The Downfall 1982. Why did it happen?

Frida did indeed seem to be going through some turmoil with the divorce in 1981 which really didn't seem amicable. As pointed out that interview on the Noel Edmonds show at the end of 1982 was incredibly frosty between Frida and Benny.

I heard an interview in which Frida said she played Phil Collin's album at the time everyday. If that's not a cry for help I don't know what is.

Her "punky" hairstyle was I guess her way of making a clean break. Frida was the least "pop" of ABBA and her appearance and songs from her two English language albums weren't the real Frida. That's my interpretation anyway.

ABBA were coming to an end but made a number of tactical errors during 1981-2.

* LAYLOM released to late and not on 7 inch
* No single released before The Visitors album was released. When All is Said and Done should have been
*The awful One of Us video
*Lack of promotion

Against the background of
*interpersonal relationship breakdowns
*change in musical direction
*Abba just running out of steam

those tactical errors just made the ending inevitable. But the drastic collapse in just three months or so is just so bizarre.

I wonder if One of Us/The Visitors album had not been released around Christmas but early 1982 if we would have seen them doing less well - and making the collapse with Head Over Heels less dramatic.

Yes, I’d agree there. I didn’t think so at the time, I thought it was an odd choice for a single, but now I think of it as one of the best two tracks on Super Trouper (the other being The Winner Takes It All).

I think that quote of mine has been misinterpreted. Probably my fault.

If One of Us/The Visitors album was released after Christmas they may have done less well commercially. I think probably less successful especially for One of Us.

Therefore the failure of Head Over Heels in not making the Top 20 might have seen as a continuing decline rather than a sharp decline in a very short period.

Perhaps the December releases gave a false impression of ABBA's popularity. The reality was their popularity was on the slide and temporarily, saved by Christmas.

Yes. ABBA's shelf life was coming to an end. But equally too the 1982 singles were simply not up to the standard of ABBA at their peak.

I love LAYLOM. It's interesting to see the contrast between what songs were popular back then and what's popular now - and vice versa.

LAYLOM is ABBA's 4th most popular song on Spotify, behind DQ, GGG and MM. It has just overtaken TACOM.

Meanwhile Fernando, MMM, KMKY- huge ABBA hits don't make Spotify Top 10 ABBA songs. No offence Frida! KMKY one of my favourites too.

The 1982 singles Head Over Heels, The Day Before You Came and Under Attack all fail to make the Top 30.

Yeah, some will argue "They didn't get the Mamma Mia or TikTok treatment". True. And maybe people STILL don't like them so much.

At the risk of being burned at the stake, I actually really admire the 1982 recordings - every single one of them.

In my opinion, "The Day Before You Came" is their equal best song (alongside "When All Is Said & Done") and is, therefore, top-drawer ABBA.

Whilst I don't consider "Under Attack" to be of quite the same standard, it's still a fabulous pop single and deserved its place on 'ABBA - The Singles' (even though I prefer "Cassandra", but I concede it was not single material).

I tend to agree that by 1981/82, ABBA's popularity was on the wane and perhaps the sales figures for 'The Visitors' did reflect the Christmas period - i.e. it was most likely gifted to people upon the assumption that ABBA were still in vogue and universally adored. What a surprise the album must have been for those expecting mid-1970's pop - it was their most significant departure yet, so I guess that had to inform some of the public reaction (it's still my favourite album though).

I definitely believe "One Of Us" to be a brilliant single and deserving of a high chart placing so maybe there was still a degree of anticipation for their new releases? (I realise this contradicts my preceding comments.)

Whilst "Head Over Heels" is a fine recording, I don't think it was a wise follow-up single - that mantle should have definitely gone to "When All Is Said & Done", which incidentally was previewed as the first taster of 'The Visitors' in Australia via its video clip on the music show Countdown. However, "One Of Us" was ultimately released here as the first single and then "When All Is Said & Done" was issued in early 1982. (Notably, "Head Over Heels" wasn't a single in Australia.)

Those final couple of years still fascinate me and I wish we had more recordings to analyse and enjoy but the ultimate reward for our collective patience was the materialisation of 'Voyage'. I'm still coming to terms with this incredible bestowment.

I think Under Attack was shown on the Christmas Day special of Top Of The Pops, using the late late breakfast show performance and shown over end credits, if I recall correctly.

