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Post by Alan on Sept 11, 2021 21:48:40 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. Neither Definitive nor Essential did all that well. Essential even less so as it was just a relatively minor revision of Definitive. Similar with Number Ones in 2006. Gold is so phenomenally successful that there really isn’t much of a market for any other ABBA compilation (aside from perhaps its companion, More Gold). Many on here have speculated that there will be a new compilation at some point, adding the two new singles, but I can’t see where the market will be. Streaming has largely killed compilation albums other than historical ones. Coldplay release their ninth studio album on 15 October but they’ve yet to issue a conventional greatest hits. |
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Post by gamleman on Sept 12, 2021 9:33:24 GMT
I tend to agree that yet another compilation of the same old hits will do virtually nothing - that has been proved with Essential Collection and Number Ones. However, I think an anniversary collection including the singles from "Voyage" plus 2 or 3 new songs could be a big draw, although it obviously wouldn't have the longevity of Gold. I think they could possibly do something different - for example, something more personal, so instead of repeating all the big hits, they could choose songs that have represented their personal highlights over the years, giving a mixture of hits and album tracks. This seems to be the approach being taken by James Blunt with his 'Greatest Hits' double-album that is coming out soon - it's more of a personal selection than just a string of singles. Anyway, I'd like see some release to mark the 50 years and/or Eurovision 50th anniversary, without recycling Gold yet again.
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 12, 2021 10:54:21 GMT
What do you think there's in-store for two tracks this week ?..
1.Hold there own
2.Go Up
3.Fall
Id imagine that both will fall, but by how much ? ISHFIY by quite a bit , 30's ? DSMD, by less low 20's which will be a shame, but for me it will be interesting how long they manage to survive in the Charts...Apart from re-issues, the lowest amount of time is 5 weeks by Ring Ring way back in 1974...
Realistically if they manage to survive until the new Album we are looking at 9-10 weeks...The longest single chart run is only 15 weeks by Fernando and Dancing queen
Does anyone know on average how much they need to hover around the lower ends of the UK chart...
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Post by HOMETIME on Sept 12, 2021 11:40:23 GMT
I think they'll almost certainly drop. I think their positions in this week's streaming charts are a likely indication of where to look. Any continued downloads and physical sales may help buoy them up but it's a sad fact that streaming is the key to the charts these days. I wouldn't be too surprised to see another track emerge ahead of the album. That kind of thing seems to happen a lot: a "buzz" track to remind people that the album is ahead. Whether ABBA need to/will engage in such a strategy is up for debate. Would it make much difference to the already incredible pre-order figures?
Unless something dramatic happens, I think we need to see this week's chart placings as having ticked a box. Hits peaking on their first week and plummeting thereafter is not unusual for heritage acts.
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Post by jj on Sept 12, 2021 12:06:00 GMT
Coldplay release their ninth studio album on 15 October but they’ve yet to issue a conventional greatest hits. I guess that's what you'd call "wonderful restraint" and an admirable unwillingness by Coldplay to be tempted to cash in.
On the other hand, I think it's widely agreed that in 1975, the title "ABBA's Greatest Hits" was a marketing gimmick targeted at people who really liked Waterloo, Mamma Mia and Fernando. Buyers didn't have an inkling as to what the other so-called "hits" sounded like, because in most territories these other songs were completely unknown.
After Volume 2, though, I think ABBA (or their label) really went overboard with hits packages. It was almost embarrassing. But that's just business, I guess.
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 12, 2021 12:17:49 GMT
As someone who is sometimes called a 'Chart Expert', (I'm not!!!), I can honestly say that
the 2 ABBA Songs have Zero chance to 'Rise', this Week, in the UK. They also have Zero chance
to 'stabilise', around their current Positions. All indications are that both ABBA Singles will fall.
It is how far they fall, that is the issue. Even if it is a big fall, it does not mean a very short, Chart
'Run', of 2 Weeks, or so. Sometimes 'Old' Acts can hang around the lower part of the Singles Chart,
for several Weeks. Sometimes they simply have a 1 to 3 Week Chart 'Run', and then vanish. We will
see what happens, as regards ABBA. (Anyhow, when 'Voyage' is Released, the Top 3 'Best Selling'
Tracks off it, will be allowed into the Top 100 Singles Chart - if they are Streaming etc. enough. Even
3 'New' ABBA Hits, if all 3 are 'outselling' the 2 current Singles - and doing well enough to get into the
Top 100. But, ABBA will 'only' be allowed 3 Top 100 'Singles', at the same time).
