THROWBACK THURSDAY: ABBA

I've totally been on an ABBA kick this week, so here we go. Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Ani-Frid, also known as ABBA, were, believe it or you're stupid, and ARE one of the biggest selling groups in the history of music. The Swedish pop sensations have sold over 375 million records world wide. Yes, OVER 375 MILLION!!! That makes them the eighth biggest selling recording artists in music history. Suck on that. They STILL sell 2 to 3 million records a year and haven't even recorded new music as a group since 1982. Their greatest hits album, ABBA Gold, alone has sold 28 million copies world wide, making it one of the biggest selling albums of all time. They've inspired countless covers, cover bands, and even the musical Mamma Mia!, based on their songs. Their music was also heavily featured in the Australian films Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Not too bad for four quiet kids from Sweden. ABBA is arguably more popular than ever, especially in the US where the official craze never hit like it did everywhere else. Although, they did ring up several top ten hits and a #1 with the classic Dancing Queen. ABBA are clearly influential in many forms of pop music (like Madonna's sampling of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) for her song Hung Up) and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 for their enduring legacy on popular music. There's no doubt we'll be hearing their songs for generations to come. I mean, they're just so damn fun!! Here are a few of my fave clips from ABBA. The beautiful and reflective Eagle; the wonderfully sad and hopeful The Name of the Game; the insta-classic Dancing Queen; their first international hit, the exuberant Waterloo; and the disco sexiness of Voulez-Vous. Enjoy and remember that "you can dance, you can jive" bitches!