Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why are Abba so popular?
BBC ^ | 10/21/2014 | Andrew Harrison

Posted on 09/15/2020 2:51:46 PM PDT by Borges

When you’ve sold as many records as Abba have – and only The Beatles have sold more – specific figures become hazy. They disappear into a statistical stratosphere occupied by a tiny elite of global megastars. There are simply too many territories to report on, too many releases to keep track of, too many vast numbers to juggle.

All one can say with any certainty is that the Swedish quartet have sold in excess of 380m albums and singles since they first came to prominence 40 years ago this month, winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with a performance of Waterloo that still ranks as the high point of the much-maligned transcontinental cheese-fest. At their commercial zenith in the late ‘70s Abba were reputedly second only to Volvo in their contribution to Sweden’s exports. Such was the demand for their music that their management had to arrange for royalties from the Soviet Union to be paid in oil commodity rights rather than the embargoed rouble.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: abba; music; sweden
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-146 next last
To: Borges

It always astonishes me that Sweden is home to lightweight throw-away pop like ABBA and Ace of Base, yet has also given us quite a few extreme metal acts such as Entombed.


41 posted on 09/15/2020 3:16:56 PM PDT by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (Posting from deep within enemy territory - San Jose, CA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fungi

I noted the same thing “are” and “have”? ABBA is singular.


42 posted on 09/15/2020 3:17:18 PM PDT by vladimir998 ( Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SaxxonWoods

I read somewhere the outfits were for tax reasons.


43 posted on 09/15/2020 3:17:36 PM PDT by wally_bert (Transmission tone, Selm)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Borges

I have never understood Abba. I have over 75k songs in my collection and not one is an Abba song. I’m not criticizing them, mind you, I just don’t get it.


44 posted on 09/15/2020 3:18:09 PM PDT by KevinB (Quite literally, whatever the Left touches it ruins.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: vladimir998

“ABBA is singular.”

Yes, in American English.

Limeys would regard it as plural.


45 posted on 09/15/2020 3:18:48 PM PDT by dsc (Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Borges

I love ABBA’s music.


46 posted on 09/15/2020 3:22:14 PM PDT by PROCON (MOLON LABE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase

“So they could have just as easily been named BAAB or BABA or ABAB?”

...but they picked the right one. Natural talent.

Each on was a specially talented, and successful musician/performer in their own right.

They were kind of a Swedish All Star Team.


47 posted on 09/15/2020 3:22:21 PM PDT by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Borges
When you’ve sold as many records as Abba have – and only The Beatles have sold more

Um, no.

I have no quarrel with Abba insofar as them being a great pop band writing some of the catchiest tunes ever. And they're more popular than me.

But this claim is simply unsupportable.

There is no official tally of global album sales. In general, each country has some sort of authoritative source but even there are differences.

The US has an excellent authoritative source, The RIAA Gold & Platinum Database. In this database, Abba doesn't even crack the top 15.

For those who care, here are the top 15 artists via RIAA of all time:

THE BEATLES Cert. Units (In Millions): 183

GARTH BROOKS Cert. Units (In Millions): 157

ELVIS PRESLEY Cert. Units (In Millions): 139

EAGLES Cert. Units (In Millions): 120

LED ZEPPELIN Cert. Units (In Millions): 111.5

BILLY JOEL Cert. Units (In Millions): 84.5

MICHAEL JACKSON Cert. Units (In Millions): 84

ELTON JOHN Cert. Units (In Millions): 79

AC/DC Cert. Units (In Millions): 75

PINK FLOYD Cert. Units (In Millions): 75

GEORGE STRAIT Cert. Units (In Millions): 69

BARBRA STREISAND Cert. Units (In Millions): 68.5

AEROSMITH Cert. Units (In Millions): 66.5

THE ROLLING STONES Cert. Units (In Millions): 66.5

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Cert. Units (In Millions): 65.5

48 posted on 09/15/2020 3:23:37 PM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MasonGal
;-)

Mama Mia...they were way ahead of their time....the first group to use Zoom....


49 posted on 09/15/2020 3:23:54 PM PDT by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: ZirconEncrustedTweezers
Sweden also gave us a great golfer, too...


50 posted on 09/15/2020 3:25:03 PM PDT by newfreep (The Communist/DNC VOTER FRAUD is Trump's ONLY opponent in 2020 election.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Borges

I never paid any attention to Abba until I saw a cover band in Olongapo. That girl’s voice sent chills up and down my spine. She should have been an international star, but an accident of birth kept her from having the opportunity.

Been a fan ever since, although when young I went for Doors, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Allman Brothers, Jethro Tull, Joe Cocker, and that sort of thing.


51 posted on 09/15/2020 3:25:57 PM PDT by dsc (Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Borges

extremely well produced pop music with good female vocal harmonies


52 posted on 09/15/2020 3:27:24 PM PDT by babble-on
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Borges

What’s a record?


53 posted on 09/15/2020 3:28:27 PM PDT by Kenny Bania (Ovaltine? Why not call it Roundtine?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kenny Bania

Ask Joe Biden.


54 posted on 09/15/2020 3:29:26 PM PDT by nesnah (Liberals - the petulant children of politics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: Fungi

ABBA: It’s an acronym for the four singers’ first names.


55 posted on 09/15/2020 3:29:28 PM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Cold Heart

At least it wasn’t BAAB singing “Schmeerskahoven”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6bJzCXubA8

Couldn’t find an English version.


56 posted on 09/15/2020 3:30:30 PM PDT by wally_bert (Transmission tone, Selm)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Borges

Well, they invented Europop.


57 posted on 09/15/2020 3:30:40 PM PDT by GSWarrior
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleBob

Garth Brooks 157m? The mind boggles.


58 posted on 09/15/2020 3:32:14 PM PDT by KevinB (Quite literally, whatever the Left touches it ruins.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Borges

I read in this BBC piece 3 times where the writer analyzed the words of some songs as evoking “deep sadness”

Horse manure. Theirs are stylistically, musically, (never mind lyrics) the happiest songs this side of Doobies’ “Listen to the Music”.


59 posted on 09/15/2020 3:34:06 PM PDT by Migraine ( Liberalism is great (until it happens to YOU).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Borges
"It isn’t rock at all."

They were never Rock, they were pop with great songs and vocal harmonies. Think Saturday Night Fever by the Beegees.

60 posted on 09/15/2020 3:34:45 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (I'm not Islamophobic - I'm Islamo nauseated. Also LGBTQxyz nauseated)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-146 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson