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Post by gary on Sept 10, 2021 20:19:07 GMT
And another question: has ABBA ever had four albums in the chart at the same time prior to this week?
And yet another one: the Official Charts lists Voulez-Vous as ‘New’ whereas Arrival is listed as ‘Re’. Is there any logic to that?
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Post by Alan on Sept 10, 2021 22:40:19 GMT
And yet another one: the Official Charts lists Voulez-Vous as ‘New’ whereas Arrival is listed as ‘Re’. Is there any logic to that? Arrival did make an appearance in the albums chart in 2018, when it had one week at number 94. This was its first appearance in the chart since 1979. Until this week, Voulez-Vous had not been in the albums chart since March 1980. Perhaps this is the reason the official chart company classes it as “new”? However, as with Dancing Queen in 1992, the Voulez-Vous album now has a separate showing in ABBA’s chart history list. No other ABBA album re-entering the chart has been afforded this, so no, no apparent logic… |
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Post by gazman on Sept 10, 2021 22:55:32 GMT
I assume the reason that 'Voulez-Vous' has charted again so highly is simply because there are 5 tracks on it that are also on 'Gold'.
A stream of one of those songs will count towards the chart for its 'parent' studio album ('VV') and also for one nominated compilation album (i.e. 'Gold'). At least, as far as I know.....
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Post by Alan on Sept 10, 2021 23:11:49 GMT
This is a tongue-in-cheek post so no one need take it seriously, but…
Spare a thought for Frida tonight. She gets her first lead on a UK and Ireland-released ABBA single in 41 years (and that last one was number one). It’s given a video and a vinyl release and is therefore considered the primary single. Her solo singles in the 1980s didn’t make the top 40. For Frida this is an even bigger comeback than ABBA’s in general.
Having given ABBA a number one hit in 1980 with Super Trouper, Frida unfathomably doesn’t get to sing lead on another UK ABBA single. Agnetha, meanwhile, gets all of the remaining six (and I am including LAYLOM and the belated 1983 release of TYFTM in that). She then has three solo top 40 hits, one of which narrowly misses the top 10.
And after all that, poor Frida STILL gets trounced by Agnetha, whose lead on a new ABBA single makes the top 10.
Not all bad for Frida though. ISHFIY is only the first Frida-led ABBA single not to be top 3. Three number one hits, a number two, a number three and now a number 14. As part of ABBA, Agnetha only had one number one hit, a number two, two number threes, a number six, a number seven and now a number nine. The rest is much less good. A number 25, a 26, a 32 and a 33.
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Post by gamleman on Sept 11, 2021 6:30:16 GMT
I assume the reason that 'Voulez-Vous' has charted again so highly is simply because there are 5 tracks on it that are also on 'Gold'. A stream of one of those songs will count towards the chart for its 'parent' studio album ('VV') and also for one nominated compilation album (i.e. 'Gold'). At least, as far as I know..... Are you sure that's true - that streaming just one song allows the parent album to make a bid for the Albums chart? If so, it is grossly unfair - I would expect the streaming contribution to the Albums chart to require the whole album to be streamed. Perhaps for a more accurate reflection of the ABBA studio albums that people have been favouring over the past week, we should refer to the statistics I posted earlier for the Download Albums chart and Album Sales (download + physical) chart. This suggests that the studio album people have been most curious about is ABBA's last album "The Visitors". My initial thought was that since "Voulez-vous" was the only studio album in the Streaming chart, it was the 'go to' album for the younger generation, but if (as suggested above) streaming individual tracks from this album has earned it a place in the Streaming chart then I think its popularity can be discounted (as a whole album). What is actually bizarre is that it made only #49 in the Streaming chart and doesn't appear at all in the Sales chart, yet earned a place of #58 in the overall chart. This implies that streaming counts for a lot more than sales in the overall chart, which I didn't think was the case for albums. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2021 6:47:45 GMT
Gentleman
Yep. The charts are compiled that way. Streams for individial songs are included for parent album - so a lot of double counting. It doesn't seem fair.
Streams generally are the factor even more albums. Overall physical sales account for less than 20%. I don't know total sales including streams.
That said, a veteran artist can have its debut week totally dominated by sales.
