ABBA :: Charts & Sales History

[TfromBinG]

some additional latest chart positions for GOLD:

USA: 96 (89) 232

Canada: 41 (42) 141

Austria: 26 (28) 549

[Nameless]

Yes, the platinum certification for Voulez-Vous in Belgium is for 50,000. I tried to find out when certifications were introduced in Belgium, but I really wasn't that succesful. There are only hints. There are some lists online showing the most succesful albums in Belgium (GOLD is 3rd or 4th) and their certifications, but none of them is from the seventies or earlier. The database nameless linked goes back to 1995 (in that year GOLD was certified triple platinum in Belgium)..

Here is a wikipedia article that confirms platinum was 50k. Now only 20k - and Voyage hasn"t got that. It could be Belgain Universal not applying for certification.



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belg...20respectively.


In the Abba Worldwide Chart website a lot of claims aren't referenced at all. The Belgium sales figures have no sources.

Some guy Michael Hartmann provides "sales" from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico all of them hightly dubious. Only take seriiously ones linked to official certifications. For example the inflated claims say in Argentina Chiquitita sold over a million. In Brazil the Voulez Vous LP sold over a million. And in Mexico both the Spanish ans English versions of Chiquitita sold over a million each as did the album Voulez Vous. These claims are said to be Universal Music. Utter rubbish.

In the chart section take with a large pinch of salt, Costa Rica and the South African and Zimbabwean charts are Radio play for stations that appealed to the white minority in both countries.

Trent Nickson has ABBA fans just write in with BS info in he just puts it up. He does say sonetimes to be cautious but very much in a commentary section. It undermines his website. He should stick to charts - but not radio charts.

[TfromBinG]

Sweden:

(Physical charts): Voyage 11 (16) 39

Not listed in the main charts.

[TfromBinG]

The Netherlands:

Voulez-Vous 55 (60) 71

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ireland:

GOLD 6 (6) 707

[Nameless]

UK ALBUM CHART

#9 GOLD (10)

It's sales are 3, 983. A tad lower (by a couple of hundred) than last week despite a climb in album chart.

A bit of slippage in SALES CHART
#23 GOLD (22)
#37 Voyage (31)

[brian05]

From the OCC.

05 August 2022
ABBA Gold 30th Anniversary Edition: Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad announce new version of Greatest Hits album

The classic album will be released on a host of brand-new formats, with exclusive bundles also available

t's a timeless collection that last year broke records to become the first record to reach 1000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart, and now ABBA's ABBA GOLD is set to be reissued to commemorate its 30th anniversary.

The 1992 hits collection from Swedish icons Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad will be re-released on a selection of brand-new formats on September 23; three decades after it first topped the UK charts.


MORE: Explore ABBA's complete Official Charts history


ABBA GOLD: 30th Anniversary Edition will be available on brand-new 2LP picture disc - heavyweight vinyl housed in die-cut gatefold sleeve - and both gold and black cassette formats. The special edition will also be released on 2LP gold 180g vinyl.

Fans can also purchase a range of limited edition ABBA GOLD merchandise, from tote bags to two-sided slip mats. All formats and merch items are available to pre-order here.


MORE: Everything you need to know about ABBA's ABBA Voyage show


In July 2021, ABBA GOLD became the first LP in history to spend 1000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart.

At the time, Björn Ulvaeus told OfficialCharts.com: "Amazing!", while Benny Andersson quipped: "Not bad for four turnips!"

This isn't the first time ABBA GOLD has received a reissue. A remastered version of the compilation was released in 1999, to celebrate 25 years since ABBA's Eurovision Song Contest victory sent it back to Number 1 for five non-consecutive weeks.

The record last topped the Official Albums Chart in 2008, when it returned to the summit for two weeks around the release of the first Mamma Mia! film.

[Nameless]

It would be nice if around the time of the 30th Anniverssry the OCC could give us a FULL list of ABBA sales. One or more of the following please.


