ABBA: 50 years from Eurovision win to final farewell

This year marks 50 years since ABBA's victory at Eurovision in England, which set the Swedish group on the path to global fame and fortune. Though ABBA officially concluded their pursuits in 2021, the band had essentially disbanded over four decades ago.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Agnetha Fältskog started performing as ABBA in 1972. Just two years later, they clinched the 19th Eurovision Song Contest. Their entry, "Waterloo," was an immense success despite early suspicions that they might not achieve further hits.

Contrary to those early doubts, ABBA continued to produce chart-toppers, including "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Money, Money, Money", "That’s Me", and "Fernando". These hits contributed to the band selling hundreds of millions of records and embarking on global tours, though their fame came at a cost.

In 1980, when Agnetha received threats before a concert in West Germany, she decided she'd had enough of the celebrity lifestyle and chose to concentrate on raising her daughter. This decision came two years after her divorce from Björn. Benny and Anni-Frid also faced personal challenges; their marriage lasted only three years. Their separation happened in 1981, followed by the informal breakup of ABBA a year later.

During this period, the female members pursued solo careers, while Ulvaeus and Andersson collaborated on other projects. Since 1982, ABBA has ceased to perform publicly as a quartet, except for a single television performance in 1986.

In the 1990s, Ulvaeus and Andersson briefly resurfaced during a U2 concert and went on to create "Mamma Mia!" the show. In 2000, ABBA turned down a lucrative offer to perform 100 concerts for a billion dollars and denied any reunion speculation. However, in 2004, they came together for "Our Last Video Ever", which premiered during the semi-final of the 49th Eurovision Song Contest. The following year, they made a rare appearance at the Stockholm musical "Mamma Mia!" premiere, marking their first group appearance in decades.

In 2018, ABBA announced they were returning to the stage in a different format. New songs were introduced via a concert tour featuring holograms, and virtual avatars even engaged with the audience during the Eurovision finale. Despite these advancements, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Agnetha Fältskog never performed together live again, and their 2021 album "Voyage" officially closed the chapter on their group endeavours.