurovision winning smash Waterloo, which gave ABBA their first of  nine UK Number 1 singles and ten UK Number 1 albums.

ABBA's UK Number 1 singles include Waterloo, Mamma Mia, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Name Of The Game, Take A Chance On Me, The Winner Takes It All and Super Trouper. 

Their greatest hits collection ABBA Gold is the second best-selling album of all time in the UK, just behind Queen's Greatest Hits, and in July 2021 the Official Charts Company confirmed that ABBA Gold had broken a record, becoming the first album in Official Chart history to achieve 1000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart.

In 2018 ABBA announced they had recorded two new songs, their first new music in 35 years, and in November 2021 the band released comeback album Voyage, which became their first Number 1 studio album in 40 years, and the fastest-selling album in the UK in over four years as it racked up 204,000 chart sales in its opening week. Voyage was preceded by the release of two singles, one of which - Don't Shut Me Down - landed at Number 9, giving ABBA their first Top 10 hit on the Official Singles Chart since 1982.

ABBA Songs stats

UK No1s
9
UK Top 10s
20
UK Top 40s
28
UK Top 75s
31
Weeks at No1
31
Weeks in the Top 10
115
Weeks in the Top 40
214
Weeks in the Top 75
273

ABBA Albums stats

UK No1s
10
UK Top 10s
10
UK Top 40s
19
UK Top 75s
23
Weeks at No1
58
Weeks in the Top 10
263
Weeks in the Top 40
937
Weeks in the Top 75
1488

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More ABBA news

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JC

1

Quite possible the greatest band of all time.

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Stuart Kerry

2

Could you not have used the single sleeve covers for the new singles? Of the rest only The Day Before You Came, Angeleyes and Under Attack are presented in their original sleeves although to be fair, we didnt get any picture sleeves in the UK until Angeleyes in 79.

M

Minh

3

Take a chance on ABBA Gold next week! A place in the Top 10, hopefully, when ABBA's five new songs come out finally. This long-awaited new release may be a push for ABBA Gold sales.

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GS

1

second best band (after glass animals lol)

EO

Eduardo Oscar

0

second best quartet
(after THE BEATLES lol)

CD

Chi Dang

1

"ABBA Gold" topping the chart twice in 1999 and once in 2008 is not listed here. Why?

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Nick Constant

1

Abba Gold is actually Gold - Greatest Hits which was released in October 1992 and then reached number 1 in 1999 and again in 2008 ,

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Mark Wislen

1

'ABBA Gold' was No.1 3 times in 1999 - not 2. It has been to No.1 in 5 'Runs', in the UK - 1992 - 1 Week. 1999 - 1 Week, then 2 Weeks, then 2 Weeks. 2008 - 2 Weeks. A Total of 8 No.1 Weeks. Beaten by 3 ABBA Albums - 'Greatest Hits' - 11 Weeks - 1976, 'Arrival' - 10 Weeks - 1977, 'Super Trouper' - 9 Weeks - 1980/1981..

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Blank

2

It is. They are counted as part of the original album's run. As is the current position on chart. It has never been deleted and re-issued, just new editions and pressings made available for the same chart run.

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Gerald Springer

1

Where is "So Long"?

D

David

1

It didn’t chart, I guess that’s why it hasn’t been included here

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Dean Scapolo

1

So Long made #91, I think, when it was released in the UK, so, an unofficial chart position.

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Mark Wislen

1

The UK Singles Chart was only a Top 50, when 'So Long' was Released, in 1974. It is regarded as a Flop, as it failed to even reach No.50. Maybe it was 'Too noisy' for People. Having said that, Slade used to make very 'loud' Singles, at that time, and 6 of them went to No.1!

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Mark Wislen

0

Yes. Only Hit Singles and Albums are included, in an Artists 'Section', of this Chart Site.

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Blank

4

Looking forward to this week next year, when Gold should become the first album with 1000 top-100 weeks.

DT

David Taylor

1

But really add together Queen platinum collection and greatest hits Queen have over 1300 weeks already!!!

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Blank

1

Different package = different release. Look at Back To Black.

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Mark Wislen

2

The Queen Compilations should not have their Weeks combined. It is bad enough, that the 3 'Hits' Albums, have UK Sales added in, from other UK Queen Compilations. It was done in 2006. The 3 'Hits' Albums each got 560,000 Sales added in, from 'The Platinum Collection', the Triple Queen CD, that was Released in 2000. The 1st 2 'Hits' Albums, also got 66,000 Sales added in from a 1994 Double Queen CD. So, the 1st 2 'Hits' Albums have 626,000 Sales added in, from the 1994 and 2000 Compilations. The 3rd Queen 'Hits' Album has 560,000 Sales added in, from the 2000 Compilation. This is 100% true. It was a mistake to 'enhance' their Sales like that. It was never done for any other Artists. 'ABBA Gold' and 'More ABBA Gold' never got 30,500 Sales, (each), added in from 'Forever Gold', the 1996 CD, which has both 'Gold's in it. That 1996 CD sold 61,000 in the UK. Or any Sales added in from the Triple 'ABBA Gold', that was Released in 2014. That too has both 'ABBA Gold's' in it.

