♫Outrageously Successful♫

70s Groovy Times brought into the spotlight Dance, Dance, Dance! Disco was at an all-time high and fashion was absolutely outrageous...on and off stage. One group at the very top of the success ladder was a Swedish quartet who first found fame when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. They became one of the most widely known European groups ever and one of the best selling artists of all time. If the name has not yet come to mind, perhaps two of their most popular songs will shake off the cobwebs: Take a Chance on Me and Dancing Queen.

Welcome into the Spotlight...

On many videos and tours they'd don some very flashy gear, 

particularly during their early-mid years as disco peaked.

Agnetha Fältskog (vocals; born April 5, 1950); Benny Andersson (keyboards; born December 16, 1946); Björn Ulvaeus (guitar; born April 25, 1945); Anni-Frid Lyngstad (vocals; born November 15, 1945)

ABBA Swedish pop group who became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music

ABBA was the first group to come from a non-English-speaking country to realize consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries. The music of ABBA topped the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982. Exact music sales are difficult to determine but for ABBA, record sales have been reported from over 140 million to over 500 million sold.

ABBA rose out of Sweden in the Seventies to become one of the most successful and beloved pop groups in music history. Their success gave a more international flavor to popular music, broadening it beyond the English-speaking countries of origin. ABBA truly was an international phenomenon, topping charts and breaking records in England, France, Italy, Germany, Holland and Scandinavia. For a few years, ABBA ranked second only to automaker Volvo as Sweden’s biggest money-making export. Read MORE @ABBA biography...

This Day in Music: April 2, 1977

ABBA were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their fifth No.1 'Knowing Me, Knowing You.' The song was also a Top 10 hit in over 15 countries. ABBA has sold more than 10 million songs in the US.

MORE hits on this day in music history...

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  1964 The Beach Boys recorded their next single 'I Get Around', which became their first US No.1 in the summer of this year. The song begins with a multi-part a cappella introduction that quickly shifts into rock-style verses sung by Mike Love and a pop chorus sung in falsetto by Brian Wilson. 

•  1975 The Bay City Rollers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of The Four Seasons song 'Bye Bye Baby.' It gave the Scottish group the best selling single of 1975.

 
No. 1 Albums on This Day... 

1971 Janis Joplin was at No.1 on the US album charts with the posthumously released Pearl. The album features the No.1 hit 'Me and Bobby McGee', written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster on which she played acoustic guitar.

1977  Fleetwood Mac went to No.1 on the US album chart with Rumours. The album is Fleetwood Mac's most successful release; along with winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1978, the record has sold over 45 million copies worldwide. 

1977 Frank Sinatra scored his first ever UK No.1 album with 'Portrait Of Sinatra', his 46th album release.

Yes! It really happened...

1991 LL Cool J gave a pair of sneakers to every student and teacher at The Thompson Middle School in Dorchester, to celebrate their winning the 'foot locker cool school video' contest.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...