<P> ABBA (Swedish pronunciation: (2abːa)) are a Swedish pop group, formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni - Frid Lyngstad . The group's name derives from the first letter in each of the first names of its members . They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982 . ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 at The Dome in Brighton, UK, giving Sweden its first triumph in the contest . They are the most successful group to have taken part in the competition . </P> <P> ABBA's record sales are estimated from 140 to over 500 million copies worldwide, making them one of the best - selling music artists of all time . They are also the best - selling band from continental Europe and from outside the English - speaking world . ABBA is the first group from a non-English - speaking country to achieve consistent success in the charts of English - speaking countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States . They have a joint record eight consecutive number - one albums in the UK . The group also enjoyed significant success in Latin America, and recorded a collection of their hit songs in Spanish . </P> <P> During the band's active years, the band was composed of two couples: Fältskog and Ulvaeus, and Lyngstad and Andersson . With the increase of their popularity, their personal lives suffered which eventually resulted in the collapse of both marriages . The relationship changes were reflected in the group's music, with later compositions featuring more introspective and dark lyrics . </P> <P> After ABBA disbanded in December 1982, Andersson and Ulvaeus achieved success writing music for the stage, while Lyngstad and Fältskog pursued solo careers with mixed success . ABBA's music declined in popularity until the purchase of ABBA's catalogue and record company Polar by Polygram in 1989 enabled the groundwork to be laid for an international re-issue of all their original material and a new Greatest Hits (ABBA Gold) collection in September 1992, which became a worldwide bestseller . Several films, notably Muriel's Wedding (1994) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), further revived interest in the group and spawned several tribute bands . In 1999, ABBA's music was adapted into the successful musical Mamma Mia! that toured worldwide . A film of the same name, released in 2008, became the highest - grossing film in the United Kingdom that year . A sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, was released in 2018 . </P>

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