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ABBA Releases ‘The Singles—The First Fifty Years’ Box Set

by Best Classic Bands Staff

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Believe it or not, it’s been 50 years since ABBA’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest. The Swedish vocal quartet’s win on April 6, 1974, has been celebrated all over the world all year, and now Polar Music International has issued a boxed set of ABBA’s single A-sides: The Singles—The First Fifty Years. The compilation brings together, for the first time, not only every ABBA single issued by Polar up until 1982 but also the singles released in conjunction with 2021’s Voyage album. The collection, issued on October 25, 2024, on 2-CDs or 4-LPs, is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

According to an announcement from ABBA and Polar: “Building on ABBA’s classic double album The Singles—The First Ten Years, originally issued in 1982, this new boxed set expands the concept by bringing the story up to date, featuring every ABBA single released from 1972-2022.”

From the group’s 1972 debut single ‘People Need Love’ to the Voyage album’s ‘No Doubt About It’ in 2022, the 38-track boxed set features classics such as “SOS,” “Mamma Mia,” “Fernando,” “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Chiquitita,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Super Trouper,” “One of Us,” “Don’t Shut Me Down” and all of ABBA’s other big hits.”

The Singles—The First Fifty Years also features four additional tracks not issued as Polar Music A-sides, but which were singles in some countries back in the day: “Hasta Mañana,” “Angeleyes” (a double A-side with “Voulez-Vous” in some countries), “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “When All Is Said and Done.” The package also comes with an illustrated booklet with liner notes by Carl Magnus Palm.