Editing ABBA (section)

== Artistry ==
=== Recording process ===
ABBA were perfectionists in the studio, working on tracks until they got them right rather than leaving them to come back to later on.<ref name="Their Own Words 1981, pp 57">ABBA – In Their Own Words, compiled by Rosemary York, 1981, pp 57–65. Omnibus Press {{ISBN|0-86001-950-0}}</ref> They spent the bulk of their time within the studio; in separate 2021 interviews Ulvaeus stated they may have toured for only 6 months<ref>{{cite web |last1=Aswad |first1=Jem |title=ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus Talks Reunion, New Album, Writing 'The Winner Takes It All' and More |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/abba-bjorn-ulvaeus-reunion-new-album-winner-takes-it-all-1235099065/ |website=Variety |access-date=31 October 2021 |date=28 October 2021}}</ref> while Andersson said they played fewer than 100 shows during the band's career.<ref name="PetridisGuardian2021" /> However, counting shorter 30 to 60 minute concerts during their Folkpark tours, the group in fact played over 200 shows.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABBA The Concerts |url=https://www.abba-theconcerts.de/ |access-date=13 November 2023 |website=ABBA The Concerts |archive-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109181450/https://www.abba-theconcerts.de/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The band created a basic rhythm track with a drummer, guitarist and bass player, and overlaid other arrangements and instruments. Vocals were then added, and orchestra [[overdubbing|overdubs]] were usually left until last.<ref name="Their Own Words 1981, pp 57" />

Fältskog and Lyngstad contributed ideas at the studio stage. Andersson and Ulvaeus played them the backing tracks and they made comments and suggestions. According to Fältskog, she and Lyngstad had the final say in how the lyrics were shaped.
{{blockquote|When we gather around the piano to get our voices tuned up, we often come up with things we can use in the backing vocals.|Agnetha Fältskog<ref name="Their Own Words 1981, pp 57" />}} After vocals and overdubs were done, the band took up to five days to mix a song.<ref name="Their Own Words 1981, pp 57" />

=== Fashion, style, videos, advertising campaigns ===
ABBA was widely noted for the colourful and trend-setting costumes its members wore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/puls/0002/04/abba.html|title=Aftonbladet puls: ABBA: 'Vi har kläderna att tacka för mycket'|website=Aftonbladet|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182625/http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/puls/0002/04/abba.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The reason for the wild costumes was Swedish tax law: the cost of the clothes was deductible only if they could not be worn other than for performances.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/16/abba-outfits-tax-deduction-bjorn-ulvaeus|title=Abba admit outrageous outfits were worn to avoid tax|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|last=Bowers|first=Simon|date=16 February 2014|access-date=13 February 2017|archive-date=14 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214004904/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/16/abba-outfits-tax-deduction-bjorn-ulvaeus|url-status=live}}</ref> In their early years, group member Anni-Frid Lyngstad designed and even hand sewed the outfits. Later, as their success grew, they used professional theatrical clothes designer Owe Sandström together with tailor Lars Wigenius with Lyngstad continuing to suggest ideas while co-ordinating the outfits with concert set designs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abbarevival.co.uk/article/15/the-costumes|title = RËVIVAL // The Tribute – All About ABBA – THE COSTUMES}}</ref> Choreography by [[Graham Tainton]] also contributed to their performance style.

The videos that accompanied some of the band's biggest hits are often cited as being among the earliest examples of the genre. Most of ABBA's videos (and ''ABBA: The Movie'') were directed by [[Lasse Hallström]], who would later direct the films ''[[My Life as a Dog]]'', ''[[The Cider House Rules (film)|The Cider House Rules]]'' and ''[[Chocolat (2000 film)|Chocolat]]''.<ref>''ABBA: Bang a Boomerang''. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, January 2013 (documentary, 57 mins), see 6:00–12:00 min ([https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2642740/ IMDB entry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211231143/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2642740/ |date=11 February 2017 }})</ref>

ABBA made videos because their songs were hits in many different countries and personal appearances were not always possible. This was also done in an effort to minimise travelling, particularly to countries that would have required extremely long flights. Fältskog and Ulvaeus had two young children and Fältskog, who was also afraid of flying, was very reluctant to leave her children for such a long time. ABBA's manager, Stig Anderson, realised the potential of showing a simple video clip on television to publicise a single or album, thereby allowing easier and quicker exposure than a concert tour. Some of these videos have become classics because of the 1970s-era costumes and early video effects, such as the grouping of the band members in different combinations of pairs, overlapping one singer's profile with the other's full face, and the contrasting of one member against another.

In 1976, ABBA participated in an advertising campaign to promote the [[Panasonic|Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.]]'s brand, National, in Australia. The campaign was also broadcast in Japan. Five commercial spots, each of approximately one minute, were produced, each presenting the "National Song" performed by ABBA using the melody and instrumental arrangements of "Fernando" and revised lyrics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abba-world.net/phenomenon/national/national.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302102624/http://www.abba-world.net/phenomenon/national/national.htm |archive-date=2 March 2012 |title=ABBA: The National Commercial |website=Abba-world.net |access-date=23 August 2010}}</ref>

