ABBA Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

The Hives have paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of ABBA winning Eurovision while playing at the Brighton Dome.Last night (April 3), the Swedish Rock band took the stage at the Brighton Dome in the UK as part of their ongoing ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’ tour. Before commencing the third track of the night, frontman Pelle Almqvist took the time to explain why it was an iconic night.“About 50 years and a day ago, ABBA from Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest in this very room.

ABBA have marked the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision win with ‘Waterloo’ in a new statement today (April 6).50 years ago today, the Swedish icons, made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, won Eurovision after performing in the final of the competition at the Brighton Dome. In 2005, the track was chosen as the best song in Eurovision’s history as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the contest.In a new statement marking the historic occasion, the band said: “It’s slightly dizzying and deeply humbling to think that millions of you who saw us for the first time in the Eurovision final 1974 have passed our music on not only to one generation, but to several.“We see evidence of that every time one of us visits ABBA Voyage in London and it’s because of this we can celebrate the 50th Anniversary of that event in the knowledge that our songs still resonate around the world.”To further mark the occasion, Andersson has recorded a short piano piece called the ‘Piano Moment’ that will be experienced as if he were at the competition and playing live.

final night of their farewell tour in December at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves.The cutting-edge technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse. The two companies recently teamed up for the “ABBA Voyage” show in London, in which fans could attend a full concert by the Swedish band in their heyday, as performed by their own digital avatars.The ways in which Kiss’ avatars will be utilized has yet to be announced, but Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says fans can expect a biopic, a documentary and a Kiss experience on the horizon.An avatar show is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2027 — but don’t expect it to look anything like “ABBA Voyage,” Sundin told the AP.

ABBA are reportedly set to take their acclaimed ‘Voyage’ hologram show to Las Vegas to the tune of millions of dollars.The band have reportedly been in talks with Resorts World to bring the Abbatars to Vegas following its huge success in London over the last couple of years.“ABBA has been secretly in talks for a while about getting a deal in Vegas,” a source told the Daily Star [via MusicNews].“The music of Abba is well liked in the US and the unique selling point of avatars makes it more than an ABBA show as the spectacular is something that could well wow audiences.”Last year, it was reported that a world tour was in the works for the virtual concert experience, but no plans have been confirmed in regard to the timeframe or locations where it could happen.In an interview with NME last year to coincide with the show welcoming its millionth visitor, Bjorn Ulvaeus was asked about what the future of the show involves. “We hope to stay in this venue for as long as we can.

ABBA have announced details of a 50th-anniversary reissue of their iconic album ‘Waterloo’. Find more information below.The reissue of the band’s sophomore album comes to mark 50 years after the now-legendary Swedish band had their international breakthrough in the Eurovision Song Contest.The moment saw the members – Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad – change the world of pop music forever, when they entered the stage at The Dome in Brighton on April 6, 1974, dressed in their shiny glam-rock costumes.Set for release on April 5 via Polar Music International, the ‘Waterloo’ anniversary reissue arrives as a half-speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles originally released in 1974.

BBC has announced that it will be broadcasting a series of special programmes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ABBA‘s Eurovision Song Contest victory.Among the programmes are When ABBA Came To Britain and More ABBA At The BBC.The former – an hour long documentary – will feature previously untransmitted interviews with ABBA and will include “a wealth of BBC and non-BBC performances, as well as long forgotten news footage, which all show how ABBAmania took hold in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s”, according to a press release.Footage of ‘So Long’, which they sang live on Top Of The Pops in 1974, is also set to be screened as part of the celebration next month.

Elvis Presley AI hologram show Elvis Evolution is more like “time travel” than ABBA Voyage, according to its creator.As announced last week, Elvis Evolution will make its bow in the capital in November. The “immersive concert experience” will use AI and hologram technology to create a life size digital hologram of the legendary star from home video footage and personal photos.It follows hot on the heels of the launch of ABBA Hologram show ABBA Voyage in 2022, which is continuing to run until at least November 2024 at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.Andrew McGuinness, the founder of Layered Reality, who are behind the new Elvis show told BBC News of what to expect from the spectacle.“You’re going to be stepping in to intricate sets that make you feel like you’ve time travelled,” he said.