This week's Top 2 Drake and Iron Maiden. The former had 96% sales from streams the latter 88% from sales.
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Post by gamleman on Sept 11, 2021 7:07:08 GMT
If it's the case that streaming individual songs contributes towards the Albums chart then I can't take the Albums chart seriously. It's not an Albums chart any longer.
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Post by Alan on Sept 11, 2021 7:29:23 GMT
According to Wikipedia:
Under the revised methodology, the Official Charts Company takes the 12 most streamed tracks from one album, with the top-two songs being down-weighted in line with the average of the rest. The total of these streams is divided by 1000 and added to the pure sales of the album. This calculation was designed to ensure that the chart rundown continues to reflect the popularity of the albums themselves, rather than just the performance of one or two smash hit singles.
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 11, 2021 7:40:30 GMT
Gamleman -- The UK Album Chart is really the only UK Chart, where 'Heritage', (Old), Acts can still do well.
I see it as a counter-balance, to the Singles Chart, where Streaming causes Ed Sheeran etc., to have Hit's
for Months and Months on end. However, some UK Chart Fans want all 'Hits' & 'Best Of' Albums 'Banned'
from the Album Chart and put into a 'Greatest Hits' Chart. They say that 'ABBA Gold' etc. 'Clutter', the
Main Top 100 Albums Chart. I see the UK Singles and Albums Charts, as being like 2 lumps of Wood -
and a lot of People want to whittle away at them, until they get a Chart that they like. The trouble is,
that they are never satisfied, so they want to have this 'New Rule', and that 'New Rule'. If such People
have their way, we will never see 'ABBA Gold' in the UK Album Chart, ever again. It would not matter,
how well it is selling. 'Mr Brightside' by The Killers, has been in the UK Singles Chart for 284 Weeks!
That's longer than all of ABBA's UK Singles added together - 262 Weeks. 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran, has
been in the Singles Chart for 187 Weeks. It is Streaming, that causes these outrageous Chart 'Runs'.
The credibility, of the UK Charts, ended Years ago. I just enjoy what I can, from them. I don't bother
wanting the 'Rules' changed. No-one listens, and I know 4 People at The UK Charts Company.
Gameleman -- Are you saying that you won't pay any attention, to how 'Voyage' does, in the UK Album
Chart, because you don't like the way that Chart is Compiled? I will just enjoy it doing well. The way the
Chart 'works' is of no consequence to me. After all, I don't make the 'Rules' for it.
To answer 2 earlier Questions:
A).. ABBA have never had 2 simultaneous UK Top 20 Singles before. The closest they came, was on
W/E 20th November 1976. 'Dancing Queen' was at No.30, (from No.20). 'Money, Money, Money' was
a New Entry at No.34.
B).. Nor have ABBA ever had 4 UK Simultaneous Hit Albums before. They've had 3 several times. That
was in 1978 and 2008. But, never 4.
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Post by Michal on Sept 11, 2021 7:44:16 GMT
Gold - Anniverary Edition: #8 Gold: #10 The Visitors: #32 Arrival: #43 More Gold: #46 Live at Wembley Arena: #49 Voulez-vous: #64 Super Trouper: #66 But the overall 'Sales' chart features... Gold, Gold - Anniversary Edition, The Albums (box), The Visitors and More Gold. It's good that the two new songs raised interest in The Visitors, their most mature album. I guess it was not much known amongst general public before. The Album is my favourite album but maybe it's too different from what people expect from ABBA. And there is only one major hit (Take A Chance On Me), so it doesn't attract much attention. Pity, it is a great record. |
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Post by gary on Sept 11, 2021 10:17:23 GMT
Gold - Anniverary Edition: #8 Gold: #10 The Visitors: #32 Arrival: #43 More Gold: #46 Live at Wembley Arena: #49 Voulez-vous: #64 Super Trouper: #66 But the overall 'Sales' chart features... Gold, Gold - Anniversary Edition, The Albums (box), The Visitors and More Gold. It's good that the two new songs raised interest in The Visitors, their most mature album. I guess it was not much known amongst general public before. The Album is my favourite album but maybe it's too different from what people expect from ABBA. And there is only one major hit (Take A Chance On Me), so it doesn't attract much attention. Pity, it is a great record. It sure is. Almost a perfect album. It does have another major hit, though, in The Name Of The Game. And Thank You For The Music, one of their best-known songs. |