There may be other factors, but I think the main reason for the downfall was simply that the last three singles weren’t good enough. I’m not saying they are bad songs, just that they’re not good singles. None of the three would even have been considered as singles five or six years before, when they were at their artistic and sales peak. Under Attack is B-side material, and Head Over Heels and The Day Before You Came are album tracks.

BTW, Under Attack spent four weeks at number 26, although one of those was a ‘repeated’ week.

Ah, I stand corrected on Under Attack on Top of the Pops. Not the actual video though. The problem with the performance done for the Late, Late Breakfast Show was that it was more of a variety show so didn’t have any TOTP dancers or audience etc.

I listened to Pick of the Pops on Radio 2 today, and they did this week in 1982. ABBA were at number 6 (down from 5) with One of Us, which was played. Interestingly, Paul Gambaccini introduced the song as being ABBA’s last of 19 top 10 hits though no one knew it at the time. I was expecting him to then mention Don’t Shut Me Down, but no, One of Us was ABBA’s last top tenner according to him.

Anyway, I picked up on the fact that, besides ABBA, there were three other CBS acts in the top 20. Shakin’ Stevens (Oh Julie, no. 13, Epic, on its rise to number one), Altered Images (I Could Be Happy, no. 7, Epic) and Adam and the Ants (Ant Rap, number 5, CBS label). Of these, Shakin’ Stevens and Adam and the Ants had both had a couple of number one hits in 1981, and both (the latter as Adam Ant) would have a number one in 1982.

All three of those acts were home-grown and directly signed to CBS in the UK, there was no complicated licensing agreement with a foreign company in place (that one suspects still favoured Polar more than CBS). As previously mentioned, CBS were using promotional tools for ABBA but was the Swedish group as important to them as they were in the 70s? It’s possible profits from ABBA helped the company promote those three acts (and others) to make them big, but was CBS now distracted and not doing enough for ABBA than they should have done in 1981-82?

Just throwing it in there.... another good version of OOU.... Cher... possibly her best cover....

Totally agree , that The Visitors , should have been a brave option, and I actually believe it should’ve been the lead single.. imagine the wow factor that would’ve caused....

September 81.. The Visitors
December.. OOU.. ( it does have a Christmassy feel )
March... on hind sight WAISAD.. even though I do like HOH....

I like the possibilities offered by making The Visitors the lead single. For one, it would be a very clear indication that changes were afoot, that ABBA had matured, were embracing the new decade. I think it would have taken a bit more consideration than they seemed bothered with at the time. I simply can't imagine a Hallstrom video for such a track (or not on Stig's luncheon-voucher budget anyway). Frida's new look would have been right for the presentation; the others would have needed a bit of TLC in hair/makeup/wardrobe. The preceding single would have been LAYLOM, so it would have been a really nice progression from one synthpop track to another (the compilations at the time paired these tracks - DJs seemed to like them together). Even so, I imagine that Epic and Polar would have seen it as a bit of a commercial gamble. The follow-up singles would have had to be chosen differently. Something slightly harder/edgier than either OOU or HOH. Soldiers, maybe? WAISAD for sure. EDIT: taking the Thompson Twins' later hit into account, this strategy might have laid the groundwork for HOH as a third single. The sound was right.

In a world where interpersonal issues weren't at play, and where ABBA were prepared to engage with the media and get on planes, I think this could have been a really interesting campaign.

I like the "We're a new ABBA now" strategy - a sort of reinvention as many artists have deployed - suggested by The Visitors and WAISAD singles, aligned with renewed energy from the four of them. Because, as it was, perhaps for many, they gave the impression of the probable reality: two divorced couples whose hearts weren't fully into it anymore. For me, that's the devastating clincher as to their rapid demise: people picked up on it and were turned off.

The Visitors would have been a very good choice as lead single and a bit of a shock.

When All is Said and Done a good choice to but perhaps seen as yet another break up song. The Winner Takes it All - Frida version.

What didn't make sense at all was not having any single released well before The Visitors album.

It was Frida who looked tired, not Agnetha. WAISAD is a good album track but no single. The visitors lacked hits except for One of Us. The songs became to heavy and morose. Time was up for Abba. Although One of Us was a big hit the album didn't sell very well. Super trouper sold much more. It was time to break up the group and they knew it.