Get ready to unleash your inner "Dancing Queen"! Join us as we reminisce about the most iconic hits to ever come out of Sweden’s dazzling disco legends. We’ll spotlight unforgettable ABBA tracks that made the world fall in love with their catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Which classic always gets you singing along? Share your ABBA favorite with us in the comments!
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks for the most super trooper numbers in ABBA's discography.
00:14I can't be before, sing a new song, chickity-da.
00:22Number 10, Fernando.
00:24Although technically in ABBA's song, written by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Olvius, Fernando actually debuted on Anni Friedlingstad's solo album, Frida and Sam.
00:41The Swedish lyrics are about heartbreak, while the English version follows two ex-soldiers reminiscing about a war.
00:47Do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
00:52Or if you go by the Mamma Mia approach, it's about an old flame.
00:56Apparently, Fernando was the name of a bartender at a local brewery, so honestly, he could be whoever you want him to be.
01:02There was something in the air that night, the stars were bright, Fernando.
01:08The song blew up, selling over 10 million physical copies, topping charts globally, and even winning Best Studio Recording of 1975.
01:19Whether it's the harmonies, the nostalgia, or just the sheer ABBA-ness of it all, it still slaps.
01:25Guess if I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.
01:33Number 9, Take a Chance on Me.
01:35If this song isn't on your running playlist, why not?
01:39If you change your mind, on the first in line, honey, I'm still free, Take a Chance on Me.
01:47The rhythm reportedly came from a beat Olvius would repeat to himself while out jogging.
01:51It is peak ABBA, energetic, irresistibly catchy, and emotionally sincere.
01:57That take a chance hook grabs you instantly and doesn't let go.
02:01The driving beat and tight harmonies create a polished but playful sound.
02:12It became one of their most successful tracks, giving ABBA their seventh UK chart topper,
02:17following straight on from Knowing Me, Knowing You and The Name of the Game.
02:20UK sales sent the song platinum too.
02:23Let me tell you now, my love is strong enough to last when things are rough, it's magic.
02:30The song also tipped them over the edge into becoming the highest chart-topping group of the decade.
02:35It's smart, timeless, feel-good pop.
02:37Basically, it's musical serotonin.
02:45Number 8. Super Trooper.
02:48Believe it or not, this was the last song written for the Super Trooper album.
02:51It was almost complete, then this song took form in the nick of time and became the perfect title track.
03:00It's bright, infectious, packed with tight harmonies, and full of everything that made ABBA, ABBA.
03:11It's also deceptively sad, masking loneliness and longing under that pure pop shimmer.
03:16I was sick and tired of everything, when I called you last night from Glasgow.
03:24There are mixed stories about whether the song was written for Bjorn's then-wife, Agnetha Feldskog, or his new fiancée.
03:31Either way, it's catchy enough to make us forget the melancholy and scan for someone in the crowd to dance with under those Super Trooper lights.
03:38Cause somewhere in the crowd, there's Super Trooper lights, I'm gonna find me.
03:49Number 7. Knowing Me, Knowing You.
03:52There are countless breakup songs out there, but few tackle the subject as calmly and matter-of-factly as this one.
03:58Sometimes, things just don't work out, and that's life.
04:01Walking through an empty house, tears remind.
04:06When such a universal truth is set to music this beautifully, it's hardly surprising that it will strike a chord with so many.
04:14It kept ABBA's UK number one streak alive, and became one of the biggest hits of 1977.
04:19Knowing me, knowing you.
04:23We just have to face it this time.
04:26It's coming through.
04:28Musically, Knowing Me, Knowing You balances the brightness of a major key with the ache of personal loss.
04:34ABBA's layered harmonies, clever arrangements, and emotional restraint make it one of their most quietly devastating and most sophisticated takes on heartbreak.
04:44Knowing me, knowing you.
04:46It's the best I can do.
04:49Number 6. S.O.S.
04:50From the opening piano riff to that pleading chorus, this song wears its heart on its sleeve.
04:56Foutskog's vocals sound raw, urgent, and utterly heart-wrenching.
05:00What happened to our love?
05:02It used to be so goofy.
05:07The title is known around the world as a call for help, which instantly gives the song its emotional weight.
05:12It starts out soft and sad, then suddenly bursts into something big and dramatic.
05:17So when you're near me, darling, can't you hear me?
05:21S.O.S.
05:22Every shift feels smooth but striking.
05:25That contrast gives it a powerful, almost operatic or theatrical feel, but it still sounds like classic ABBA pop.
05:31It was also the first single to really relaunch them after Eurovision fame, and helped kick off the start of their golden era.
05:38When you're gone, though I try, how can I carry on?
05:42Number 5. Gimme, gimme, gimme, a man after midnight.
05:46This song's been covered or sampled by everyone from the 18s to Cher, Ava Max, and Madonna.
05:52And who can blame them?
05:53That synth intro is one of the most iconic in pop history.
05:57Dramatic, instantly recognizable, and pure, groovy disco.
06:01Inspired in part by Donna Summer's Hot Stuff, it captures the four-on-the-floor beat, lush strings, and pulsing bass line of the era.
