ABBA

ABBA was the most commercially successful pop group of the 1970's. The origins of the Swedish superstars dated back to 1966, when keyboardist and vocalist Benny Andersson, a one time member of the popular beat outfit the Hep Stars, first teamed with guitarist and vocalist Bjorn Ulvaeus, the leader of the folk-rock group, the Hootenanny Singers. The two performers began composing songs together and production work for Polar Music/Union Songs, a publishing company owned by Stig Anderson, who was a song writer during the 1950's and 1960's. Both Andersson and Ulvaeus worked on projects with their respective girlfriends. Ulvaeus had become involved with vocalist Agnetha Faltskog, a performer with a number one Swedish hit, "I Was So in Love," under her belt, while Andersson began seeing Anni-Frid Lyngstad, a one-time jazz singer who rose to fame by winning a national talent contest.

In 1971, Faltskog started doing theatrical work & played the role of Mary Magdalene in the production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's " Jesus Christ Superstar". Her cover of the musical's "Don't Know How to Love Him" became a big hit. The following year, the duo of Andersson and Ulvaeus, scored a massive international hit with "People Need Love," which featured Faltskog and Lyngstad on backing vocals. The record's success earned them an invitation to enter the Swedish leg of the 1973 Euro-vision song contest, under the very long name of Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida. They submitted "Ring Ring," which proved extremely popular with audiences but placed only third in the judges' ballots. The following year, they rechristened themselves as "ABBA". This was an acronym using the first letter of the their first names. The quartet submitted the single "Waterloo," and became the first Swedish act to win the Euro-vision competition. The record proved to be the first of many international hits, although the group hit a slump after their initial success. In 1975, ABBA produced "S.O.S.," a smash not only in America and Britain but also in non-English speaking countries such as Spain, Germany and the Benelux nations. A string of hits followed, including "Mamma Mia," "Fernando," and "Dancing Queen" (their sole U.S. chart-topper). They continued to hone their unique, lush, melodic sound. By the spring, they were getting ready to release their first Greatest Hits album.

ABBA's popularity grew in 1977, when both "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "The Name of the Game" dominated airwaves. The group starred in the feature film "ABBA -- The Movie", which was released in 1978. That year Andersson and Lyngstad married, as had Ulvaeus and Faltskog in 1971, but Ulvaeus and Faltskog separated a few months later. In fact, romantic suffering was the subject of many songs on the quartet's next LP, 1979's Voulez-Vous. Shortly after the release of 1980s Super Trouper, Andersson and Lyngstad divorced as well, further putting a strain on the group. The Visitors, issued the following year, was the final LP of ABBA material, and the foursome officially disbanded after the December 1982 release of their single "Under Attack."

All of the group's members took up new projects. Both Lyngstad and Faltskog released solo albums. And Andersson and Ulvaeus collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical "Chess". None of these proved as successful as the group's earlier work, largely because throughout much of the world, especially Europe and Australia, the ABBA phenomenon never went away. Re-packaged hits, compilations and live collections continued hitting the charts long after the group's demise, and new artists regularly pointed to the quartet's inspiration. While the British dance duo Erasure released a covers collection, " ABBA-ESQUE", an Australian group called Bjorn Again found success as ABBA impersonators. Although all of the group's members soon embarked on new projects -- both Lyngstad and Faltskog issued solo LPs, while Andersson and Ulvaeus collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical Chess -- none proved as successful as the group's earlier work, largely because throughout much of the world, especially Europe and Australia, the ABBA phenomenon never went away. Repackaged hits compilations and live collections continued hitting the charts long after the group's demise, and new artists regularly pointed to the quartet's inspiration: while the British dance duo Erasure released a covers collection, ABBA-esque, an Australian group called Bjorn Again found success as ABBA impersonators. In 1993, "Dancing Queen" became a staple of U2's "Zoo TV" tour -- Andersson and Ulvaeus even joined the Irish superstars on-stage in Stockholm -- while the 1995 feature Muriel's Wedding, which won acclaim for its depiction of a lonely Australian girl who seeks refuge in ABBA's music, helped bring the group's work to the attention of a new generation of moviegoers and music fans.

Although all of the group's members soon embarked on new projects -- both Lyngstad and Faltskog issued solo LPs, while Andersson and Ulvaeus collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical Chess -- none proved as successful as the group's earlier work, largely because throughout much of the world, especially Europe and Australia, the ABBA phenomenon never went away. Repackaged hits compilations and live collections continued hitting the charts long after the group's demise, and new artists regularly pointed to the quartet's inspiration: while the British dance duo Erasure released a covers collection, ABBA-esque, an Australian group called Bjorn Again found success as ABBA impersonators. In 1993, "Dancing Queen" became a staple of U2's "Zoo TV" tour -- Andersson and Ulvaeus even joined the Irish superstars on-stage in Stockholm -- while the 1995 feature Muriel's Wedding, which won acclaim for its depiction of a lonely Australian girl who seeks refuge in ABBA's music.

ABBA disbanded in 1983, though Bjorn and Benny stayed together as a musical-theater song writing team. What was the cause of death for ABBA: two divorces and too much money. Over the years, they have been offered more money than God owns to do a reunion tour or even one-off. But their retirement has apparently not been as ill-affected as the rest of ours has and they have no desire to do a reunion tour. On March 16th, 2010, ABBA shared the limelight, in New York, with punk band the Stooges and reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, Genesis and The Hollies in joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The eclectic groups were the latest inductees to win the prestigious U.S. honor, after being voted in by more than 500 rock experts. Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad accepted the award on behalf of the group.