ABBA Voyage boosted London’s economy with nearly £323million in spending turnover within a one year period, according to a new report.The avatar concert experience – which is continuing to run until at least November 2024 at the 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – provided a huge financial boost to London and the East London area around the venue.According to research compiled by Sound Diplomacy and RealWorth, the report covers the period of May 2022 to May 2023 and found that the show contributed £322.6million in turnover to the London economy and £177.7m in GVA (Gross Value Added) (per Music Week).“The operation and attendee spending are ongoing generators of economic contribution to the local and city-wide economies, demonstrating that as long as ABBA Voyage is in London, it has the potential to contribute to the economic wealth of the city,” read the report.42 per cent of the aforementioned total was generated in the local area – the boroughs of Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest – which equals £134.1million turnover and £73.7million GVA.Contributing factors included spending on accommodation, food and beverage, transport, shopping and entertainment.Additionally, ABBA Voyage has provided employment opportunities to 5,075 workers in London. That includes those directly connected to the concert and sectors impacted by the show including staff in restaurants, sales, hotels and more.£42.72million (36%) of the direct attendee spend in the local area was attributed to 181,674 international visitors.Michael Bolingbroke, CEO and executive producer for ABBA Voyage, said: “The presence of ABBA Voyage is felt in a way that will be enduring.

Saturday Night Live starred as a spoof ABBA for a Christmas-themed sketch this weekend.Kate McKinnon was joined by fellow SNL alumni Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph along with current cast member Bowen Yang on Saturday’s episode (December 16), during which they posed as the Swedish pop legends in a skit about the band promoting a holiday album.The four-piece were decked out in shiny red and green outfits to perform Christmas spins on classic ABBA songs like ‘Santa Queen’, ‘Who’s That Baby’ and a new take on ‘Chiquitita’ called ‘Frostitita’.James Austin Johnson played the infomercial presenter, who teased “15 brand new Christmas classics and 85 holiday remakes of their existing songs”.The cast also staged the performance with ABBA’s “signature ‘standing close, facing different directions’,” and could be seen laughing as they sang with their faces pressed right up against each other.Watch the full sketch below.McKinnon announced she was leaving SNL last year after a decade on the late night show. She later elaborated on the decision, sharing: “All I ever wanted to do in my whole life was be on Saturday Night Live.

Sir Ian McKellen and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus have recorded another festive clip, this time celebrating their new ABBA socks.The duo have been recording Christmas knitting clips since 2021, where a silent video of the pair knitting sweaters went viral online. They returned with another video, this time promising to create some knitwear for the legendary Kylie Minogue.Now, McKellen and Ulvaeus have teamed up again to promote some ABBA-themed socks, which are sold as part of the ABBA Voyage.

Tom Hanks has revealed that he’s a big fan of Cher, especially her performance in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again (also known as Mamma Mia 2).While on the Graham Norton Show this past weekend with Julia Roberts, Timothée Chalamet and Cher in attendance, the group of stars spoke about being a fan of Cher. When asked by Norton if she listens to her own music, Cher replied: “I’m not a big Cher fan. Usually I like the songs that weren’t hits.” Norton followed up by asking if she watches any of her films, to which she said simply: “No.”Tom Hanks chimed in, saying “You’re missing out.

Sir Ian McKellen and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus have returned with another festive knitting video, this time, agreeing to create some stagewear for Kylie Minogue.The new video was shared on the ABBA Voyage Twitter/X page earlier this morning (November 24), and shows the renowned actor and iconic musician continuing their annual tradition of coming together to knit festive jumpers for the Christmas season.The collaboration between the two first sparked back in 2021 when the pair shared a video of them knitting ABBA-branded Christmas jumpers in silence – and the footage quickly went viral online.A second instalment arrived last year too, with a video of them making a new set of festive attire being shared, followed by an ABBA merchandise range which also included Christmas cards and bobble hats.Now, McKellen and Ulvaeus are back for a 2023 edition of the tradition, this time revealing that they will be teaming up with Kylie Minogue to knit some stagewear for her upcoming shows in Las Vegas.In the video, the duo are seen knitting a new range of jumpers, before getting a surprise phone call from the Australian singer, who shares her love of their collaboration and asks them to “whip up something for the band, all the dancers and myself?”More than happy to oblige, Sir Ian wipes away a tear and declares that the two will become “famous knitting brothers” by working with Kylie.