06:17Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight.
06:20I want somebody help me chance to shine on subway.
06:24But it's more than just a dance track.
06:26It's emotionally vulnerable, too.
06:28Underneath the disco balls, it's about longing for connection.
06:32I gaze into the night, but there's nothing there to see, no one inside.
06:37The song was a hit across Europe and Japan, becoming ABBA's most popular song in the latter.
06:42Even disco skeptics can't help but bop along when this one plays.
06:46Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight.
06:50Take me through the darkness to the break of the day.
06:53Number 4. The winner takes it all.
06:56Although written roughly around the same time as Björn Olvius and Agnetha Felskog's divorce.
07:01I don't wanna talk
07:02About things we've gone through
07:07Olvius often denied the song was about that,
07:10though he later admitted he poured his real feelings into it.
07:13He also said he wrote it while drinking,
07:15and the words just flowed out in about an hour.
07:18Maybe that's why it feels so real.
07:20The winner takes it all.
07:23The loser has to fall.
07:26Björn wrote it, Agnetha sings it,
07:28and the emotion is almost unbearably intimate.
07:31Anyone who's seen it live, or in Mamma Mia,
07:34knows how much it hits.
07:35Meryl Streep captured that pain brilliantly, too.
07:38The arrangement builds slowly, steadily, and perfectly controlled.
07:42It's about heartbreak, sure,
07:44but it's also the strength it takes to lose with grace.
07:47But we think I'll be more.
07:50The winner takes it all.
07:55Number 3.
07:56Waterloo.
07:57Ah, the song that put ABBA on the global map.
07:59My eyes at Waterloo
08:02now fall in deep surrender.
08:05They won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with this one,
08:09though let's not forget the UK,
08:11now home to some of their biggest fans,
08:12gave it nil points at the time.
08:15Outrageous.
08:15The group almost entered with Hasta Manana,
08:18but chose Waterloo because it gave both lead vocalists their moment.
08:21How could I ever refuse?
08:24I feel like I win when I lose.
08:29The lyrics use the battle of Waterloo to tell a love story,
08:32and from the very first second,
08:34it explodes with piano rushes and a stomping beat.
08:37No slow build, just instant pop adrenaline.
08:40Catchy, confident, and glam.
08:42It still gets audiences on their feet in theatres and parties around the world.
08:47Finally facing my water.
08:51Ooh, water.
08:53Finally facing my water.
08:56Number 2.
08:57Mamma Mia.
08:58Mamma Mia is one of ABBA's best because it has everything that makes their music unforgettable.
09:10Catchy hooks, relatable lyrics, and that energy that makes you want to dance.
09:14Mamma Mia.
09:15Here I go again.
09:18My, my.
09:19How can I resist you?
09:21The opening riff is unmistakable.
09:23It grabs you before a single word is even sung.
09:25It was their first UK number one after Waterloo,
09:28went double platinum,
09:30and charted all over Europe, Oceania, and North America.
09:41Plus it lent its name to an Olivier and Tony nominated musical,
09:45and one of the most successful movie musicals of the 21st century so far.
09:48Even now, when those first few notes hit,
09:51it's hard not to smile and think,
09:52My, my.
09:53How can I resist you?
09:55Mamma Mia.
09:57Now I really know.
09:58My, my.
09:59I should not let you go.
10:01Before we unveil our top pick,
10:03here are a few honorable mentions.
10:06Lay All Your Love On Me.
10:07To this day, fans, especially in the UK,
10:10continue to lay all their love on this track.
10:13Lay all your love on me.
10:16Slipping Through My Fingers.
10:20How can this song inspired by Olvius and Feltzkog's daughter
10:23not pull at your heartstrings?
10:25Slipping through my fingers all the time.
10:28I try to capture every minute.
10:33Voulez-vous.
10:34Voulez-vous to dance along to this funky beat?
10:36We know we do.
10:37Ain't no big decision.
10:39You know what to do.
10:40I look like it's just a voulez-vous.
10:43Money, money, money.
10:44We'd put our money, money, money
10:46on this being on your feel-good playlist.
10:48All the things I could give.
10:51If I had a little money.
10:54It's a rich man's world.
10:56Does Your Mother Know?
10:57One of the rare occasions the ABBA ladies weren't on lead vocals.
11:01Well, I can dance when you're honey.
11:03If you think it's funny.
11:05Does your mother know that you're right?
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11:23Number 1.
11:25Dancing Queen.
11:26If there is one song that could get you on your feet faster than Mamma Mia,
11:30it's this one.
11:31No matter how long ago 17 was for you,
11:41this track takes you right back.
11:43Young, carefree, dancing like no one's watching,
11:46and having the time of your life.
11:48It's joy in song form and has become a lasting anthem of freedom,
11:52youth and self-expression,
11:54especially among the LGBTQIA plus community.
12:04It's also the only ABBA song to top the US charts,
12:08along with hitting number 1 in Australia, Canada and across Europe.
12:12It's topped countless best of lists and, rumor has it,
12:16was even a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II.
12:18Well, if the tiara fits...
12:28Which ABBA song has you saying thank you for the music?