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Post by gamleman on Sept 11, 2021 10:44:25 GMT
onlyabba4meagain - Thanks for your response. I will be curious to know how "Voyage" does in the UK Albums chart and hope it will get to No 1, but I think I will look at the 'Sales' chart in the future to see which whole albums people are putting their money on  Michal - Indeed, "The Name Of The Game" was a bigger hit than "Take A Chance On Me" for us in the UK in terms of weeks at No 1 (don't know in terms of sales though), plus "Thank You For The Music" is now as widely known here as any of their big hit singles. So, I am a bit surprised that The Album didn't figure in any of the UK charts this week. I think it would be nice to get more reports on how the two new singles are doing around the world. That is a very pleasing result from Sweden. |
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Post by gamleman on Sept 11, 2021 10:57:33 GMT
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Post by justabba on Sept 11, 2021 12:09:56 GMT
onlyabba4meagain - Thanks for your response. I will be curious to know how "Voyage" does in the UK Albums chart and hope it will get to No 1, but I think I will look at the 'Sales' chart in the future to see which whole albums people are putting their money on Michal - Indeed, "The Name Of The Game" was a bigger hit than "Take A Chance On Me" for us in the UK in terms of weeks at No 1 (don't know in terms of sales though), plus "Thank You For The Music" is now as widely known here as any of their big hit singles. So, I am a bit surprised that The Album didn't figure in any of the UK charts this week. I think it would be nice to get more reports on how the two new singles are doing around the world. That is a very pleasing result from Sweden. All the new ABBA chart positions can be found on Wikipedia, singles discography. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2021 12:14:53 GMT
A lot of people on the internet disappointed with ABBA's chart placing.
1. The charts are stream dominated
2. Sales can make a difference - but you would need to buy a physical copy or download. Many complaining didn't.
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Post by Alan on Sept 11, 2021 14:27:25 GMT
It can’t be the exact back cover as it should surely say “All songs written by” before Björn and Benny’s names, but yes, I’d agree it’s looking that way. I wasn’t expecting any photo of ABBA anywhere on the artwork, but this whole eclipse thing is already starting to look a bit boring. I’m wondering if the HMV (Fnac etc) exclusive covers of the ABBA Tars will just be the front cover and the back will be standard. Voulez-Vous has quite a boring back cover doesn’t it? Just the pyramid frame design. All of the other studio albums have slightly more interesting back covers (though the compilations Greatest Hits Vol 2 and The Singles have the most boring back covers of all). |
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 11, 2021 16:03:58 GMT
Johnny -- Yes, I've seen some Non-ABBA Fans, mocking ABBA's No.9 and No.14 UK Chart Entries.
Some Fans were getting carried away, and predicted that the ABBA Singles would enter at Positions
No.1 and No.2. It was never going to happen, as Streams are the main component, of the UK Singles
Chart. So, ABBA's No.9 and No.14 Entries, have encouraged some ABBA Haters, to say that it is all
hype, and ABBA are really not very popular, at all! ('Over-rated', one ABBA Hater, has said).
ABBA's no.9 and No.14 UK Singles Chart Entries are remarkable - because:
A).. Streaming is very hard, (indeed), for 'Old' Acts to get Millions upon Millions
of Streams. (Except at Christmas, when Millions of UK People, endlessly play
Christmas Hits Playlists. Then, a great many Old Christmas Songs, get back
into the UK Charts. ABBA can - easily - join them, if 'Little Things' is added
to Spotify Christmas Play Lists. This: 'Christmas Songs Effect', happens in the
German Charts too, and the Charts of several other Countries).
B).. Madonna has had 63 UK Top 10 Hits. Yet, she can't get enough Streams,
to reach the Top 10, anymore. She was last in the UK Singles Top 10, in 2009!
C).. Kylie Minogue can't get enough Streams, to reach the UK Top 10. She has
had 34 UK Top 10 Singles - but none since 2011.
