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ABBA's greatest hits collection Gold is the longest-running Top 100 album ever
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You could be forgiven for thinking that ABBA had no more records left to break, but the Swedish pop legends never stop!
Gold, the band's greatest hits collection originally released in 1992, has passed its 900th week on the Official Albums Chart, making it the longest-running Top 100 album of all time.
Gold features all nine of ABBA's UK Number 1 hit singles – Waterloo, Mamma Mia, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Take a Chance on Me, The Winner Takes it All, and Super Trouper – and went straight in at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart when released in 1992.
Its enduring appeal means it's had a further seven non-consecutive weeks at the top, most recently a two-week stint in 2008 around the release of the first Mamma Mia! movie. Sixty-one of those 900 weeks were spent in the Top 10, with its most recent stint coming only last year, when the second Mamma Mia! hit cinemas. Gold hasn't left the Top 100 once in the last two years. See ABBA Gold's entire chart run – and all their other albums' – in their Official Chart archive
ABBA's Gold album is one of the biggest selling albums of all time too, on 5.45 million sales, second only to Queen's Greatest Hits, which itself has notched up 867 weeks in the Top 100!
Other major albums with more than a few weeks in the Top 100 under their belt include Legend from Bob Marley & the Wailers on 888 weeks and the longest-running studio album Rumours, from Fleetwood Mac, on 795, and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, on 534. See the official list of the bestselling albums of all time in the UK
More modern albums not quite up to ABBA's 900-week (and counting) record but still with an impressive run include Oasis's (What's The Story) Morning Glory (395 weeks), Ed Sheeran's + (374 weeks) and Amy Winehouse's Back to Black (343).
Other huge hits collections with long chart runs under their belts include Michael Jackson's Number Ones from 2003 (406 weeks), Eminem's 2005 set Curtain Call (368 weeks), the Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (again!) from 2002 (360 weeks), and Madonna's 1990 retrospective The Immaculate Collection (341 weeks).
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Courtney Puzzo
just days after this article was published BPI certified Gold 19 x platinum and it reached passed 5 million sold since UK's equivalent of Soundscan was inplamented in January 1994 last week
Lars Van Moer
The article states "Gold features all nine of ABBA's UK Number 1 hit singles" and then goes on to list only eight. "The Name of the Game" is missing (from the article, that is; it is present on "Gold" ) .
David MadeinEngland Carbines
Abba Gold also holds the records for longest gap between weeks at #1. First held in 1999 for the 7-year gap and broke it's own record again in 2008. Abba could also break the "longest gap between newly recorded hits" if the rumoured singles comes out. The Ed Sheeran album X is particularly impressive as it's run ("only" 267+ weeks) is from debut and hasn't left the top 80 yet! And being current top 30, it's ain't going away any time soon. Re-write this article when the Ed Sheeren catalogue is old enough to compete.
Official Charts
Hi David. The Beatles actually now hold this record with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band after it reached Number 1 in 2017 following its 50th anniversary reissue. https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-beatles-iconic-sgt-pepper-album-returns-to-the-top-on-its-50th-birthday__19326/
Mark Wislen
However, 'ABBA Gold' still holds the UK Chart Record, for the longest gap between Weeks at No.1, for an Album that was exactly the same. It was the same 19 ABBA Tracks, when it was No.1 in 1992, 1999, (thrice), and 2008. 'Sgt Pepper' returned to No.1 in 2017, but it was not exactly the same Album as the one that was No.1 in 1967 and 1968. The 2017 Beatles Album was a Double Album. The 2nd Disk was Alternative Versions of the Tracks on the 1st Disk. As well as including both 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever', for the 1st time. That Double 'A' Side Single was not on the 1960's 'Sgt Pepper' Album...
David MadeinEngland Carbines
Like Mark below, I count that as a different edition in the same way that the standard and Deluxe editions of Back To Black get separately credited. Historically, Guinness considered these differing track editions of the same title as separate entries too, only counting re-issues as the same title if they had the same tracklist as the original.
Robbie
There's also two other top 100 weeks which are not in the OCC chart archive. On both the 22 May 1993 and 5 February 1994 the album was at number 77. The OCC chart archive from January 1989 to February 5 1994 is a top 75.
David MadeinEngland Carbines
Those top 100 weeks weren't "officially" counted. "Artist" albums were only a top 75 after the 1989 split. Although top 200 were compiled for industry at this time, and I don't think it has EVER left the top 200 industry count. Certainly not on Year-End charts, and maybe not weekly either?
thierry henon
Who doesn't like ABBA? I mean...really! Their music will still live on for decades to come...pure pop music perfection!!
Ronald van Veen
I love ABBA! And what an achievement for a best of album!
thierry henon
what is your favourite song Ronald? I have to go for DANCING QUEEN but i mean so many good ones to choose from..GIMME, GIMME, GIMME is a close second choice...
Ronald van Veen
My absolute favourite is THE DAY BEFORE YOU CAME, followed by DANCING QUEEN and THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL (such a great torch song). I do hope those new songs will be released soon, pretty sure ABBA GOLD will climb back to #1 when that happens!
thierry henon
oh, yeah, i nearly forgot of my fav: THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL...always gives me shiver when i listen to it...you bet that ABBA GREATEST HITS will be back at number 1 by the end of 2019!!
Mark Wislen
Benny says that the 2 New Songs are still not 'Mixed' properly - even though ABBA recorded them in June 2017. Both he and Bjorn have now said that we may even have to wait until 2021 to hear the New Songs, as they are tying their release in with The ABBAtars, (Digital Doubles of ABBA, as they looked in 1979), being ready to 'Tour'. Benny has also hinted that The ABBAtars may not even go ahead and that that idea may be scrapped. If that happens, it leaves the release of the New Songs up in the air, with nothing definite. Both he and Bjorn have also said that we are not getting a New ABBA Album. There will be just 2 New Songs - maybe 3...
Mark Wislen
It is very doubtful if 'ABBA Gold' can go to No.1 in the UK again. It has sold over 5,600,000 UK copies and even the 2nd 'Mamma Mia!' Film, in 2018, was only able to get 'Gold' to No.6 in the Charts. A sure sign that it no longer has the selling power to get to No.1. Also, it is by no means certain that any New ABBA Singles will even reach the UK Top 10. 'Old' Acts can no longer reach the Singles Top 10, due to
them struggling to get high Streaming figures. Which is why Madonna, Westlife,
Kylie Minogue, Bruce Springsteen and many other Acts, from past Decades, can no longer have UK Top 10 Hits. If ABBA had returned with Singles in 1999, or even 2009, then they'd almost certainly have had Top 10 Hits again. However, we are now in an Era that is dominated by Streaming and ABBA may well find it impossible to get into the Top 10 of the Main Singles Chart. Yes, they can still have big Hit Singles in the Sales Chart, but that is not the Main Chart. No.1 Singles are now out of the question for ABBA - unless they recorded a Christmas Themed Single. Christmas Hits by Old Acts, can get Million of Streams, as you can see by how many old Christmas Songs are big Hits again, every Year...
thierry henon
Thank you Mark for that info...Such a shame about the delay..Was so looking forward to it!!
Ronald van Veen
Maybe you are right.... we'll just have to wait and see. When those new songs are released at the right time they will definitely go top 10 and I'm pretty sure that'll happen to ABBA GOLD too. Especially when released just before Christmas, even if those new songs are not related to Christmas. ABBA is still loved by so many people.... And the BBC will definitely play it on Radio 1, 2, 3, etc. a lot!