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The Singles: The First Ten Years

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The Singles: The First Ten Years
Compilation album by
ABBA
Released8 November 1982
RecordedJanuary 1973 – August 1982
GenrePop
Length92:44
LabelPolar (Sweden)
Epic (UK, Ireland, Spain and Italy)
Atlantic (US and Canada)
Polydor (Germany and Netherlands)
Vogue (France)
RCA (Australia and New Zealand)
Sunshine (South Africa)
Producer
ABBA chronology
The Visitors
(1981) 		The Singles: The First Ten Years
(1982) 		Thank You for the Music: A Collection of Love Songs
(1983)
Alternative cover
The Singles: The First Fifty Years cover
Singles from The Singles: The First Ten Years
  1. "The Day Before You Came"
    Released: 18 October 1982
  2. "Under Attack"
    Released: 3 December 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[4]

The Singles: The First Ten Years (re-released in 2024 as The Singles: The First Fifty Years) is a double compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on 8 November 1982,[5][6] and 12 November in the UK.[7] Issued as a double album of their most famous single A-sides, the collection included two new tracks: "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack".[8] Both songs were released as singles, with "Cassandra" and "You Owe Me One" as their respective B-sides.[8]

Background and release

[edit]

In May 1982, ABBA started work on what was meant to be their ninth studio album ended up only completing three songs: "You Owe Me One", "I Am The City" and "Just Like That".[8] Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were not happy with the tracks and shelved the project in favor of a greatest hits album: The Singles: The First Ten Years. Released in 8 November 1982 in Sweden and four days later in the UK, it contained most of the band's hit singles from their ten years together as recording artists, and included two new tracks: "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack".[8] A box set of the compilation was also released exclusively in the UK on 6 December 1982.[9]

The Singles: The First Ten Years was released on CD in Canada only by Atlantic Records in 1987, but was quickly deleted in 1988 when Atlantic's rights to the catalog expired.[10] In 2001, the album was replaced by The Definitive Collection. In the Spin Alternative Record Guide (1995), the compilation was ranked 80th on the book's list of the "Top 100 Alternative Albums".[11]

Richard Cook in the New Musical Express described the collection as a "documentation of the group who altered the course of pop more than anyone else. It resulted in a seam of unbroken, highly individual pop music that in lifespan terms is still unmatched."[12]

In September 2024, a new compilation was announced as an update to The Singles: The First Ten Years.[13] Titled The Singles: The First Fifty Years, the 38-track collection not only contains the singles from Voyage (ABBA's latest studio album), but also includes ten extra tracks from the 1972-1982 period that were not included on the 1982 compilation.[13][14] It was released on October 25, 2024, and issued as a 2CD set and a 4LP 180g vinyl package. Both formats feature an illustrated booklet with unseen band images and liner notes by Carl Magnus Palm.[14][15]

Track listing

[edit]

Released as a double album, the compilation was divided into two records.

Record one

[edit]

All tracks are written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Ring Ring"
Ring Ring (1973)3:00
2."Waterloo" Waterloo (1974)2:46
3."So Long"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
ABBA (1975)3:06
4."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" ABBA3:15
5."SOS" ABBA3:22
6."Mamma Mia" ABBA3:32
7."Fernando" Greatest Hits (1975)4:15
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Dancing Queen" Arrival (1976)3:51
2."Money, Money, Money"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
Arrival3:05
3."Knowing Me, Knowing You" Arrival4:02
4."The Name of the Game" ABBA: The Album (1977)4:53
5."Take a Chance on Me"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
ABBA: The Album4:05
6."Summer Night City"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
Non-album single (1978)3:34
Total length:46:46

Record two

[edit]

All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

Side three
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Chiquitita"Voulez-Vous (1979)5:26
2."Does Your Mother Know"Voulez-Vous3:13
3."Voulez-Vous"Voulez-Vous5:11
4."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1979)4:45
5."I Have a Dream"Voulez-Vous4:44
Side four
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."The Winner Takes It All"Super Trouper (1980)4:56
2."Super Trouper"Super Trouper4:13
3."One of Us"The Visitors (1981)3:55
4."The Day Before You Came"Previously unreleased (1982)5:50
5."Under Attack"Previously unreleased (1982)3:45
Total length:45:58

The Singles: The First Fifty Years track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted. Tracks 1-4 were first released by the band as "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid".