- sales of all 19 Gold tracks.
-ABBA albums , studio and compilations ranked with sales for all the Top 20 albums
-update on Voyage and its tracks

[TfromBinG]

If I was allowed to attach a picture, I would show a snippet taken from the German (now not existing anymore) business-magazine Der Musikmarkt, issue 1/1976 from January 1st, 1976. The text is about the gold certification for S.O.S. in Germany for more than 500,000 sold units. The text also confirms the gold awards for both, Waterloo and Honey, Honey. There is also a foto of businessmen from the DGG (the german record company of ABBA, Polydor was a sub-label of it), handling the gold awards to the four of ABBA.

Found this issues, next to others, today on a flea-market in Berlin.

[petrodav1452]

Wow! Wonderful find for you, and interesting status about the 3 singles mentioned, it's a mystery why they never released Honey in the UK, but allowed an unknown band to release a cover version, that went Top Ten on the UK Official Charts.

Just a thought are you a Member of the German " Abba Intermezzo Magazine? Maybe they would publish a Photo,. Of the Old Article that's nearly 50 years Old

[Benny]

If I was allowed to attach a picture, I would show a snippet taken from the German (now not existing anymore) business-magazine Der Musikmarkt, issue 1/1976 from January 1st, 1976. The text is about the gold certification for S.O.S. in Germany for more than 500,000 sold units. The text also confirms the gold awards for both, Waterloo and Honey, Honey. There is also a foto of businessmen from the DGG (the german record company of ABBA, Polydor was a sub-label of it), handling the gold awards to the four of ABBA.

Found this issues, next to others, today on a flea-market in Berlin.

Interesting, thanks for posting! The German chart book 'Hit-Bilanz' also mentions gold awards for 'Waterloo' and 'Honey Honey' (but strangely not for 'SOS'). However, these gold awards were 'unofficial', because official gold and platinum discs only started in Germany in 1976:

"Bis 1975 wurden auch in Deutschland Goldene Schallplatten an Interpreten verliehen, dies geschah jedoch durch den jeweiligen Tonträgerhersteller nach uneinheitlichen und nicht offiziell überprüften Kriterien.

Nach einer Richtlinie vom 1. Januar 1976 wird die Anzahl der gewerteten Verkäufe in Deutschland nach den an den Handel verkauften Platten ermittelt, die an die GEMA oder eine andere Verwertungsgesellschaft der Urheber als Inlandsverkäufe gemeldet wurden. Es handelt sich somit nicht um die Anzahl der tatsächlich an den Endkunden verkauften Platten. "

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden...te#Deutschland

[TfromBinG]

@ petrodav1452: Thank you! No, I am not a member of any fanclub.

@ Benny: Yes, I am aware about the criteria for sales awards certifications before 1976. I also own several issues from the Hit-Bilanz editions (which are useful but miles behind the ones of, let's say, Joel Whitburne (R.i.p.). The thing is, sometimes golden records awarded before 1976 are mentioned in some artist's discograhies, for instance wikipedia, and sometimes not. The german wikipedia-site for ABBA's discography and the extra-site with a databank for their gold and platinum awards have both the gold awards for Waterloo and Honey, Honey (as well as for Fernando), but not for S.O.S., and the reference is the book Hit-Bilanz, edited first as a hobby by a one man company. And it still is.

[Nameless]

SINGLES Gold and Platinum Certifications by Country (Physical)

1 Platinum Japan, (SOS/Chiquitita)
10 Gold UK
4 Gold Netherlands
3 Gold France
2 Gold USA
1 Gold Germany

Canada? Australia? New Zealand?


Digital Awards

1 Platinum x2 Uk (Dancing Queen)
3 Platinum UK
1 Platinum Denmark
1 Platinum Sweden
3 Gold Italy
2 Gold UK
2 Gold Denmark
1 Gold Sweden

Many countries, it appears don't bother applying for digital certifications eg USA, Germany, Netherlands,

[TfromBinG]

SINGLES Gold and Platinum Certifications by Country (Physical)

1 Platinum Japan, (SOS/Chiquitita)
10 Gold UK
4 Gold Netherlands
3 Gold France
2 Gold USA
1 Gold Germany

Canada? Australia? New Zealand?