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Post by gamleman on Sept 12, 2021 13:23:07 GMT
Coldplay release their ninth studio album on 15 October but they’ve yet to issue a conventional greatest hits. I guess that's what you'd call "wonderful restraint" and an admirable unwillingness by Coldplay to be tempted to cash in.
On the other hand, I think it's widely agreed that in 1975, the title "ABBA's Greatest Hits" was a marketing gimmick targeted at people who really liked Waterloo, Mamma Mia and Fernando. Buyers didn't have an inkling as to what the other so-called "hits" sounded like, because in most territories these other songs were completely unknown.
After Volume 2, though, I think ABBA (or their label) really went overboard with hits packages. It was almost embarrassing. But that's just business, I guess.
I'm glad you mentioned the first "Greatest Hits" album. When it was released, I was sceptical and thought it was a bit premature, as they had released only two albums in the UK and had five Top 50 hits (or six if we include "Honey Honey"). However, I now see it as a great Marketing strategy. It was evident through the hits "SOS" and "Mamma Mia" that UK public interest in ABBA was growing. So, it was a clever move to combine these two hits with "Waterloo" and their new single "Fernando" along with the 'best' tracks from ABBA's earlier albums to make a very sale-able album. OK, it was a coincidence in that the album had already been compiled for its release in Sweden, where it made more sense, but it was astute (if a little brave) of Epic in the UK to take it on (and adding "Fernando" at the last minute). Its UK success was phenomenal and it was key in establishing ABBA in the Albums chart here. I think we owe a lot to this album and I would like to see it celebrated in some way in the future, perhaps for its 50th anniversary in 2026 (but with the UK cover rather than that horrible Swedish cover). |
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 12, 2021 14:38:58 GMT
'Greatest Hits' was the UK's No.1 Album of 1976, No.9 Album of 1977, and No.30 Album of 1978.
It sold enough to be the UK's 2nd Best Selling Album of the 1970's. (Only the Simon & Garfunkel
Album - 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', (1970) - sold more). The ABBA Album was also the UK's 4th
Best Selling Album, for the 20 Years, from September 1967 to September 1987. It is still in the UK's
Top 50 Best Selling Albums, at No.49 - 2,606,000 Sales. Of course, 'ABBA Gold' has far outsold it, &
that is the UK's 2nd Best Selling Album, with over 5,800,000 Sales - so far.
In 1976, 'Greatest Hits' was selling so many UK copies, that it outsold 'Fernando', while they were No.1, at the
same time, for 4 Weeks. This was unheard of, at the time. That an Artists No.1 Album, was outselling their latest
No.1 Single. The Feat was mentioned on BBC Radio 1, as it was so unusual.
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Post by Alan on Sept 12, 2021 14:55:25 GMT
The story with Greatest Hits is that Polydor in Europe and RCA in Australia had released “The Best of ABBA” and imports of these were finding their way to Sweden. Polar then rush-released Greatest Hits in order to stop the imports. Greatest Hits included all 12 tracks that appeared on The Best of ABBA and added two more - Another Town, Another Train and He Is Your Brother.
By the time the UK (CBS-Epic) and US (Atlantic) got round to releasing it, Fernando was a hit and so was added to their editions from the start. Polydor similarly added it to their Best of ABBA but RCA in Australia never did, instead including it on their version of Arrival.
Greatest Hits worked because it was essentially “my first ABBA album” for many people as Waterloo and ABBA didn’t sell all that well and Ring Ring wasn’t even released in many countries. Four tracks from that album along with Fernando therefore made it worthwhile even for those that had bought the other two albums.
It also appears that ABBA’s licensees had to renew their contracts every three years, so 1976, 1979 and 1982 provided apt opportunities to release greatest hits albums as that was when the licences came up for renewal.
The two Greatest Hits albums only included two tracks - Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) and I Wonder which had never been singles anywhere. The others were all legitimate inclusions.
