20 October 2011
VVN Music
Universal Music released all eight of ABBA’s studio albums today on vinyl.
To date, ABBA has sold over 370 million albums around the world with their Gold greatest hits collection selling well over 28 million copies alone. The musical Mamma Mia has gone on to be the world’s No. 1 show with more productions playing simultaneously around the globe than any other musical. From their first hit single Waterloo in 1974, the phenomenon continues as new generations continue to discover the music of ABBA.
Each release will also include a digital voucher for an MP3 version of the release. The following are the albums included:
Ring Ring is the 1973 debut studio album by ABBA featuring Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Frida “Anni-Frid” Lyngstad. Ring Ring originally was only available in Scandinavia and a limited number of other countries, only later to be made available in the U.S. The album features the upbeat Rock ‘N’ Roll Band, the infectious I Am Just A Girl and title track Ring Ring, which gives a glimpse of what would become the ABBA sound. This re-release uses artwork with the name “ABBA,” although at the time of its original release the name ABBA had not yet been coined.
Waterloo is ABBA’s second studio album originally released in the U.S. in 1974, marking their American debut. The album features a wide variety of musical styles including reggae, folk-rock and rock. It includes the hit title track Waterloo, which went to No. 6 on the U.S. charts, and their top 50 hit single Honey, Honey. Waterloo brings the group closer to that more familiar ABBA hit-making formula and illustrates the group’s progression as they begin to hone their sound, setting the stage to become a global phenomenon.
ABBA, the eponymously titled third studio album, was released in 1975 and was the album that made ABBA superstars worldwide. On its release, ABBA hit the Billboard 200 and features their megahit singles S.O.S, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do and Mamma Mia, plus ambitious tracks such as Intermezzo No. 1 that showcase Andersson and Ulvaeus’ classical leanings while demonstrating their abilities as proficient songwriters.
Arrival, the aptly titled fourth studio album by ABBA, was released in 1976, hit the top 20 on the U.S. album chart and features their No. 1 smash hits Fernando and Dancing Queen, the latter becoming one of ABBA’s signature songs. Also included is their top 10 hit Knowing Me, Knowing You and their top 20 hit Money, Money, Money.
ABBA – The Album was released in 1977 in conjunction with ABBA: The Movie, which features several of its songs and reached top 20 on the album charts. It sold a million copies in its first six months and includes their smash hit singles Take a Chance on Me and The Name of the Game. The Album also features songs from a “mini-musical” called Girl with the Golden Hair that Andersson and Ulvaeus wrote for their concerts and intended to be used in a dramatically coherent storytelling context.
Voulez-Vous is ABBA’s 1979 hit album, reaching top 20 on the Billboard album chart and featuring the hits Does Your Mother Know—which hit top 20 in the U.S.—Chiquitita, Angeleyes and the title track, Voulez-Vous.
Super Trouper was released in 1980 and was yet another worldwide success, landing in the top 20 in the U.S. The album reflected a change in style with ABBA returning to the pop-rock sound of their earlier albums. It spawned the global hits The Winner Takes It All, which reached No. 1 on the U.S. charts, On and On and On, Lay Your Love On Me and the title track, Super Trouper.
The Visitors is the eighth and final studio album by ABBA, released in 1981. With The Visitors, ABBA took several steps away from lighter pop music and the album is often regarded as a more complex and mature effort. The album reached the top 40 in the U.S. and features two top 10 hits, The Visitors and When All Is Said and Done, and the top 50-charting One Of Us.