The Japanese House has shared a cover of ABBA‘s ‘Super Trouper’ as part of the newly released ‘ITEIAD Sessions’ EP – check it out below.The singer-songwriter – real name Amber Bain – shared the stripped-back cover of the hit song today (November 22) on the six track project, which is an acronym of the artist’s latest album ‘In The End It Always Does’.The EP also features a never-before-heard live version of ‘Boyhood‘ along with previously shared live versions of other tracks from the LP.‘In The End It Always Does’ came out back in June, which NME said in four-star review explores the “cyclical nature of life with a brighter, more organic sound”.It added: “If Bain’s lyrics are poised to pull you one way on ‘In The End It Always Does’, her voice and instrumentals yank you back in the other direction – it’s disorientating, dizzying and utterly intoxicating. If there’s one thing that the second Japanese House album reaffirms – it’s that the artist never surrenders any less than her whole self to the process.”The album also featured MUNA’s Katie Gavin on the track ‘Morning Pages’ along with backing vocals from The 1975’s Matty Healy on ‘Sunshine Baby’.1. ‘Sad to Breathe’2. ‘Touching Yourself’ 3. ‘Sunshine Baby’ 4. ‘Boyhood’5. ‘One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones’6. ‘Super Trouper’Back in June, Bain spoke to NME about her new album and longstanding collaborative relationship with labelmate Healy.

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden is set to star in an ABBA-inspired horror flick, titled Bjorn Of The Dead.The news comes shortly after the iconic metal frontman announced details of his upcoming solo tour, and is set to see him take on a lead role in an apocalyptic, zombie-themed movie.According to a report by Deadline, Dickinson signed on to star in the project – which will centre on an ABBA tribute band who get trapped in a nightclub with other tribute acts just as an apocalypse starts.“Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music,” it reads.The Iron Maiden frontman is one of several famous faces from the rock and metal scene to appear in Bjorn Of The Dead, according to the outlet, although no other names have been announced at the time of writing.The upcoming horror was written by the singer’s son, Austin, who is also a rock vocalist for London bands As Lions and Rise To Remain. The premise is also based on the original story by Andrew Prendergast, who is producing the movie alongside Austin.Directed by Elza Kephart, filming is set to start next year and speaking with the outlet, Austin said he was “honoured” to be working on “this crazy adventure”.“Andrew, Elza, and myself can’t wait for you guys to see what’s in store,” he said.

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus has warned of the “existential challenge” of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the music industry.Ulvaeus is the president of CISAC, a non-profit organisation that represents songwriters and composers around the world, collecting and paying royalties to its members whose music has been used in broadcasts, concerts, bars and on streaming services.A new report from the organisation showed that royalty collections for songwriters and composers had recovered from pre-pandemic levels but Ulvaeus warned that AI could present greater challenges to musicians going forward.In a forward to a new report from CISAC, Ulvaeus wrote: “This year’s results show that the collective management system, despite all the enormous challenges it faces in adapting to digital, is still robust and effective. CMOs (collective management organisations) have the backs of the creators they serve and are now delivering more money to more creators than ever before.“And that is good news – because, fresh from Covid and the economic squeeze, what we now face is another very serious, existential challenge – that of artificial intelligence.

ABBA‘s Agnetha Fältskog has revealed that she had early reservations about the ABBA Voyage show, sharing that she was initially “suspicious”.Back in 2017, it was announced that the band would reunite in digital form in 2019. After the reunion tour was delayed, ABBA Voyage was finally announced in September 2021.The virtual tour has been a huge hit at the purpose built ABBA Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – described by NME as “an epic avatar mega-mix from a brave new world” – and has now been extended into 2024.However, Fältskog has revealed that she wasn’t totally convinced by the idea at first.

Agnetha Fältskog has released ‘I Should’ve Followed You Home’, a reimagined single from her forthcoming album ‘A+‘, which features Take That‘s Gary Barlow.The ABBA singer is sharing ‘A+’, a re-versioning of her 2013 solo album ‘A’ next month, and has today (September 29) released the new iteration of ‘I Should’ve Followed You Home’. It again features Barlow, and the vocals are the original recordings, however the music itself has been produced differently.Fältskog said of the single: “I have such happy memories with this song, and my first meeting with Gary! I love this duet and the new version is even better!!!”‘A+’ is due out on October 13 and you can pre-order/pre-save it here.The single follows the release of ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ from ‘A+’ last month.Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the record, Fältskog discussed the idea of what it would sound like if it was created in 2023 alongside songwriter and producer Jörgen Elofsson.