D).. Rolling Stones. If we look at an 'Old' Group - The Rolling Stones have not
had a UK Top 10 Single, since 'Start Me Up' reached No.7, in 1981. That was
their 21st - and last - UK Top 10 Hit. Despite this, they've Released 50 Singles,
since then, and not one of them reached the UK Top 10. They last New Single,
was 'Living In A Ghost Town', in April 2020. It got no higher than No.61!
E).. So, it really is remarkable, that ABBA managed to reach the Top 10, with
'Don't Shut Me Down', and No.14 with 'I Still Have Faith In You'. They never
had a chance, to be UK Top 3 Hits, but it is a massive achievement, for both
Songs to reach the UK Top 15. The UK Singles Chart is 'Rigged', against 'Old'
Acts doing well, due to the massive Streaming component. So, ABBA are
really as huge, as the Media says. As the Sales and Chart Positions, of the
'Voyage' Album will show, in November - and beyond.
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 11, 2021 16:06:06 GMT
I'm buying several copies of the 'Voyage' CD, to send out as Christmas Gifts.
It is the 1st time, that I've been able to send out a New ABBA Album, since
'The Visitors', so it will be great to Post the CD's, in December.
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Post by Michal on Sept 11, 2021 17:04:12 GMT
Michal - Indeed, "The Name Of The Game" was a bigger hit than "Take A Chance On Me" for us in the UK in terms of weeks at No 1 (don't know in terms of sales though), plus "Thank You For The Music" is now as widely known here as any of their big hit singles. So, I am a bit surprised that The Album didn't figure in any of the UK charts this week. I didn't know that. I'm aware it was a UK No.1 obviously but if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't No.1 anywhere else, so even though personally I love the song, I thought it was not as successful as TACOM. |
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Post by gamleman on Sept 11, 2021 17:32:07 GMT
Michal - Indeed, "The Name Of The Game" was a bigger hit than "Take A Chance On Me" for us in the UK in terms of weeks at No 1 (don't know in terms of sales though), plus "Thank You For The Music" is now as widely known here as any of their big hit singles. So, I am a bit surprised that The Album didn't figure in any of the UK charts this week. I didn't know that. I'm aware it was a UK No.1 obviously but if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't No.1 anywhere else, so even though personally I love the song, I thought it was not as successful as TACOM. Yes, TNOTG was No 1 for 4 weeks in the UK and TACOM was No 1 for 3 weeks. I think you are right that it wasn't a No 1 anywhere else - at least not shown in the book "ABBA All The Top 40 Hits". It has quite a few No 2 and 3 places - No 2 in Sweden, Belgium, Ireland and Netherlands; No 3 in Norway and South Africa. TACOM was No 1 in UK, Austria, Belgium and Ireland. Oddly, the book says it wasn't a hit in Sweden. Was it not released as a single there? Discogs shows a Polar label edition for Norway but not for Sweden. I seem to recall it representing Sweden in the radio show European Pop Jury (probably January or February 1978) and the Swedish presenter (Bengt Grafström?) saying something like "we don't have it as a single here but we still like it". |
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 11, 2021 17:53:49 GMT
Gamlemnan -- 'Take A Chance On Me' was not Released in Sweden. 'The Name Of The Game' was a
UK No.1, but it did not reach No.1 in any other Country.
in the UK, 'Take A Chance On Me' was the 9th Best Selling Single of 1978. 'The Name of The Game' was
the 16th Best Selling Single of 1977.
ABBA did not Release a lot of their Singles in Sweden. They felt that Swedish DJ's disliked them, so
they saw no point in Releasing all of their Singles there.
The ABBA Singles that got no Swedish release were: 'SOS', (Because Agnetha had a No.4 Hit with it). 'Mamma Mia',
'Money, Money, Money', 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', 'Take A Chance On Me', 'Does Your Mother Know', 'Voulez-Vous',
'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!', (but a No.16 Hit on Import), 'I Have A Dream', 'Lay All Your Love On Me', 'Head Over Heels'
and 'Under Attack'.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2021 18:13:03 GMT
Was Super Trouper a hit on import or just not a big hit,like One of Us?
Eagle and Honey Honey - released in several European countries not singles in Sweden either.