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Jennie Sapherson

1

Still have my original ABBA Gold CD

P

Paul

0

Where is "The Name of the Game" Album which came out in 2002 ?

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Official Charts

1

Hi Paul, this album didn't chart in the UK.

P

Paul

1

Ok thanks for replying.I thought it had been missed off the list !

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Mark Wislen

1

'The Name Of The Game' is a Budget Album - Lower Priced. They are not allowed to be Hits in the Main UK Album Chart. However, they are Hits in the Budget Chart. 'The Name Of The Game', (2002), reached No.2 in that Chart, and it spent endless Months in it. It went Platinum in January 2017. 'The Music Still Goes On', (ABBA - 1996), was a Budget Chart No.1 Album. It did not Chart in it until January 1997, as the Budget Chart only started then. That one went Gold in July 2013. A Gold Budget Album, has to sell at least 200,000 copies - twice what a normal Priced Album has to sell. So, just because ABBA's Budget Albums were not allowed into the Main Chart, it does not mean that they were not selling...

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Mark Wislen

2

It was a Budget Album. It sold very well. Because it was a Budget CD, It was not allowed into the Main Album Chart. It did not 'flop', it Charted extremely well, in the UK Budget Album Chart. With 4 Weeks at No.2, 36 Weeks in the Top 10, and 219 Weeks in the entire Chart. It eventually got a B.P.I. Platinum Disk, on 6th January 2017.

J

Jurek

0

I believe the 1st British album chart was published on 8.11.1958. If so, 60th anniversary was 2 weeks ago. If Weeks-On-Chart were the best tool to measure long term importance of LP, the British No.1 album of all time would be ABBA's GOLD - GREATEST HITS. Queen's Greatest Hits are No.2, Bob Marley's Legend No.3. In fact, I am non-British European fan... For such people I invented very very special all time lists. Namely, weeks on British charts are increased by a half of weeks on Billboard 200. Effects? Due to a kind of American Abba-scepticism the Abba's Gold becomes No.4 only. And Legend is No.1, Queen's Greatest Hits No.2, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon No.3. I like it. For more details one can look at my www.historyoflongplay.com.

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Mark Wislen

1

Jurek -- The UK Album Chart no longer starts in November 1958. Earlier Album Charts were found, several Years ago. They begin on Week Ending 28th July 1956. They were compiled by 'Record Mirror'. This Site - Official Charts Company - now uses those Charts.

J

Jurek

0

Thank you, Mark! You are right - 28.07.1956 must be considered now as the beginning of UK album charts! By the way, have you looked at my www.historyoflongplay.com? I will correct soon, accordingly, my statement about beginning of UK album charts. However, my list of top artists of all time seems to be correct. For example, total weeks on UK charts of Frank Sinatra are 1064, as this number includes all his albums, starting from 28.07.1956. OK, I would appreciate your comment regarding www.historyoflongplay.com.
Thanks + best regards
Jurek

JC

Jake Cutler

0

The best way to measure long term importance of an album is clearly through amount of sales, making Gold number 2 and Queen greatest hits a clear Number One. The probable reason Abba weren't very popular in America is that they were seen as too cheesy and lightweight in an era where rock in its various guises tended to dominate.

J

Jurek

0

Jake, again, I believe sale figures are better tool for singles. And longevity on charts is better for long-playing-records... On the other hand, I am really non-British European. So, Billboard data are quite important for me, too. Have you taken a look at my www.historyoflongplay.com? Best regards / Jurek

JC

Jake Cutler

0

Thanks Jurek, I will check out the link. Kind regards, Jake.

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Greatest Hits Ever

-4

Here is a list of top 10 ABBA songs:

1. The Winner Takes It All
2. Dancing Queen
3. Waterloo
4. Ring Ring
5. Chiquitita
6. Eagle
7. Mamma Mia
8. Fernando
9. The Name of the Game
10. S.O.S.

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Adam Sirius

2

Waterloo LP was first released in the UK on Epic, not Polydor, catalogue number EPC80179.

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I also Go by Paul

0

Where's Rock Me, which was released as a single.

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Mark Wislen

2

'Rock Me' was the 'B' side of 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do', which was only a No.38 Hit in the UK. 'I Do...' was a No.1 Hit in both Australia and New Zealand. In 1976, RCA Records flipped the Single and 'Rock Me' became the 'A' Side. It reached No.4 in Australia and No.2 in New Zealand. To me, it sounds more like Slade than ABBA. In the USA and some other Countries, 'Bang-A-Boomerang' was the 'B' Side of 'I Do...', and that sounds far more typical of ABBA at their catchiest...

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Dean Scapolo

1

Rock Me was #4 in Australia as the listed A-side, and #2 in New Zealand as the listed A-side, same single b/w I Do x5.
NZ was missing 7 weeks of charts at the end of 1976, which is when the charts changed to inhouse research instead of outsourcing them. Also the NZ charts of 75/76 were only based on 80 record stores throughout most of NZ, most of them in Auckland where ABBA was the least popular. The further south you go, the more popular they were.
During those 7 weeks of missing charts there were 4 weeks of airplay charts, and Rock Me was #1 for one of those weeks.