By the time ABBA quietly disbanded in 1982 due to rising interpersonal tensions, they had already secured a legendary spot for themselves in the history of popular music and were set to remain a fixture in global pop culture at large.
Longtime fans of ABBA, British synth-pop group Erasure covered four of ABBA’s greatest hits (“Lay All Your Love on Me,” “S.O.S.,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and “Voulez Vouz”) and released them in an EP playfully titled ABBA-esque in June 1992. While reconfigured to suit the musical eccentricities of Erasure and its particular genre of pop, the songs were still recognizably in tribute to ABBA, and the EP charted throughout Europe and in the United States. In fact, it peaked at the number-one spot on the Official UK Top 40 Chart and Swedish Charts for several consecutive weeks. The positive reception of ABBA-esque signalled the lasting appeal of ABBA’s music even 10 years after the release of their last album and breakup.
This global momentum of renewed appreciation for the Swedish pop sensation was sustained in the same year by the release of the compilation album ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits. The album launched ABBA—and, in particular, the timeless anthem “Dancing Queen”—back onto the listening charts. Critical reception has unwaveringly lauded the album as a well-curated album unto itself, and it has been re-released multiple times since 1992 to accompany anniversaries or the release of the film version of Mamma Mia! (2008). Produced by group members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Gold is a remarkable example of the power of a compilation album: distilling the group’s discography to its greatest hits reminds veteran listeners of what they loved while capturing new fans with the group’s essential musical profile. Many have attempted to dissect the infectious popularity of ABBA, but a listen through the track list of Gold suggests that ABBA’s mastery may simply lie in its lyrical and sonic accessibility. Listeners never have to work through overly convoluted lyrics; ABBA’s songs are self-explanatory storytelling wrapped up in captivating melodramatic arrangements.
The music and influence of ABBA continued to infiltrate other realms of popular culture in the 1990s. Two successful Australian films released in 1994, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding, prominently feature ABBA songs on their soundtracks. The tail end of the decade saw the catalyst for a new wave of ABBA love: the debut of the stage musical Mamma Mia! in London’s West End in 1999. Produced in collaboration with Andersson and Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! was an original musical whose narrative centered around some of ABBA’s most popular songs. Mamma Mia! proved to be such a popular musical around the world—mirroring the global draw of ABBA itself—that it spawned a 2008 film adaptation. Mamma Mia! the film was panned by critics for its camp aesthetic and questionably cast actors, but that criticism did not deter fans from seeing it and making it a high-grossing box-office hit. The monetary wins yielded by the film adaptation encouraged Universal Studios to move ahead with a sequel, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was released 10 years later. It showcased a wider breadth of ABBA’s catalogue than the original stage and film musical. Somewhat unexpectedly, this musical sequel written exclusively for the screen surpassed its predecessor by gaining the favor of both critics and fans—a testament to the enduring relevance of ABBA.