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."People Need Love" Ring Ring2:44
2."He Is Your Brother" Ring Ring3:19
3."Ring Ring"
  • Andersson
  • Stig Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Neil Sedaka
  • Phil Cody
Ring Ring3:06
4."Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" Ring Ring2:55
5."Waterloo"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
Waterloo2:46
6."Honey, Honey"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
Waterloo2:57
7."Hasta Mañana"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
Waterloo3:11
8."So Long" ABBA3:07
9."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
ABBA3:17
10."SOS"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
ABBA3:23
11."Mamma Mia"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
ABBA3:32
12."Fernando" Greatest Hits4:14
13."Dancing Queen"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
Arrival3:53
14."Money, Money, Money" Arrival3:06
15."Knowing Me, Knowing You"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
Arrival4:03
16."The Name of the Game"
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
ABBA: The Album4:52
17."Take a Chance on Me" ABBA: The Album4:04
18."Eagle" ABBA: The Album5:49
19."Summer Night City" Non-album single (1978)3:35
20."Chiquitita" Voulez-Vous5:27
21."Does Your Mother Know" Voulez-Vous3:15
Disc two
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Voulez-Vous"Voulez-Vous5:10
2."Angeleyes"Voulez-Vous4:22
3."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"Greatest Hits, Vol. 24:50
4."I Have a Dream"Voulez-Vous4:44
5."The Winner Takes It All"Super Trouper4:57
6."Super Trouper"Super Trouper4:10
7."Lay All Your Love on Me"Super Trouper4:34
8."One of Us"The Visitors3:57
9."Head over Heels"The Visitors3:49
10."When All Is Said and Done"The Visitors3:18
11."The Day Before You Came"The Singles: The First Ten Years (1982)5:50
12."Under Attack"The Singles: The First Ten Years3:47
13."I Still Have Faith in You"Voyage (2021)5:09
14."Don't Shut Me Down"Voyage3:57
15."Just a Notion"Voyage3:32
16."Little Things"Voyage3:10
17."No Doubt About It"Voyage2:51

Personnel

[edit]

ABBA

  • Agnetha Fältskog – lead vocals (5, 14, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23), co-lead vocals (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16), backing vocals
  • Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals (7, 9, 10, 18, 20), co-lead vocals (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16), backing vocals
  • Björn Ulvaeus – steel-string, acoustic guitar, lead vocals (13, 15), backing vocals
  • Benny Andersson – synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals

Additional personnel

Production

  • Benny Andersson – producer, arranger
  • Björn Ulvaeus – producer, arranger
  • Michael B. Tretow – engineer
  • Lars Larsson – cover photo
  • Anders Hanser, Ola Lager, Lars Larsson – inner sleeve photo
  • Rune Söderqvist – art director

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[40] Gold 20,000^
Germany (BVMI)[41] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] Platinum 300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ William Ruhlmann. "The Singles: The First Ten Years". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  3. ^ [1] Archived December 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 3.
  5. ^ Ruhlmann, Willam. "The Singles: The First Ten Years - ABBA | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  6. ^ Palm, Carl Magnus (2009-10-28). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857120571.
  7. ^ a b "British album certifications – ABBA – The Singles: The First Ten Years". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d "In focus: ABBA For The Last Time". ABBA. 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  9. ^ "New Albums" (PDF). Record Business. 6 December 1982. p. 9. Retrieved 24 July 2025 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  10. ^ "The Singles: The First Ten Years". Abba on CD. 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  11. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  12. ^ Cook, Richard (4 December 1982). "Abba: The Singles, The First Ten Years (Epic)". www.rocksbackpages.com. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  13. ^ a b Sinclair, Paul (2024-09-05). "ABBA / The Singles: The First Fifty Years – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  14. ^ a b Armstrong, Sam (2024-09-04). "ABBA Announce New Box Set, 'The Singles – The First Fifty Years'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  15. ^ "The Singles – The First Fifty Years (4LP)". Polar Music. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  16. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970 – 1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. ^ "RPM Hot 100 Albums Chart" (PDF). 22 January 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – ABBA – The Singles - The First Ten Years" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  19. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "ABBA". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 8. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – The Singles – The First Ten Years" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Charts.nz – ABBA – The Singles - The First Ten Years". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  22. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – ABBA – The Singles - The First Ten Years". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  23. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – ABBA – The Singles - The First Ten Years". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  24. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  25. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  26. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  27. ^ "Austriancharts.at – ABBA – The Singles - The First Fifty Years" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Ultratop.be – ABBA – The Singles - The First Fifty Years" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – ABBA – The Singles - The First Fifty Years" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – ABBA – The Singles - The First Fifty Years" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  31. ^ "Top Albums (Week 44, 2024)". SNEP. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  32. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – The Singles - The First Fifty Years" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  33. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  34. ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 44". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  35. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  36. ^ "Swisscharts.com – ABBA – The Singles - The First Fifty Years". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  38. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1983. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  40. ^ "Kent Music Report No 453 – 28 February 1983 > Platinum Albums 1982 (Continued)". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via Imgur.com.
  41. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ABBA; 'The Singles – The First Ten Years')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
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