Mick Jagger has talked about the possibility of The Rolling Stones one day going on a posthumous hologram tour.After the success of ABBA‘s Voyage show, in which CGI reincarnations of the Swedish band’s members appear on stage, Jagger has not ruled out his band following suit in the future.In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said: “You can have a posthumous business now, can’t you? You can have a posthumous tour. The technology has really moved on since the ABBA thing, which I was supposed to go to, but I missed it.”Earlier this month, The Rolling Stones announced the details of their 24th studio album ‘Hackney Diamonds’, which will be released on October 20.

ABBA reunion ahead of one of the band’s upcoming milestones.The singer was speaking in an interview when she seemed to hint that there may be some potential ABBA announcements on the horizon – particularly with the group celebrating the 50th anniversary of their Eurovision win.Reflecting on her time in the band alongside Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad during a discussion with The Sun (via Daily Mail), it seemed as if something may be in the works to bring their concerts back.“You never know anything about ABBA and when we’re going to…’ Fältskog said, trailing off and quickly adding: ‘Well, I won’t say anything about that. I’d rather be quiet.”The comments also arose after the band were rumoured to be planning to perform at next year’s instalment of Eurovision, when the contest will return to their native country following the win of returning Swedish contestant Loreen earlier this year.The hints dropped by Fältskog also come on the heels of her recent single ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’, her first new solo music in 10 years.The single is taken from her upcoming album ‘A+’, a revisited version of 2013’s record, ‘A’.Set for release on October 13, the singer explained her reasons for revisiting the record in a letter to fans, writing: “I have lots of fond memories from making that album, so I couldn’t help but smile, time flies…”“Suddenly it hit me, what would the album sound like if we had made it today…? I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” she added.

ABBA‘s Agnetha Fältskog has returned with her first new music in 10 years, announcing the single ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ and new album ‘A+’, a reimagining of her 2013 solo album ‘A’.The Swedish singer-songwriter’s new track is out today (August 31) and was recorded in 2023 to be added to the re-release of her 2013 album ‘A’.‘A+’ is due out October 13, and you can pre-order/pre-save it here.Ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the record, Fältskog discussed the idea of what it would sound like if it was created in 2023 alongside songwriter and producer Jörgen Elofsson. They worked with producer Anton ‘Hybrid’ Mårtensson to rework the whole record, keeping the original vocals from 2013 but creating new music for 2023.“A couple of years ago I heard one of the songs from my last album ‘A’ on the radio.

ABBA‘s Björn Ulvaeus, and Rosanne Cash, Johnny Cash‘s daughter, are set to work with YouTube and Universal Music on a new AI project.According to a statement regarding the project, Ulvaeus said: “While some may find my decision controversial, I’ve joined this group with an open mind and purely out of curiosity about how an AI model works and what it could be capable of in a creative process.”He continued: “I believe that the more I understand, the better equipped I’ll be to advocate for and to help protect the rights of my fellow human creators.”Other musicians that are attached to the project are One Republic‘s Ryan Tedder, composer Max Richter, record producer Louis Bell, Anitta, D4vd, American musician Don Was, Colombian musician Juanes, Rodney Jerkins,Yo Gotti and the estate of Frank Sinatra.Richter said: “Like every new technology, AI brings with it opportunities, but it also raises profound challenges for the creative community.

ABBA: The Movie – Fan Event is set to return to cinemas for two nights only on September 17 and 19.Directed by the Swedish director Lasse Hallström and starring Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog, the film goes behind the scenes of the band’s highly successful tour of Australia in 1977. An official description reads: “The film weaves a captivating mockumentary-style subplot into the narrative.

ABBA Voyage celebrates one year since its premiere this weekend (May 25-27) and organisers have marked the anniversary by releasing new images of the production.ABBA Voyage, which takes place at a purpose-built venue in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and has welcomed more than one million fans since it launched last year, sees the Swedish pop outfit perform their many hits as digital avatars. The show has been critically acclaimed, with NME describing it as a “feel-good sensory overload” where “digital sorcery meets pure pop bangers” in a five-star review.The new images, which you can see below, feature ABBA members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s virtual selves mid-performance. In the same press release, it was announced that ABBA Voyage has also extended its booking period, with tickets now on sale until May 2024.Speaking about the creation of the show, Ulvaeus said: “If you build the right machine, and you build it well, then it exceeds the sum of its parts.

