Swedish pop quartet ABBA has sold nearly 400 million albums throughout its 50-year history. Formed in the late ’60s, the first ABBA songs were written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who met in 1966 before Anni-Frid Lyngstad (also known as Frida) and Agnetha Fältskog completed the lineup in 1969. Their name is an acronym of the first initial in each of their given names. They released eight albums from 1972 through 1981.
-
Today Music’s History
On March 20 1960, Elvis Presley started his first recordings since being discharged from the US Army. A 12 hour session in a Nashville recording studio produced his next No.1 single, ‘Stuck On You’. Scotty Moore and Bill Black, who had quit Presley’s touring band in 1957, were in the studio with him for the last time. In 1961, Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Surrender’, his fifth No.1 of the 60s. It also made No.1 in the UK. The song was based on the 1911 Italian song, ‘Return To Sorrento.’
-
Today in Music’s History
On January 09 2005, Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Jailhouse Rock.’ The single sold just 21,262 copies to reach No.1, the lowest sales ever for a UK chart topper since data began in 1969. The single was released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his birth, a previous Elvis chart topper was re-released each week.
-
Today in Music’s History
On August 7th 2005, Mariah Carey was at No.1 on the US charts with ‘We Belong Together’. “We Belong Together” was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin and produced by the former three. “We Belong Together” is built on a simple piano arrangement with an understated backbeat. The lyrics chronicle a woman’s desperation for her former lover to return.