The Best of ABBA was the exact same tracklisting and running order in both the Polydor and RCA editions, but artwork was completely different. The Netherlands (Polydor) released it first, in August 1975, and then West Germany shortly after. Australia and New Zealand followed in November 1975, and finally in Austria and India in 1976. It charted in Norway (a Polar territory) on imports alone.
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Post by gamleman on Sept 12, 2021 15:54:08 GMT
Yes, I think for many now long-toothed ABBA fans, "Greatest Hits" was their first ABBA album. "Greatest Hits" was planned for a UK release before "Fernando" was a hit or even released as a single, as the song didn't feature on the track listings on the cover of early examples of the album and its inclusion was indicated by a sticker. If my memory serves me right, the album came out only a week or two after the single "Fernando". I learned about the release of the album before I knew that "Fernando" was coming and wondered how they would make a "Greatest Hits" album out of only six singles - I naively imagined the B-sides would be included too  I knew of the existence of "People Need Love" and "He Is Your Brother", but it didn't occur to me that they would be included (plus two further previously unreleased songs), which was a nice surprise. "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On)" was covered by Svenne & Lotta as well as Milk & Honey, so I imagine that's how it earned its place, but it was a well-deserved place. I still think it would have been an excellent single from the "Waterloo" album and would have scored them a UK Top 30 hit, probably Top 10. |
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Post by madonnabba on Sept 12, 2021 15:57:15 GMT
I think that they would have been better leaving Fernando off Greatest Hits. Think Fernando would have easily sold over a million in the UK had it not been included on the album .
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 12, 2021 16:59:37 GMT
In the Swiss Charts 'Don't Shut Me Down' has Entered at No.1. It is ABBA's 8th Swiss No.1 Single, and their 1st
since 'I Have A Dream' in 1979. 'The Winner Takes It All', 'Super Trouper', and 'One Of Us', were all No.3 Hits in
Switzerland. 'I Still Have Faith In You' has Entered at No.6. ABBA now have 24 Swiss Top 10 Singles. 'Gold' is up
to No.9 there. (From No.14).
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Post by abbafun on Sept 12, 2021 17:25:40 GMT
Not sure if anyone has posted this from the German top 40 singles charts yet, ISHFINY is new at #3 and DSMD is new at #5.
I could not find any chart listing for either single in the US or Canada...yet, but I doubt very much that it will happen, the album will probably have a better showing on the Billboard chart come November.
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 12, 2021 18:07:18 GMT
Today's UK 'First Look' Top 20 was just Played on Radio 1. It is for UK Sales on Friday
and Saturday. Both ABBA Singles have fallen out of the Top 20. (From No.9 and No.14).
Their Streaming collapsed after last Week's Chart. We won't know where they have
fallen to, until the Mid Week Top 100 is revealed, at 5.45 tomorrow - Monday.
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Post by Alan on Sept 13, 2021 7:31:34 GMT
Info from charts that the ABBA Discography covers on Wikipedia are as follows:
Sweden - DSMD 1, ISHFIY 2
Australia - 27, 39
Austria - did not chart, or info not available yet
Germany - 5, 3
Switzerland - 1, 6
Ireland - 12, 18
Netherlands - 18, 21
Norway - 7, 13
New Zealand - 31, ISHFIY did not chart
UK - 9, 14
US - did not chart, or info not available yet
Germany is the only country of these where ISHFIY has charted higher than DSMD.
Netherlands is slightly disappointing - back in the day, they were one of ABBA’s most loyal countries. Head Over Heels was apparently No. 1 there, with The Day Before You Came number 3 and Under Attack number 7.
Belgium could usually be relied upon to make nearly every ABBA single a number one. Any news on their charts? Wikipedia doesn’t consider them important enough to include!
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 13, 2021 7:50:16 GMT
^^^^^ What little i can find is... DSMD enters at 9 but no ISHFIY in the top 20....