ABBA have responded to rumours that they are planning to reunite for next year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in their native Sweden.After previous victor Loreen won the competition with her song ‘Tattoo’ earlier this month, rumour spread online that it was all part of a plan to have ABBA reform to mark 50 years of their own Eurovision win as the contest returns to their home country as the 2024 host nation. Now, they have shot down the chances of it happening – even just for one evening.“I don’t want to,” Benny Andersson told the BBC, “and if I don’t want to, the others won’t.

Eurovision has officially ended for another year, and of course, fans on social media had no shortage of hot takes, conspiracy theories and memes.The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest was hosted last night (May 13) at Liverpool Arena; Sweden came in first place with 583 points, followed by Finland and Israel. Viewers seemed to be divided on the final ranking, with some opining that Finnish artist Käärijä should have won for his campy and unusual ‘Cha Cha Cha’, while others found Loreen‘s ‘Tattoo’ to be a fitting winner. “Massive congrats to [Loreen], who lit up the [Eurovision 2023] stage for [Sweden] (for the second time!) with her current stunning song ‘Tattoo’!” wrote Erik Ramanathan, the US’ official Ambassador to the kingdom of Sweden.

Loreen won the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden, ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus addressed viewers at home with a special message on the annual show’s impact.“The lives of some of the acts that you’ve seen tonight could be about to change forever,” Ulvaeus said in a video filmed remotely, aired while votes for this year’s grand finalists were being counted. “When ABBA walked onto that stage, we couldn’t even have imagined, 50 years later, we would have a museum about us, and that we would perform as avatars in ABBA Voyage.“Our international success all began with Eurovision.

ABBA have welcomed the one millionth visitor to their Voyage show, with Björn Ulvaeus telling NME about what the future has in store for the ambitious live experience. Watch our video interview with Ulvaeus above.Last night (Monday April 17) saw young ABBA fan Josie Felix chosen as the winner to the one millionth visitor to see the show at the purpose-built ABBA Arena in London.

ABBA’s longterm guitarist Lasse Wellander has died at the age of 70.Wellander played guitar on many of ABBA’s most well-known tracks, toured with the band for years and helped to create the Mamma Mia! soundtrack.The musician passed away on Friday (April 7) after being recently diagnosed with cancer according to a statement from his family on Facebook.“It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep,” the statement read. “Lasse recently fell ill in what turned out to be disseminated cancer and early on Good Friday he passed away, surrounded by his loved ones.”Calling him an “amazing” and “humble” musician, the statement also remembered Wellander as a “wonderful husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather.” They went on to describe him as “hub in our lives, and it’s unbelievable that we now have to live on without you.”ABBA have also shared a tribute to Wellander on their social media pages.“Lasse was a dear friend, a fun guy and a superb guitarist.

ABBA guitarist Lasse Wellander has died at 70 years old, the musician's family announced. The Sweden native died on Friday, April 7 after a battle with cancer. Taking to Wellander's official Facebook page, his family wrote, «It is with indescribable sadness that we have to announce that our beloved Lasse has fallen asleep.

Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock has weighed in on the idea of the punk band doing an ‘ABBA Voyage’ style hologram show with late member Sid Vicious.Matlock said in a recent interview with The Mirror that he thinks that the concept of hologram shows can’t live up to the real thing. “There’s nothing better than a band playing with passion, vim and vigour in front of a live audience – in tune, with a couple of beers inside them, or a coffee, going for it,” he said.He continued: “If they can dig up some 3D imagery of Sid at this stage, that would be an achievement in itself.”Sid Vicious passed away from a drug overdose in 1979 at the age of 21.In another interview with PA, Matlock said he feels punk music can be a “small brick in the wall of change” during politically turbulent times.“In England back then there was a lot going on and there’s a direct parallel to what’s going on now,” he explained.

ABBA‘s Voyage virtual concert experience could be making its way around the world.Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge revealed in a company earnings call per Variety on Thursday (March 2): “Plans are now in development to take ‘ABBA Voyage’ around the world”. No other information – including targetted cities, venues and dates – has been announced.ABBA’s Voyage experience debuted at the ABBA Arena in London in May 2022.

