Sweden has always been a great supplier of pop music, but all of that seems to lead back to one group who started it all: ABBA. The two couples were hot in the 70s right up to the beginning of the 80s. Still today, they are considered to be the biggest Swedish pop act and they are, in fact, the biggest act that the Eurovision Song Contest has ever launched.
Personal relationships put a strain on the band. The couples uncoupled at some point and the group very quickly was forced to stop the music. However, hits like “Waterloo”, “The Winner Takes It All”, “Mamma Mia”, ”Dancing Queen” and “Take A Chance On Me”, only to name a few, remained a great legacy.
Their music has inspired many pop stars since and its sound can still be heard in many of today’s disco inspired songs, but the group have always been very final in their decision to never reunite, despite heavy demand (and big money being offered).
The two men of the group, Bjorn and Bennie, kept working together to date, mainly as songwriters. In fact, they are partially responsible for the current trend in the world of musicals. With their ABBA catalog being the center of the very successful “Mammia Mia” musical (and even more successful movie rendition), they have given many other musical producers the idea to do something similar. So, Whitney Houston’s catalog is being used for The Bodyguard and musicals with songs by Kylie Minogue, Dusty Springfield and more are still on the way.
The women of ABBA, Anni-Frid and Agnetha, both tried getting solo careers started. Agnetha had a few hits in the 80s, but both woman struggled on their own despite the fact that both are great vocalists and Agnetha is a songwriter herself.
Even though the former ABBA members have been on stage together again a few times, over the years since their split, the group has never performed together. It kind of seemed like a definite thing that this group would never do that together, ever again, but then, suddenly, a few days ago they did!
It was the first time in 30 years for the group to sing together and it all happened at a very private celebration in honor of the day that the two male members initially met, June 5th 1966. The day where the whole story began, exactly 50 years ago.
The performance was kept under wraps until the band actually posted a picture of it themselves on Facebook. It was just never intended as a big thing. It wasn’t intended at all, in fact.
The ladies paid a tribute to the men, who gave them success, until the men decided to join them on stage and history happened. It’s one of those things you wish you were a fly on the wall for, but unfortunately, so far, only photos of the four members back on stage together have surfaced.
