'The Best Of ABBA' Released In Australia - November 1975 - 40 Years Ago !

Wow, has it really been 40 years since this most iconic album was released ? How the time does fly.

Released in November 1975, this is the most successful ABBA album in Australia, with sales in excess of 1,250,000 copies !

When you consider that Australia's population at the time was a mere 14 million, that is quite phenomenal.

We were proud of the fact that '1 in ever 4 households in Australia owned an ABBA album' - and rest assured, this was the album that everyone had.

The Best Of ABBA was unique to Australia and New Zealand - with other countries releasing a variation of the 14 or 15 track Greatest Hits.

'The Best Of ABBA' entered the charts on 22 December 1975. The album was released in only 2 States at the time - with the rest of the country not getting the release until February 1976.
After slowly climbing the charts for 14 weeks, it hit the number 1 spot 15 weeks after the initial release and stayed at number 1 for 16 weeks in Australia and 18 weeks in New Zealand !

Overall, it stayed in the charts for an amazing 70 weeks (yes folks, that is more than a year).

At one stage RCA Records couldn’t keep up with the demand for the albums in the country's shops, and copies had to be pressed under licence by a rival record company.

A sentimental favourite for Australians, and probably the most recognisable album cover in this country.

Wonderful memories, playing this album over and over and over :)

ABBA's Mamma Mia Hits Number 1 In Australia Today In 1975 ! 40th Anniversary !

On 3rd November 1975, 'Mamma Mia' - or 'Mama Mia' as on the Aussie single - hit number 1 in Australia - replacing 'I Do I Do I Do' in the top position.

This single would stay at number 1 in Australia for 10 weeks - before being replaced by 'SOS'.

But this song would not even have been released as a single if it had not been for Molly Meldrum, RCA and the Australian public.

Mamma Mia was the last track recorded for the album 'ABBA' and was never intended for a single release.

However, a promo clip of the song was sent to Australia along with others ( I Do I Do I Do, SOS) - and something about it caught Molly Meldrum's attention. He played it as a 'bonus clip' on one episode of 'Countdown', and soon fans were bombarding record stores with requests for the new song.

ABBA's Australian record company, RCA, asked that Mamma Mia be released as a single, but Polar Music refused. Molly kept showing the clip - almost in defiance - and eventually the pressure from the fans and the record company paid off !

Thankfully, Stig Anderson finally agreed to release Mamma Mia as a single - but in Australia only.

After this success in Australia, Epic Records in the United Kingdom took notice of ABBA for the first time since Eurovision and 'Waterloo'.

From then on, Epic began to heavily promote ABBA's singles with the immediate result of 'SOS' reaching the Top 10 in the important British market, their first hit since 'Waterloo'. 'Mamma Mia' soon followed reaching number one on the British charts in early 1976, where it stayed at number 1 for 2 weeks.

The B-side for the Australian release of 'Mamma Mia' was 'Hey, Hey Helen'. In most other countries the B-Side was the instrumental 'Intermezzo Number 1'. ABBA's British label Epic selected 'Tropical Loveland' as the B-side for the UK release.
'Mamma Mia' knocked 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from the number 1 spot in UK.

'Mamma Mia' reached number 1 in Australia, UK, Germany, Ireland & Switzerland - number 2 in Belgium, New Zealand & Norway - along with making it to the top 10 in many other countries.
It even made it onto the US Billboard top 40.
It was even released in Madagascar ! :D

This is the song that opened up the world to ABBA - and it all started right here, in Australia !

If this song had never been released as a single, I wonder what the stage musical would have been called ? Hmmm ......

The clip that won us over:

'Mamma Mia' performed in Australia 1976 on 'The Best Of ABBA' Bandstand Special:

Some great picture covers from around the world:

ABBA's First Australian Number 1 Today in 1975 !

On 13 October 1975, 'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' becomes ABBA's very first Australian number 1 hit.

The song was released in Australia and entered the charts on 7 July - beginning a slow climb to the top 10.
The clip for the song was screened nationally in Australia on 3 August 1975 and the song hit the number 1 spot on 13 October where it stayed for 3 weeks. It then stayed in the top 10 for a further month.
It was replaced at the top spot by Mamma Mia :)

The B side was 'Rock Me'.

A few of the fabulous picture covers for this single from around the world.

ABBA History - 1 November

On this day in 1976, 'Money Money Money' was released.

This fabulous song went to number 1 in 7 countries - including Australia (this was ABBA's 5th consecutive hit here).

Australia
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
Mexico
New Zealand
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles

It was a top 10 hit in countless others. It reached number 3 in UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria and Norway.

A few of the different covers for the single from various countries:



Australia & New Zealand

France

 

Germany

 

Mexico

EP from Brazil