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Post by Alan on Sept 13, 2021 8:11:59 GMT
"Greatest Hits" was planned for a UK release before "Fernando" was a hit or even released as a single, as the song didn't feature on the track listings on the cover of early examples of the album and its inclusion was indicated by a sticker. Up until about ten years ago, I had assumed that there had been a UK edition of Greatest Hits without Fernando. An eBay seller once had a listing indicating as such. They clearly hadn’t checked the record itself and was just going on the cover artwork (for some reason it was missing the Fernando sticker). Thankfully I got them to check the record and so didn’t make an unnecessary purchase! On a previous ABBA forum, someone claimed to have got a free Fernando single when they bought a Fernando-less Greatest Hits when first released in the UK. This seems highly unlikely - it appears the album was never released in the UK without that track. As you say, the album cover was prepared and issued so clearly it was originally intended to be 14 tracks. In the US, Greatest Hits always included Fernando in the tracklisting, but for some reason they omitted Hasta Mañana. Norway and Denmark reissues in 1976 added Fernando as the opening track on the album (not the closing track) but it seems Sweden never did. |
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 13, 2021 8:23:01 GMT
Just found ISHFIY at 24 in the Belgian charts....
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Post by gamleman on Sept 13, 2021 8:30:25 GMT
"Greatest Hits" was planned for a UK release before "Fernando" was a hit or even released as a single, as the song didn't feature on the track listings on the cover of early examples of the album and its inclusion was indicated by a sticker. Up until about ten years ago, I had assumed that there had been a UK edition of Greatest Hits without Fernando. An eBay seller once had a listing indicating as such. They clearly hadn’t checked the record itself and was just going on the cover artwork (for some reason it was missing the Fernando sticker). Thankfully I got them to check the record and so didn’t make an unnecessary purchase! On a previous ABBA forum, someone claimed to have got a free Fernando single when they bought a Fernando-less Greatest Hits when first released in the UK. This seems highly unlikely - it appears the album was never released in the UK without that track. As you say, the album cover was prepared and issued so clearly it was originally intended to be 14 tracks. In the US, Greatest Hits always included Fernando in the tracklisting, but for some reason they omitted Hasta Mañana. Norway and Denmark reissues in 1976 added Fernando as the opening track on the album (not the closing track) but it seems Sweden never did. Yes, it seems unlikely that UK copies of "Greatest Hits" were sold without "Fernando" included on the actual record. But perhaps they originally did some test pressings without it and somehow these filtered through to the shops. If this was the case, they would be very rare and I have never seen one, although I haven't been looking out for one. Or could this person have been sold an import without "Fernando" and the record shop simply gave a free copy of the single as compensation. Of course, the UK sleeve was eventually re-worked to include "Fernando" and to re-order the songs on the front and back to give the hits more prominence. I wasn't tempted to buy a second copy with the modified sleeve, which is strange considering the lengths I went to for other variants of ABBA records |
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 13, 2021 9:26:20 GMT
Just for speculation....
Was the release of two tracks at the same time the right decision ?
If it had just been ISHFIY, would it have been a bigger hit ?
If DSMD had a proper release, ie video and vinyl would that have made a difference....
All fait accompli.. of course, but could it have been better ?
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Post by justabba on Sept 13, 2021 9:31:51 GMT
Uk airplay chart...
13 don't shut me down
24 I still have faith in you
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Post by gamleman on Sept 13, 2021 10:11:11 GMT
Just for speculation.... Was the release of two tracks at the same time the right decision ? If it had just been ISHFIY, would it have been a bigger hit ? If DSMD had a proper release, ie video and vinyl would that have made a difference.... All fait accompli.. of course, but could it have been better ? I believe it was a good move to release two singles, especially two such contrasting singles - a very clever tactic, in fact. I think if they had just released ISHFIY, many people would have moaned that this is not like the old ABBA and I doubt that it would have been a much bigger hit. So, DSMD was needed to provide balance as well as reassurance that the traditional ABBA sound lives on, plus it has also probably helped album pre-orders. It's just a shame it doesn't have a proper video or a vinyl edition, as I think these two things would have helped push it further up the charts - I think an extended 12-inch version would have been nice. I also think this was ABBA's best shot at getting two chart singles from the album, as once the album is released I dare say it is less likely that any subsequent single(s) will chart, or chart well. If "Little Things" turns out to be suitable for a Christmas single, they may get some chart mileage with this, if they release it properly as a single - that is, do a nice video for it and make CD/vinyl editions available. |
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mjc
Bronze Member
From Ireland, living in Tokyo.
