A+ / Where Do We Go From Here?

Thanks for those details, Colin. Less than 200 copies to separate chart positions 12 places apart?! The industry must be on its knees now. Can anyone really make a living from recorded music? I can't imagine so. The charts are all but meaningless now. When you think that these positions owe a huge amount to the fans (of any artist) who buy multiple variants and even multiple copies of the same thing... Imagine how much worse the sales would be without that kind of support?

To be fair, he doesn’t post much anyway these days so his recent posts came as a bit of a surprise. We’d have been none the wiser if he hadn’t posted this info, and this number 48 placing would have been completely unexpected. As it stands, no one is really surprised after this chart manipulation.

If you go into the album in its number 48 placing, you get the full chart history of A going back to 2013 (including a couple of re-entries in 2014 and one in 2015 - the original album being sold off cheap?) but clearly showing two entries for this week. It’s absurd. On the one hand they’re treating it as two separate albums and on the other, the same album.

Absolutely barking mad.

So if you bought the single CD version of A+ it naturally counted towards A+ sales.

But if you bought the double CD (or vinyl) which included A then the sales were allocated to A.

From the UK charts, it looks like people went out and bought the old A album. But they didn't.



Yes, I would imagine a slight boost for GOLD with that ghastly looking new show....

By splitting the UK sales Agnetha loses out on a #18 chart position.

Germany, rightly included the double album for A+ sales. It is also Value based chart, so the #5 placing is probably higher than a sales being unit based. It might have still been Top 10 almost certainly not Top 5.

We haven't much info from many countries but so far only the UK has its peculiar way. Ireland *might* have the same method but charts are only Top 50 and no Agnetha album in sight.

That Irish Chart appears to be a week behind. I know it says "week ending 20 Oct" but shouldn't that be week starting?


Here is the Offical Charts Company Irish charts (they also compile the French and of course UK charts)

www.officialcharts.com/charts/irish-albums-chart/

Agnetha not in Top 50.


Better news from Switzerland, A + lands at #3 this week.


hitparade.ch/charts/alben


A+ has done well in Mainland Europe

#3 Switzerland
#5 Germany
#8 Sweden
#9 Netherlands
#10 Belgium (Flanders/Dutch speaking)
#31 Belgium (Wallonia/French speaking)

But not in English speaking countries UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ.

UPDATE: A+ has failed to chart in Norway (Top 40) or Finland (Top 50). Denmark charts not out yet.

Would it be possible for Bjorn & Benny to buy the rights back for ABBA's previous 8 studio albums (9 if you count Gracias Por La Musica) 

As I expected, 'A+' is not in today's UK Album Chart Update.
It is a Top 100. It means that it won't be in Friday's full Week
Top 100. 

I realise that it has done better, (higher Positions), in several
other Countries, but she is likely to fall in those Charts as this
Week progresses. She does not have the interest that ABBA get.

'A+' is a 'One Week Wonder' - where it has Charted.

'Voyage' was No.1 in 18 Countries, if we count the 2 Album Charts
for Belgium - Flanders and Wallonia. Even an Album of brand New
Agnetha Songs would not have done as well as 'Voyage'. After all, 
'A' did not get to No.1 anywhere. Even in Sweden it was a No.2 Hit.

I was cringing when the Media went on about her 'huge' Album 'deal',
and so on. It has really been like lighting a Fire Work and it fizzles out.
very fast. 

Some Fans think that the Solo Music is the same as ABBA 'Returning'.
It is not. It never was and never will be. 'Chess' gave Benny and Bjorn
their biggest Sales, (New Music), outside ABBA, and those Hits were
way back in 1984 and 1985 - just when Madonna became big. That is
how long ago it was. 

Really 'A+' has been a 'Non Event'. Much fuss about nothing.

Hopefully, ABBA themselves will give us New Music, to get excited about,
in 2024. That would be far, far more exciting than 'Solo' Music.
'

I feel the same way. It would have been better if the album had been marketed as a reissue or deluxe edition of A which it basically is. Then the expectations wouldn't have been as high. Instead it was hyped up as a new Agnetha album, with new cover art and all. Yes, the songs have been remixed (or "reimagined" if you will) but they are still the same ten songs with one new track added as a bonus cut.

This whole project has failed to excite me thus far and I still haven't ordered any of the formats.

I tried my idea of piecing together a hybrid album from the old and new versions. From the old album, I only liked Past Forever, WYRLS and ISHFYH. From the new album I only like BOYR, DYPA and Bubble. So between them, they've doubled my affection. The none-more-70s chord progression and melody of IKTOTFBMB is a very slightly awkward fit on both but a better than lots of songs on either version of the album. I'd love the reworked version if it weren't for that infuriating whistling.

Ultimately, my experiment failed: the production differences between the two albums don't sit together as well as I'd imagined - the playlist feels a bit stitched together. You really notice how heavy-handed the vocal manipulation is when you alternate between tracks.

I'm inclined to agree with the other opinions about A+ being overhyped. I'll disagree with Colin on one point: I would love new music from ABBA and from the members, individually. Frida has kept us on tenterhooks for 27 years now - I wish she'd take a leaf from Agnetha's book.

It seems odd that it should chart at number 9 in Scotland, as sales there are incorporated into the main UK chart. It’s possible they aren’t classing A and A+ as two separate albums, but it’s still nine places higher than it would have been in the UK chart. Guessing she’s more popular there (well, Scotland is that bit nearer to Sweden I suppose!)

It would be interesting to know how England, Wales and Northern Ireland would differ if they had separate charts, but they don’t. All four nations are included in the UK chart.

Scotland's chart is Sales only. It doesn't include Streaming. On the UK wide Sales chart, which is physical and download A+ was 13 and A #14. On the physical chart A at 13 and A+ at 14
www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-sales-chart/
www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-albums-chart/
in the Download chart A+ at #6 and A nowhere to be seen www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-albums-chart/

Had the sales not been split A+ would certainly have made the Sales Top 10 and possibly Top 5 on just under 5,000 sales.Scotland's sales are included in the UK totals. There is infact a separate Wales chart too

I just looked at the Scottish Chart

A is #9
A+ is #12

Yesterday I listened to A+ for the first time from beginning till end. I did put my headphones on. And waauw, it is soo nice, it is soo relaxed, it sounds soo good! You don't feel like skipping a song half way. You want to listen to every song untill the end! I am very pleased with this album! It is a pleasure for the ear! And also something else: it feels like an album from a new artist! It is soo different than the previous Agnetha albums with the sound from the songs from her that we know, or the ABBA albums with the sound of ABBA that we know, and are familiar to. But very pleasant! So Agnetha appeared in my opinion as a new artist. New sound. Completely new! Modern. It makes it even more beautifull because it is still the voice of Agnetha that is completely present in those songs. I think it is a masterpiece. Well done! Tip: listen to A+ with headphones (good quality) on. Wonderfull!