=== Political use of ABBA's music ===
[[John McCain]] used the song "Take a Chance on Me" for [[John McCain 2008 presidential campaign|his 2008 presidential campaign]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Candidates' Theme Songs Set Campaign Tone |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=4215545&page=1 |work=ABC News |date=30 January 2008}}</ref> McCain publicly expressed his liking of the band.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Suddath |first1=Claire |title=A Brief History of Campaign Songs - TIME |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1840981_1840998_1840943,00.html |magazine=Time |date=18 September 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Widdicombe |first1=Lizzie |title=Buddy Song |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/08/11/buddy-song |magazine=The New Yorker |date=4 August 2008}}</ref>

In September 2010, band members Andersson and Ulvaeus criticised the right-wing [[Danish People's Party]] (DF) for using the ABBA song "Mamma Mia" (with modified lyrics referencing [[Pia Kjærsgaard]]) at rallies. The band threatened to file a lawsuit against the DF, saying they never allowed their music to be used politically and that they had absolutely no interest in supporting the party. Their record label Universal Music later stated that no legal action would be taken because an agreement had been reached.<ref>{{cite news|title=Abba Anger Over Danish Far-right's Use of Mamma Mia|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11403230|access-date=5 May 2011|work=BBC News|date=24 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110409010233/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11403230| archive-date= 9 April 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In August 2024 after [[Donald Trump]] played several of their songs and used footage of the group at a campaign rally, ABBA demanded he stop using their music. Their record company, Universal Music, said they had not been asked for permission to use ABBA music or videos by the Trump campaign and that footage from the event must be "immediately taken down and removed".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bryant |first1=Miranda |last2=Salam |first2=Erum |date=29 August 2024 |title=Abba demand Trump campaign stop using their music at rallies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/29/abba-demands-trump-campaign-stop-using-their-music-at-campaign-rallies |access-date=29 August 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Success in the United States ===
During their active career, from 1972 to 1982, 20 of ABBA's singles entered the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]; 14 of these made the Top 40 (13 on the Cashbox Top 100), with 10 making the Top 20 on both charts. A total of four of those singles reached the Top 10, including "Dancing Queen", which reached number one in April 1977. While "Fernando" and "SOS" did not break the Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (reaching number 13 and 15 respectively), they did reach the Top 10 on Cashbox ("Fernando") and Record World ("SOS") charts. Both "Dancing Queen" and "Take a Chance on Me" were certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] for sales of over one million copies each.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130104132513/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – 19 April 2014]. Record Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 April 2014.</ref>

The group also had 12 Top 20 singles on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart with two of them, "Fernando" and "The Winner Takes It All", reaching number one. "Lay All Your Love on Me" was ABBA's fourth number-one single on a ''Billboard'' chart, topping the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Ten ABBA albums have made their way into the top half of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart, with eight reaching the Top 50, five reaching the Top 20 and one reaching the Top 10. In November 2021, [[Voyage (ABBA album)|Voyage]] became ABBA's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 peaking at No. 2. Five albums received RIAA gold certification (more than 500,000 copies sold), while three acquired platinum status (selling more than one million copies).

The compilation album ''[[ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits]]'' topped the ''Billboard'' Top Pop Catalog Albums chart in August 2008 (15 years after it was first released in the US in 1993), becoming the group's first number-one album ever on any of the ''Billboard'' album charts. It has sold 6 million copies there.<ref>Abba Fan Club Magazine, Helga van de Kar, "Abba's Gold Medal", September 2012, p. 3.</ref>

On 15 March 2010, ABBA was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] by [[Bee Gees]] members [[Barry Gibb]] and [[Robin Gibb]]. The ceremony was held at the [[Waldorf Astoria Hotel]] in New York City. The group was represented by Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson.<ref>{{Cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8570059.stm| title = ABBA and Genesis Join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame| access-date =17 March 2010 | work=BBC News | date=16 March 2010 | location=London| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100417200431/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8570059.stm| archive-date= 17 April 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In November 2021, the group received a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]] nomination for Record of the Year. The single, "[[I Still Have Faith in You]]", from the album, ''[[Voyage (ABBA album)|Voyage]]'', was their first ever nomination.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Griffin|first=Louise|date=24 November 2021|title=Abba nominated for first ever Grammy in 48 years and how did this happen?|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/11/24/grammy-nominations-abba-nominated-for-first-ever-award-in-2022-ceremony-15655699/|access-date=28 November 2021|website=Metro|language=en}}</ref> In November 2022, "Don't Shut Me Down", also from ''Voyage'', was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/grammy-nominations-2023-see-the-full-list-here/|title=Grammy Nominations 2023: See the Full List Here|last=Monroe|first=Jazz|date=15 November 2022|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115182547/https://pitchfork.com/news/grammy-nominations-2023-see-the-full-list-here/|archive-date=15 November 2022|url-status=live|access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref>

''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' featured a sketch that promoted a fictional ABBA album, which took pre-existing songs and reworked their lyrics to reference common Christmas traditions in the United States. Episode host [[Kate McKinnon]] and cast member [[Bowen Yang]] were joined by [[Maya Rudolph]] and [[Kristen Wiig|Kristin Wiig]], both former cast members on the show. The episode aired on 16 December 2023.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Iasimone |first1=Ashley |title='SNL': Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph & Bowen Yang Star in 'ABBA Christmas' Commercial |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/snl-abba-christmas-1235560639/ |magazine=Billboard |date=18 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosenbloom |first1=Alli |title=Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig help Kate McKinnon spoof ABBA in hilarious 'SNL' sketch |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/17/entertainment/maya-rudolph-kristen-wiig-snl/index.html |work=CNN |date=17 December 2023 |language=en}}</ref>