Posts: 22
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Post by mjc on Sept 13, 2021 11:05:51 GMT
It is great to hear the new songs and look forward to a whole album in November. It takes me back to the 1970s when I was often stuck to Radio Luxembourg in the evenings while I was doing secondary school homework and listening for the Powerplay before the news when I might catch the newly released 'The Name of the Game' and so on.
I have always been happy that they never did a Christmas song (which can sound awful to me out of season) but I am heartened by the fact that Bjorn is a self-described atheist and member of Humanisterna and can also be seen on YouTube debating with Richard Dawkings. Hopefully he (as the member responsible for lyric writing) will make it a non-Christmas Christmas song.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2021 12:43:18 GMT
Finnish Singles Chart Week 36
DSMD #3 ISHFIY #7
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 13, 2021 17:30:33 GMT
In the UK first charts of the week, called midweek..
no big surprises....
DSMD down to 25
ISHFIY down to 39
unsure (of course) how the week will pan out, but we may see neither in the charts....
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Post by onlyabba4meagain on Sept 13, 2021 18:31:30 GMT
The good News is that Steps have Entered at No.2, (Mid Week Chart), with their New Album.
Their 8th Top 10 Album and 8th Top 5 Album. It is good News, because they are seen as a
'Poor Man's ABBA'. They are far less popular than ABBA. So, if Steps New Album can Enter
at No.2, then ABBA can certainly have their 10th UK No.1 Album, with 'Voyage'. It should
be in the UK Top 5 for a while, as you can be at No.5 with just 8,500, Weekly Sales now.
It will have far, far bigger Sales, in its first few Weeks, however.
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Post by agan on Sept 14, 2021 5:27:46 GMT
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Post by bennybjorn on Sept 14, 2021 21:58:06 GMT
Not sure if anyone's posted this NME article yet about the new Abba band? www.nme.com/news/music/james-righton-abba-voyage-live-band-interview-klaxons-expect-3045605Here's a good quote! “It was incredible to hear this band play for the first time and do these songs justice. To see Benny jump on synth and piano and play along – it was so moving. We did a rendition of ‘Eagle’ that went on for 30 minutes because it was so much fun and we didn’t want to stop.” |
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Post by foreverfan on Sept 15, 2021 9:39:16 GMT
No great competition on the day of release... In the UK..Just got to beat Ed Sheeran !!!
No Adele...phew..so far !!
5th November..To date.
ABBA - Voyage
Aimee Mann - Queens Of The Summer Hotel
Chris de Burgh - The Legend Of Robin Hood [vinyl]
Diana Ross - Thank You
Holly Humberstone - The Walls Are Way Too Thin (MA)
Joan As Policewoman, Tony Allen & Dave Okumu - The Solution Is Restless
Mountain Man - Made The Harbor (10 Year Anniversary Edition)
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - The Future
Nation Of Language - A Way Forward
New Age Doom & Lee "Scratch" Perry - Lee "Scratch" Perry's Guide To The Universe
Radiohead - Kid A / Amnesiac (double deluxe)
Steve Conte - Bronx Cheer
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Post by justabba on Sept 15, 2021 10:07:51 GMT
No great competition on the day of release... In the UK..Just got to beat Ed Sheeran !!! No Adele...phew..so far !! 5th November..To date. ABBA - Voyage Aimee Mann - Queens Of The Summer Hotel Chris de Burgh - The Legend Of Robin Hood [vinyl] Diana Ross - Thank You Holly Humberstone - The Walls Are Way Too Thin (MA) Joan As Policewoman, Tony Allen & Dave Okumu - The Solution Is Restless Mountain Man - Made The Harbor (10 Year Anniversary Edition) Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - The Future Nation Of Language - A Way Forward New Age Doom & Lee "Scratch" Perry - Lee "Scratch" Perry's Guide To The Universe Radiohead - Kid A / Amnesiac (double deluxe) Steve Conte - Bronx Cheer We are still waiting for Sony to confirm Adele. |
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I knew of the existence of "People Need Love" and "He Is Your Brother", but it didn't occur to me that they would be included (plus two further previously unreleased songs), which was a nice surprise.