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 11, 2021 18:28:22 GMT
Johnny -- Yes. Neither 'Honey Honey' nor 'Eagle' were Swedish Singles. 'Super Trouper' was Released there,
but it 'only' reached No.11. Probably because the 'Super Trouper' Album had huge Swedish Sales. I have
looked at the Swedish Singles Charts for 1972 to 1975. 'People Need Love' reached No.17. 'So Long' was
a No.7 Hit.
ABBA are going to be, (cruelly), mocked on the UK's 'Spitting Image' TV Show.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2021 18:41:14 GMT
Where were Love Isn't Easy or He is Your Brother released?
Terrible songs and feature on The Definitive/Essential Collections along with the rather tame That's Me and the awful Rock Me
Those albums were wasted having those songs. Many fine album tracks could have taken their places.
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Post by Alan on Sept 11, 2021 18:47:16 GMT
Worth pointing out that of all the singles mentioned so far as not being released in Sweden, only Lay All Your Love On Me was not released by Polar in any Scandinavian country. The rest would probably have been easily available on import from those neighbouring countries.
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Post by Michal on Sept 11, 2021 19:04:33 GMT
Where were Love Isn't Easy or He is Your Brother released? Terrible songs and feature on The Definitive/Essential Collections along with the rather tame That's Me and the awful Rock Me Those albums were wasted having those songs. Many fine album tracks could have taken their places. Let me disagree with you... The inclusion of those songs on the compilations make perfect sense. He Is Your Brother is a good song, especially the live version and I think it is one of Frida's favourites. That's Me is Agnetha's favourite and I guess Benny is very fond of it too. And Rock Me? A big hit in Australia. Should have bee sung by one of the girls and it would have been great. Love Isn't Easy is harder to vindicate but they probably wanted to include some of the early songs too. |
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Post by Alan on Sept 11, 2021 20:14:23 GMT
Where were Love Isn't Easy or He is Your Brother released? Terrible songs and feature on The Definitive/Essential Collections along with the rather tame That's Me and the awful Rock Me Those albums were wasted having those songs. Many fine album tracks could have taken their places. The point of those albums was to include every English language ABBA single directly conceived by Polar and released by them in at least one Scandinavian country. That allowed He Is Your Brother and Love Isn’t Easy in. Added to those 29 tracks were a few singles released by the licensees in other countries that had been significant hits (Angeleyes, Lay All Your Love On Me, When All Is Said And Done, Rock Me etc). The Essential Collection added four tracks for which promotional videos had been made, hence That’s Me being included (also, it was a single in Japan). On that basis, Definitive/Essential works perfectly. It was never meant to be a collection of their greatest tracks. Rock Me is perhaps an oddity though. RCA in Australia merely flipped the I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do single over and it went back up the charts based on airplay of its b-side. There was never a separate release of Rock Me there. However, it did appear on Greatest Hits Vol 2 in 1979 based on its Australian success, and this warranted its inclusion on Definitive/Essential in Australia (not the international edition). |
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Post by gamleman on Sept 11, 2021 20:14:52 GMT
I love "Love Isn't Easy" and prefer "He Is Your Brother" to "People Need Love". However, all three songs are very much of their time, with an early 70s verging on late 60s sound. They were on The Definitive Collection because they were singles in one territory or another. Having said that, some of the 'rarer' singles were omitted, such as "Nina Pretty Ballerina", "Hasta Manana" and "Bang-A-Boomerang". Yes, I probably would have chosen "Hasta Manana" over "Love Isn't Easy", especially with the former being a relatively timeless song. EDIT: Alan has clarified the criteria for song choices on The Definitive Collection, so I guess "Love Isn't Easy" is totally justified and I couldn't have had "Hasta Manana" instead |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2021 20:35:47 GMT
If you are having a double album collection it is pointless just to slavishly have songs that were minor hits in a few countries...and not even very good.
Not that anyone will buy yet another such compilation again.
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 11, 2021 20:39:34 GMT
I missed out 'Does Your Mother Know', in my Post about ABBA Singles, that were not Released
in Sweden. I'd now added it to my Post.
'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do', was a No.1 Hit in both Australia, (3 Weeks), and New Zealand, (1 Week).
in both Countries, it was later 'flipped over', to make 'Rock Me' the 'A' Side. That reached No.4 in the
Australian Charts, and No.2 in New Zealand.
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