In 1974, they were unknowns. A group from Sweden, two men and two women, in bright, outlandish costumes and with a catchy, sunny song that somehow struck the right note at that year's Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton.
Everything changed — for them and popular music as a whole. ABBA’s bright "n" breezy "Waterloo" won by a mile, rocketed to the top of the charts all over Europe and ushered in a phenomenon.
For the next six years, they were unstoppable, conquering the musical world with pop, perms and perfect smiles. And the story of those years comes to Netflix today [Sunday, May 11] in the US in the shape of the documentary, ABBA: Against The Odds.
Released last year to mark the 50th anniversary of what turned out to be their breakthrough moment, the movie traces their meteoric success in the 1970s through the eyes of the band themselves. The four — Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — had come together as a group in 1972, using their respective initials to form their name.
But their unexpected debut also came at a time when the Vietnam War was still raging in South East Asia and the political situation in Argentina was also hitting the headlines. Their style was at odds with the mood of the time and they were seen as trivial, labelled a “manufactured” group reminiscent of The Monkees in the 1960s.
And against a backdrop of heavier rock music from the likes of the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, they seemed out of step. Yet nothing got in their way and the documentary goes behind the scenes to reveal the rollercoaster six year ride that was hidden from their legions of fans.
Framed by their two albums "Arrival" (1976) and "Super Trouper" (1980), and using some of their singles as landmarks along the way, the film uses previously unseen archive material, interviews and newsreel footage to paint a vivid picture not just of astonishing success but the personal stories behind it.
Part of ABBA’s appeal was the constant spotlight on their personal lives. Bjorn and Agnetha had married in 1971, while Benny and Anni-Frid were a couple when the group won Eurovision and eventually tied the knot at the height of ABBA-mania in 1978. We’re shown the more private cost of life in the limelight, but the less serious side of all four of them also comes to the fore. Benny, for instance, put a £100 bet on the group to win Eurovision. The odds were 40-1. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come.
Present-day talking heads like broadcaster Paul Gambaccini and Chic’s Nile Rogers provide their own memories of meeting the band and, while the film doesn’t necessarily reveal anything startlingly new, some of the little anecdotes are pure gold. The Sex Pistols, apparently, were huge fans and had a roadie whose job was simply to keep flipping an ABBA cassette and replaying it. Who’d have thought it?
Even for those who weren’t around in those heady 1970s days, it’s hard to remember a time when ABBA’s music wasn’t a key part of the soundtrack to our lives. Many of their songs are regarded as standards, regularly trotted out at wedding receptions and birthday parties, while others have taken on lives of their own – "Mamma Mia", both on stage and on screen, gave a whole new lease of life to the likes of "Dancing Queen" and "Thank You For The Music", as well as the title track. Not bad for a band once regarded as pure cheese.
While ABBA: Against The Odds concentrates on a comparatively short period of time, it also puts their entire career in context. They seemed to come out of nowhere, shot to the top of the business, sold around 400 million records worldwide over the years and more recently launched their first studio album for 40 years and then returned to the stage as avatars for Voyage. They beat the odds.
ABBA: Against The Odds arrived on Netflix in the US on Sunday, May 11. In the UK, it's available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Check out our best shows on Netflix guide for more series to enjoy.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
