Tag: ABBA

The Hives Celebrate 50 Years of Sweden’s Global Music Success With Spotify Singles Cover

May 24, 2024

On April 6, 1974, the Swedish pop quartet ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with “Waterloo,” a victory that would propel them to dazzling international fame. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean, Björn Skifs and Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” had just become the first single by a Swedish artist to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.

As it turns out, that was just the beginning. Today, half a decade later, Sweden is one of the world’s biggest music exporters. To commemorate the outset of the country’s remarkable global success in music, Spotify invited the Swedish rock quintet The Hives to our Stockholm studio to record a Spotify Singles cover of “Hooked on a Feeling,” out now:

Known for their legendary live performances and strict black-and-white dress code, The Hives have been making heavy garage music for more than three decades. As one of the most-streamed Swedish rock bands globally, they’re thrilled to be carrying the storied song into its next chapter.

“I think there’s a synergy effect of Swedish music having made it abroad, and you feel like it’s possible. We can’t make it more perfect than the original is, so we went the other way instead: ruined it but made it sound exciting,” quipped front man Pelle Almqvist.

“Since the iconic year of 1974, when ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest, music from Swedish creators has continued to influence beyond its borders,” said Sophia Olofsson, Music Program Lead at Spotify. “We hear a lot about the Swedish pop wonder, but rock and metal are also two impactful genres for listeners around the world. With this Spotify Singles release, we wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the export of Swedish music while also paying homage to Sweden’s rock talents.”

The original “Hooked on a Feeling” was written by Mark James and performed by American singer B.J. Thomas in 1968. In 1973, Björn Skifs and his Blue Swede band recorded their version, which retained the “ooga-chaka” introduction from an earlier cover by English singer-songwriter Jonathan King.

To date, Blue Swede’s version of the song has racked up more than 670 million streams on Spotify globally. It has continued to gain traction over the years, having been featured in movies like Reservoir Dogs and Guardians of the Galaxy.

A spotlight on Swedish rock

Sweden might be best known for its pop music, but Spotify data shows that rock is also driving the country’s music exports. On our platform, the love for Swedish rock stretches near and far. In the past five years, streams of rock music by Swedish acts have increased by 90% globally, with France, Italy, Mexico, and Australia being the biggest consumers. Over 40% of the consumption comes from listeners aged 18-29.

Stream The Hives’ “Hooked on a Feeling” now, then dive into our Made in Sweden playlist to explore more tracks from Swedish artists.

ABBA’s Two New Songs Are Here, and the World Is Ready to Listen—And Dance Along

September 2, 2021

In 1981, Swedish pop sensation and Eurovision winner ABBA issued their last studio album. That is, until now. 

Today, Agnetha, Benny, Björn, and Anni-Frid unveiled new music for the first time in four decades: a double A-side single with two brand-new songs, “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down.” 

But that’s not the only surprise from ABBA. Today, the band shared that they’d be making virtual avatars of themselves for a live concert experience in London known as ABBA Voyage—as well as releasing a new album, Voyage on November 5. 

ABBA Voyage, the long-awaited concert, will feature ABBA’s avatars accompanied by a 10-piece live band in a custom-built arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. These avatars were created based on the live recordings by the band members in present day and then digitally edited to create an appearance of the band onstage the way they were 40 years ago. It gives long-term fans a chance to see their favorite band the way they remember and new fans a chance to glimpse the group in their prime. The concert will feature 22 songs, including some of the band’s greatest hits and their two new songs out today, and last 1.5 hours.

Now though, fans can “take a chance” early and head to the This Is ABBA playlist on Spotify, which has been updated with the two new songs as well as 11 Spotify Clips—exclusive video clips in which Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA tells the story of the band’s reunion, reflects on friendship, and provides insights into what’s to come. 

For a sneak peek, watch below as Björn shares some insight about the concert, as well as the “craziest idea” the band has ever had. 


The Winner Takes It All

ABBA has a legacy that is largely unmatched. The pop group, known for belt-worthy lyrics and dance floor, disco-esque beats, boasts two songs in the top 100 most-streamed songs from the ’70s on Spotify—“Dancing Queen,” which falls in the top 20, and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).” 

And their reach is universal: The top countries for streaming ABBA are the U.S. and U.K., followed by Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, the band’s home country of Sweden, and Mexico. To date, more than 45 million user-created playlists on Spotify contain at least one ABBA song. 

Knowing Me, Knowing You

ABBA listeners, however, may not be who you think they are. Though the band was at its peak in the ’70s and ’80s, its base on Spotify skews younger. People ages 18 to 24 stream the band the most on Spotify, and they’ve been streaming more every year—increasing their listening by over 50% since 2014. It’s clear that ABBA’s songs transcend their time to become lasting favorites—not only for the generation that first fell in love with them, but for those who came after. 

Still can’t get enough? Dig in with the top 10 most-streamed ABBA songs on Spotify, which you can find alongside the exclusive videos from Björn on the This Is ABBA playlist. 

