Universal Music Enterprises have released a limited run of all the studio albums in ABBA's catalog. Here is the official word: It's hard to imagine how different today's music charts might look without ABBA. From the moment they swept to glory at Eurovision in 1974, the Swedish pop group has been, and continues to be, a major influence on musicians around the world, and remains one of the most successful acts of all time.
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.
With the current resurgence in vinyl sales, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) has released a limited run of all the studio albums in ABBA's catalog through its successful "Back To Black" vinyl campaign.
Titles include Ring Ring, Waterloo, ABBA, Arrival, ABBA � The Album, Voulez-Vous, Super Trouper and The Visitors. Each release will also include a digital voucher for an MP3 version of the release.
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."
