When did you first get into ABBA?

Around December 2015.

Like everyone, I wasn't well aware of ABBA until I heard 'Dancing Queen' and 'The Winner Takes It All'... and read about Ritchie Blackmore's love for ABBA, if that counts.

A few days later before New Years Eve, I saw their music videos (Mamma Mia especially) and Frida was instantly my favourite member because she was and still is the spontaneity (in a great way) that was part of ABBA's exuberant quality. I virtually got into ABBA and became a fan, via the internet, basically, and I ended up rushing my love for this fantastic band, prematurely, by [awkwardly] sending Frida a fan mail, a few weeks later after I got into ABBA (and Frida). [I'm from a different part of the generation where it overlaps between one and another, so that explains it] I even confessed to her that her voice makes me calm yet exciting.

^^

You might think I type like someone from the older generation, but I'm part of the younger generation, actually, if you're referring to me. Excuse my vague comments – I was referring to the millennials and generation Z. But I am quite a late bloomer, as far as I know..

My parents bought the Definite Collection and I remember some of the videos vividly but it wasn't until Mamma Mia came out (about 7) when I became a fan of their hits.
I became a diehard fan at the end of 2012.

Liebzeit....

I was only referring to myself... relative late comer..1976... lol

At 8:30 PM, April 6, 1974, along with the rest of the Swedish population! And I've remained loyal, except for a couple of years during early puberty, when I turned elsewhere for emotional comfort (i.e. extremely loud heavy metal). In fact, I was daft enough to miss the fact that they were supposed to be even more uncool in the the late eighties! I guess I have that in common with Alan Partridge...

1977, aged 5, though I'm not sure exactly when that year. I don't think I was familiar with any of their music prior to then (being as I was so young). My brother was (and indeed is) seven years older than me and bought this cheap tribute album that year "Salute to ABBA, sung by Bobbs" and it went from there. By the end of that year he'd bought Arrival, and The Name of The Game was the first new ABBA song I remember.

I remember seeing the clip "Mamma Mia" on countdown and thinking they look good, but it wasn't until ABBA came out here to do the "Best of ABBA" special that I was hooked on them, after that I wanted every record, every Magazine that had them in,
every poster I saw of them.
My Mum used to say she had ABBA in one ear and Slade in the other.

I first got into ABBA when my younger sister bought the A*Teens-album in 2000. My mother than said that these songs were covers (and that the originals were much better). She then bought a German two CD-collection featuring all German A-sides and I fell in love with ABBA instantly. I do remember hearing some ABBA songs on the radio, though, throughout the 1990s. One Of Us was one of them and I'm sure they played a couple of other tracks as well.

For me it was when I heard SOS on a cassette tape that a friend had recorded from the radio. I was immediately hooked by Agnethas voice, though I did know nothing about them. So it was definitely her voice, not her blonde hair or her face…

Only later on I discovered they were from Sweden, and everything else…

Welll I have a vague recollection of watching the song contest in 1974 and saying I really liked the Swedish group. Only to to be admonished by my mom for a lack of patriotism and that I should be supporting the UK's entry. At the the age of eight, I didn't have the knowledge to argue whether Olivia Newton John was British!

But my moment of conversion came three years later, and I remember it as clear as yesterday. I was familiar with The Name of the Game and thought it was "quite" a good song. And I had see the pretty boring board game video on Top of the Pops. But then I was watching a Saturday morning kids show called Tiswas and they showed an alternative clip from the forthcoming film Abba the Movie. Well, I was absolutely blown away. Two breathtakingly beautiful girls singing to a man in a soft focus dream sequence. And what gorgeous voices and harmonies. This 11 year old boy was in love! And the scene I remember vividly is the press running wildly along the river bank trying to keep up with Abba on their luxury yacht. They seemed so exotic somehow, exciting, sexy and such a departure from my normal life.

I rushed out to see The Movie and was completely hooked. I retrospectively bought all the albums and every book, annual and magazine I could lay my hands on. Including the wonderful Abba Magazine - who remembers that? And I have idolised this remarkable group ever since. And despite the wealth of music they have given us over the years, The Name of the Game remains to this day my favourite song...

As a 5 year old boy laiden with several illnesses & no childhood in Herford,NRW Germany. I still remember watching Eurovision & thinking WOW! Here in lies a truly special group who omitted something truly captivating and my love for them grew from there. Also remember watching them on Star Parade & Musikladen. They were my 'Eagle' & allowed me to fly.high above the clouds spreading my wings on a very restricted childhood due to ill health. Thank you ABBA for giving me the only happiness I ever knew and the strength to 'Move On' like a roller in the ocean despite all theory's of relativity getting nowhere but stil trying to fight onwards & upwards. ABBA 'Thank You For The Music'. Without you what & where would I be? You are an incredibly group of an unique quality. Never seen before or to be repeated again.

Andreas.

Ahh nice question, I was 4 in 1976, my parents bought loads of records then, singles and albums, we had Fernando, DQ, MMM and KMKY, and The Album. I played these relentlessly and had a poster on my wall. I used to be so excited seeing them on TV. The next album I got was at Christmas 1980: Super Trouper. It was a shame I was really starting to take notice of them when they were fading away. I remember seeing In Concert on TV and them on Late Late Breakfast Show and Agnetha the following year promoting Can’t Shake Loose where she fell, Frida on Harty with B.A Robertson. Though I recall being on holiday in 1984 in Blackpool, I found the 1983 ABBA Annual in a record store, when my dad asked if he had more stuff, the owner said “no one interested in ABBA any more mate”
I did a speech in school about them, but got ridiculed for my rest of time there. I remember being so ashamed of liking them but I couldn’t help myself, I used to wish they reformed to teach my friends a lesson. I remember seeing The Story Of ABBA from 1982 on Channel 4 in 1985, by this time I had a video, and I could watch and rewatch it over and over, and Agnetha on Montreux rock festival in 1985 too. My dad’s friend worked in a video store and copied me The Movie, which I watched hundreds of times, in fact my parents would confiscate it if I was naughty. I still added to my collection, with the list of songs in 1983 annual, I knew what was missing.
I can’t believe they’ve finally reformed.

Yes Eddie, it does. I have a really good memory, but it’s punctuated by music, I remember certain events and I remember what was in the charts at the time. That’s why I remember Blackpool in 1984 as I got the annual book dated 1983. I remember Scottish television loaned the rights of A for Agnetha (the 85 special) it was listed for being on tv, throughout the night, but it didn’t transmit. I got my Dad to phone the TV company up, they said the tape they got from Sweden was faulty so they were waiting for another copy, it was the longest wait ever! It was finally shown in early 1988! Around the same time Agnetha appeared on Wogan.

You can watch that entire episode of Wogan, @eddie