ABBA

ABBA (1972?1983) was a Swedish pop music group. They remain the most successful Swedish music act and were one of the most popular groups in the world. Estimates of ABBA's total worldwide sales vary from 140 to 500 million (there seems to be no reliable source for this information) which could make them the second most successful band of all time after The Beatles.

Fashion and videos

ABBA was widely noted as an epitome of 1970s fashion for the colourful costumes its members wore. The videos which accompanied some of their 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 and Chocolat.

Related Topics:
1970s - Lasse Hallström - My Life as a Dog - The Cider House Rules - Chocolat

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ABBA made videos because their songs were hits in so many different countries and personal appearances weren't always possible. Some of these videos became classics because of the 1970s era costumes and early video effects (such as overlapping one girl's profile with the other's full face) never mind the generous use of blue eyeshadow. In 2005 most of their videos could be seen on the DVDs ABBA Gold and The Definitive Collection.

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Several ABBA videos were spoofed by others: The video "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was satirised on the BBC comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News as "Super Dooper." The title Knowing Me, Knowing You was also borrowed for a spoof chat show on BBC starring Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge who always entered the studio shouting "Aha!" (an exclamation in the lyrics). UK comedy duo French and Saunders parodied ABBA with their song "C'est La Vie", an homage to "The Winner Takes it All."

Related Topics:
BBC - Comedy - Not the Nine O'Clock News - Knowing Me, Knowing You - Steve Coogan - Alan Partridge - French and Saunders

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