Avicii have announced that they have sold 75 per cent of the late musician’s recording and publishing rights to the Swedish company Pophouse.Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, died by suicide in 2018. Subsequently, his parents Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén have overseen his estate as well as a charitable foundation set up in his name.Klas Bergling said in a statement today (September 28): “My wife and I feel that as we are getting older, we do not have the right energy level or required skills to fully keep ahead of the new streaming and digital developments vital for such a big, international artist as Tim.”“Through this deal, we are also securing the Tim Bergling Foundation’s long-term finances, creating opportunity to act decisively on the foundation’s commitments to supporting such important issues as mental health and well-being of young people.”He went on to argue that the deal would bring Avicii’s music “to the widest possible audience” and “take care” of his international fanbase.“Since Tim took his life, as a family, we have not had sufficient time for his fans that they so deserve, and have lacked the ability to follow up on their correspondence and other contact with us.”“We leave neither Tim nor his contribution to the world.

ABBA‘s Anni-Frid Lyngstad made a surprise appearance at last night’s ABBA Voyage show in east London.The “revolutionary” concert series began in May at the purpose-built ABBA Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It sees digital versions of the Swedish pop icons perform a hits-filled set, backed by a 10-piece live band.Following the finale of yesterday’s edition (September 15), an announcer made an unexpected revelation over the PA.

vinyl collecting capital of the UK, according to a new study.Up to 32 per cent of the UK’s vinyl collectors live in the Scottish city, The Royal Mint found via DJ Mag.The study also discovered that Glasgow was followed closely by the North East of England in boasting the most record collectors in the nation, with 25 per cent of vinyl collectors living there.It comes after vinyl record sales in 2021 were at the highest they’ve been in 30 years, despite widely publicised issues with backlogs and delays.According to figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), more than five million vinyl records were sold last year, an 8 per cent increase on 2020. It marked the 14th year in a row that the format has increased sales, with vinyl records making up 23 per cent of all albums sold.The biggest-selling vinyl album of 2021 was ABBA‘s comeback record ‘Voyage’, while Adele‘s huge ’30’ and Sam Fender‘s ‘Seventeen Going Under’ – NME’s Album Of The Year – also sold big on wax.Campaigns such as LoveRecordStores, Record Store Day and National Album Day also helped rally sales for independent record shops and specialist chains.Earlier this year, it was also reported that vinyl sales in the UK look set to overtake CDs.Vinyl albums brought in £135.6million in 2021 (up 23.2 per cent year-on-year) compared to £150.1million in CD sales (down 3.9 per cent year-on-year).

ABBA have paid tribute to Olivia Newton-John who died yesterday (August 8) aged 73.The Australian singer and Grease actor passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California, as confirmed by her husband John Easterling in a statement.“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” the message read.Today (August 9), ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (aka Frida) both paid their respects to Newton-John in a post on the Swedish group’s official social media pages.The pair crossed paths with the late star in 1974 when both she and ABBA competed in that year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton.Newton-John, who was representing the United Kingdom, came in fourth place with her track ‘Long Live Love’. ABBA were crowned overall winners that evening with their hit ‘Waterloo’.Alongside a photo of ABBA and Newton-John on-stage together, Frida wrote: “What do you feel, what do you say when the nice, kindest and most loving woman leaves us to travel somewhere else.“The heart aches to know Olivia’s brave fight against an, in her case, invincible enemy.

ABBA have announced a new 30th anniversary version of their greatest hits collection ‘ABBA Gold’.The collection is one of the most successful releases in recorded music history, with more than 32 million sales worldwide.It’s the second highest selling album of all time in the UK, spending more than 1,055 weeks on the Official UK Albums Chart, making it the longest running album in the Official Albums Chart Top 100 ever.Released on September 21, 1992, ‘ABBA Gold’ contains some of the Swedish pop legends’ biggest hits including ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’, ‘Take A Chance On Me’, ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘The Winner Takes It All’.To mark 30 years since it was released, a version in new formats is being released on September 23 [available to pre-order here].The formats are as follows: new 2LP Picture Disc in heavyweight vinyl, housed in die-cut gatefold sleeve; new gold cassette – also available in black; and gold 2LP – gold 2 x 180g vinyl. Brand new limited edition ABBA merch will also be available to pre-order soon.It follows the recent news that ABBA’s Benny Anderson and Elton John worked together on a new song mash-up for TikTok – watch it here.The pair remotely performed a live rendition of each of their songs before they were blended in the TikTok audio app.