  1. “Dancing Queen”
  2. “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”
  3. “Mamma Mia”
  4. “The Winner Takes It All”
  5. “Take A Chance On Me”
  6. “Super Trouper”
  7. “Waterloo”
  8. “Lay All Your Love On Me”
  9. “Chiquitita”
  10. “SOS”

Swedish Pop Star Tove Lo Kicks Off New Nordic Spotify Studio Program With Veronica Maggio Cover

April 1, 2020

From ABBA to Robyn, pop music remains one of Sweden’s greatest exports. And among the artists who have risen to international acclaim is Tove Lo, who helped us kick off the new Nordic Spotify studio program Studio It’s Hits by covering Swedish pop star Veronica Maggio’s “I’m Coming.”

Studio It’s Hits is an extension of Sweden’s most popular playlist, It’s Hits Sweden. The program invites some of the region’s top artists and songwriters to showcase their talent and creativity—whether by recording a cover, remaking one of their own songs, or releasing something totally new. 

“Our ambition is always to support artist creativity and make a positive impact in their career,” says Johan Seidefors, Head of Content Nordics, Spotify. “Through combining this new studio program with the extension of our biggest and most popular playlists, we can give more artists the chance to come to our studio, record something new, and present themselves to existing and new fans.” 

Tove’s cover was recorded earlier this year in Spotify’s headquarters studio in Stockholm. You might be familiar with the original version, “Jag kommer,” which has remained popular since its release a decade ago.

“This song has been one of my absolute favorites since it came out,” Tove told For the Record. “I have so many memories of it, and I’ve always been so impressed with Veronica Maggio’s way with words. I could never write in Swedish the way she can. It’s the perfect mix of poetic, ‘everyday romance’ and making the Swedish summertime feel epic and melancholic all at once.”

While the original song—which has amassed over 65 million streams on Spotify—was written and recorded in Swedish, Tove recorded her version in English. The song was produced by up-and-coming producer Elvira Anderfjärd.

“It was such a cool challenge to translate something so close to my heart and to work with my band and Elvira in the Spotify Studio. Experimenting and playing around with the sound was the perfect studio experience I know and love.”

‘Eurovision’ Winners Past and Future, As Told by Your Streams

May 17, 2019

Header photo credit: KAN

There’s nothing quite like Eurovision. What other TV music competition has featured Russian grandmothers who sing while baking, Finnish monsters jamming out a “Hard Rock Hallelujah,” or a hip-thrusting saxophone player from Moldova? The European song contest can hardly be compared even to itself in any given year—except in terms of streaming. In the run-up to this weekend’s final performances, fans around the world are already playing their favorite competitors’ song. Could these streams point to the country that will be the 2019 champion?

Eurovision is the world’s longest-running annual television contest, and at 186 million viewers in 2018, it often charts as the world’s biggest live-music event. Over the course of the competition, Eurovision brings musicians from upwards of 50 countries (mostly from Europe) together for a colorful, energy-filled celebration of diversity and unity.

With 41 countries competing this year, and a song time limit to three minutes, it’s crucial that your performance stands out. This could explain why one song often combines several elements. Mix a power ballad intro, rhythms particular to the country of origin, and a crowd-pleasing pop chorus with acrobatic dance and you’ve got yourself a Eurovision Cocktail.

In the weeks leading up to the highly televised final, each country presents its respective artist and song. So ahead of the final performances, we took a look at which country’s nominees are being streamed the most:   

  1.     Italy – Mahmood, “Soldi”
  2.     Sweden – John Lundvik, “Too Late for Love”
  3.     Netherlands – Duncan Laurence, “Arcade”
  4.     France – Bilal Hassani, “Roi”
  5.     Spain – Miki Núñez “La Venda”
  6.     Norway – Keiino, “Spirit in the Sky”
  7.     Switzerland – Luca Hänni, “She Got Me”
  8.     Cyprus – Tamta, “Replay”
  9.     Estonia – Victor Crone, “Storm”
  10.     Denmark – Leonora, “Love Is Forever”

When broken down by each participating country, it’s not surprising that most listeners favor their nation’s own nominated song and artist. Yet listeners in Romania, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Malta, Ireland, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Luxembourg, and Germany have all been streaming Italy’s “Soldi.” At least in terms of streaming, Italian singer-songwriter Mahmood is the clear favorite.

Of course, what’s Eurovision without a little nostalgia? Below are the 10 top-streamed Eurovision winners of all time.

  1.     1974 – ABBA (Sweden) – “Waterloo”
  2.     2018 – Netta (Israel) – “Toy”
  3.     2015 – Måns Zelmerlöw (Sweden) – “Heroes”
  4.     2012 – Loreen (Sweden) – “Euphoria”
  5.     2010 – Lena (Germany) – “Satellite”
  6.     2009 – Alexander Rybak (Norway) – “Fairytale”
  7.     1965 – France Gall (Luxembourg) – “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”
  8.     2017 – Salvador Sobral (Portugal) – “Amar pelos Dois”
  9.     1995 – Petter Skavland, Rolf Løvland, Secret Garden (Norway) – “Nocturne”
  10.     1987 – Johnny Logan (Ireland) – “Hold Me Now”

Prepare for a week of Eurovision like never before—stream the official Eurovision 2019 playlist below.