Solo Artist

ABBA

Active1972-1982, 2016-present
OriginStockholm, Sweden
Albums9
Tracks93

Most frequent collaborator: Stig Anderson  ·  20 tracks

PopDiscoEuropopPop Rock
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 93 of 93 tracks

Did ABBA write their own songs?

Yes, but only two of the four members did the writing. Every ABBA song was composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, so the band is credited on 100% of its catalogue. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, the two singers, did not write the songs. Their manager Stig Anderson co-wrote the lyrics of early hits like 'Waterloo' and 'Ring Ring.'

By the Numbers

9
Studio Albums
93
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
over 150 million
Records Sold
54
Years Active
3
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 93 / 93 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 93 tracks: how many ABBA wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

ABBA has a writing credit100%
78%
22%
Sole author73tracks78%
Co-written20tracks22%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
ABBA's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 93 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)98%
Composer (music)100%
Producer100%
Performer98%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 93 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Agnetha Fältskog 1972-1982, 2016-present
1%
1%
0%
98%
Björn Ulvaeus 1972-1982, 2016-present
98%
100%
89%
0%
Benny Andersson 1972-1982, 2016-present
97%
99%
100%
0%
Anni-Frid Lyngstad 1972-1982, 2016-present
0%
0%
0%
98%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

ABBA's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1973Ring Ring
1974Waterloo
1975ABBA
1976Arrival
1977ABBA: The Album
1979Voulez-Vous
1980Super Trouper
1981The Visitors
2021Voyage
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1970s
Ring Ring, Waterloo +4 more
100%
1980s
Super Trouper, The Visitors
100%
2020s
Voyage

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where ABBA sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

ABBA
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Tina Turner0%
Diana Ross10%
The Jacksons24%
Kelly Clarkson49%
One Direction57%
Kesha77%
Pink85%
100%ABBA
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

People Need Love
Ring Ring
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
He Is Your Brother
Ring Ring
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Ring Ring
Ring Ring
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson, Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody
Co-wrote
Waterloo
Waterloo
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
Honey, Honey
Waterloo
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
SOS
ABBA
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
Mamma Mia
ABBA
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
ABBA
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
Dancing Queen
Arrival
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
Money, Money, Money
Arrival
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Arrival
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
The Name of the Game
ABBA: The Album
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Co-wrote
Take a Chance on Me
ABBA: The Album
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Chiquitita
Voulez-Vous
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Does Your Mother Know
Voulez-Vous
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Voulez-Vous
Voulez-Vous
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
The Winner Takes It All
Super Trouper
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Super Trouper
Super Trouper
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Lay All Your Love on Me
Super Trouper
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
One of Us
The Visitors
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Head Over Heels
The Visitors
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
When All Is Said and Done
The Visitors
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
Don't Shut Me Down
Voyage
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it
I Still Have Faith in You
Voyage
Written by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Wrote it

Discography 9 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

ABBA93 tracks
SA20 NS1 PC1

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. SA Stig Anderson · NS Neil Sedaka · PC Phil Cody

The Writers & Producers Behind ABBA 3 key collaborators

SA
Stig Anderson
Songwriter
Ring Ring / Waterloo / ABBA / Arrival20 tracks
NS
Neil Sedaka
Songwriter
Ring Ring1 tracks
PC
Phil Cody
Songwriter
Ring Ring1 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus are credited as writers on every original ABBA track, Andersson primarily as composer and Ulvaeus primarily as lyricist. Stig Anderson, the group's manager and a professional lyricist, co-wrote many early hits including 'Dancing Queen,' 'Waterloo,' and 'Knowing Me, Knowing You,' though his credited contributions end after The Album (1977). From Voulez-Vous (1979) onward, Ulvaeus holds sole lyricist credit on every track. The 2021 comeback Voyage is the first ABBA album produced solely by Andersson.

Quick Facts

  • SalesOne of the best-selling music acts of all time, with sales exceeding 150 million
  • EurovisionWon the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo,' launching their global career
  • The songwritersBenny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote every song; the two women were the voices
  • VoyageReunited for Voyage in 2021, their first album in 40 years
  • ABBA VoyageA concert residency using digital avatars opened in London in 2022

Creative Fingerprint

A band where two of four wrote everything: every ABBA song came from Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with manager Stig Anderson co-writing early lyrics, while Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang rather than wrote.

The Story

ABBA is a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972, consisting of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym formed from the first letters of each member's first name. Andersson and Ulvaeus handle virtually all original songwriting, while Fältskog and Lyngstad provide the group's distinctive vocal harmonies. ABBA became one of the best-selling music acts of all time, with estimated record sales exceeding 150 million worldwide. After disbanding in 1982, the group reunited in 2021 for the comeback album Voyage.

Awards & Recognition

Won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with 'Waterloo'
'Dancing Queen' reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100
Voyage (2021) was their first new album in 40 years and a global chart success
Ranked among the best-selling music acts of all time, with sales exceeding 150 million

Frequently Asked Questions ABBA

Did ABBA write their own songs?
Yes, but only two of the four members did the writing. Every ABBA song was composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, so the band is credited on 100% of its catalogue. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, the two singers, did not write the songs. Their manager Stig Anderson co-wrote the lyrics of early hits like 'Waterloo' and 'Ring Ring.'
Who wrote ABBA's songs?
Benny Andersson wrote the music and Björn Ulvaeus wrote most of the lyrics, working as a team on every ABBA song. On the early records, manager and lyricist Stig Anderson helped write the English words before the pair took over the lyrics entirely.
Who wrote 'Dancing Queen'?
'Dancing Queen,' from Arrival (1976), was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson. It became ABBA's only US number-one single and is widely regarded as their signature song.
Did Agnetha and Frida write any ABBA songs?
No. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were the group's lead singers and did not receive songwriting credits on ABBA's records. The writing was handled entirely by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with Stig Anderson on early lyrics.
Who wrote 'The Winner Takes It All'?
'The Winner Takes It All,' from Super Trouper (1980), was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It is often read as reflecting Ulvaeus and Fältskog's divorce, though Ulvaeus has said it was not literally autobiographical.
How many albums did ABBA release?
This catalogue covers nine studio albums, from Ring Ring (1973) through the reunion record Voyage (2021), which arrived 40 years after their previous album The Visitors (1981).
Did ABBA reunite?
Yes. ABBA released Voyage, their first new album in 40 years, in November 2021, and launched ABBA Voyage, a concert residency in London using digital avatars of the members, in May 2022.
How did ABBA become famous?
ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo,' which turned them into an international act. A run of Andersson and Ulvaeus-written hits like 'Dancing Queen,' 'Mamma Mia,' and 'Fernando' made them one of the biggest pop groups of the 1970s.
What genre is ABBA?
ABBA made pop, disco, and Europop, known for layered harmonies and polished production on hits like 'Dancing Queen' and 'Take a Chance on Me,' a sound later revived by the Mamma Mia! musicals and films.

Sources

Wikipedia: ABBA