Digital Awards

1 Platinum x2 Uk (Dancing Queen)
3 Platinum UK
1 Platinum Denmark
1 Platinum Sweden
3 Gold Italy
2 Gold UK
2 Gold Denmark
1 Gold Sweden

Many countries, it appears don't bother applying for digital certifications eg USA, Germany, Netherlands,

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA...kverk%C3%A4ufe

The site is in German, but the sense of the listings is recognicable.

[Nameless]

Thanks for that link. I just had a look. I have noticed a few errors in the album section eg


Most of the studio albums for Australia it seems the most glaring exaggeration is The Album on platinum x 10 giving a million sales.

More like 100k. I don't think Australia even had certifications then.

Gold Greatest Hits is not platinumx3 in The Netherlands. Still on platinum and not updated since 1999.

Thanlk You For The Music album from 1983 gold not platinum in the UK. I see no record of any release let alone certification in Spain.


On to singles the 2 Voyage certifications for ISHFIY and DSMD are for streams not sales. 4 million and 8 million respectively for individual streams. No certifications for Ireland in the 70s either and certainly no 50,000 gold awards. Umofficial German certifications given too.

[TfromBinG]

Concerning Australia: There were certifications in the 70ies. You can see clearly the platinum awards for their singles and albums during their press conference behind them when they were on tour there. And it's quite easy to see that the awards are from Australia. There are dozens of pictures online.

There seems to be a messing up between the album "ABBA" and the album "The Album". The first one was definitively the much stronger seller in Australia.

[Nameless]

Have you got a link for any 1970s certifications in Australia?


From all the info I have seen the ABBA album on about 600k and The Album only reached #4. Any estimates I have seen put it 70-100k.


I have seen this article that gives gold certifications during the ABBAMania years of 1975-6 in Australia

http://abbaphenomenon.abbaomnibus.ne...abba_album.htm


I also learn from Mr Wikipedia that until the end of 1976 certifications were based on value not units sold and only gold awards no platinum. So those Abba records from 75/76 hsd certifications based on value not sales.

Platinum awards introduced 1977 and sales used.

Singles: gold 50k. platinum 100k
Albums gold 20k platinum 50k

The current system for both singles and albums introduced in 1983
Gold 35k Platinum 70k.



Those other errors still stand.

French certifications were introduced in 1973 - the same year as in the UK. But databases fon't go that farr back.

Overall though the lists are pretty accurate.

[MusicLover88]

Dancing Queen
Spotify:
#79 Ireland (+39)
#95 United Kingdom (+64)
#123 Netherlands (+40)
#123 New Zealand (+61)
#132 Australia (NE)
#143 Canada (NE)
#188 Belgium (NE)
#189 Austria (NE)
#192 Sweden (NE)

[Nameless]

Why the interest in Dancing Queen? Featured on Social Media/tv/film?

[TfromBinG]

Yesterday Lay All Your Love on Me has passed the 200 million streaming mark on Spotify. It's ABBA's sixth song to do so (DG 766.2 million, GGG 428.8 million, MM 326.6 million, TWTIA 260.3 million and TACOM with 219 million).

Next in line for passing the 200 million are Waterloo with 193 million, Super Trouper with 186.6 million and Chiquitita with 181.6 million.

Angel Eyes has now doubled its streaming numbers since Benny (from this forum) gave it a figure of around 43 million in the second half of April this year.

[TfromBinG]

Have you got a link for any 1970s certifications in Australia?



Platinum awards introduced 1977 and sales used.

.

http://abbafanatic.blogspot.com/2017...y-1977-40.html

Here are a lot of pictures from the press conference from February, 28th, 1977 in Sydney. Although I can't recognize any details about specific records, it's clearly to see, that there are platinum awards and they are for Australia.

Another quite interessting site:

https://www.aussievision.net/post/au...fair-with-abba

If you scroll down to shy after the middle you'll find an advert from RCA (ABBA's company Down under) with some sales figures for Australia and New Zealand up to end end of 1976, it seems.

[Nameless]

Interesting links.

ABBA were really huge in Australia. At the time the popilation was 14 million and ABBA had two million selling albums - Best Of and Arrival and in such a short time.

[Nameless]

UK Charts

#10 Gold (9)


Sales Chart

#28 (23) Gold
#43 (37) Voyage

[TfromBinG]

Some additional chart positions from last week:

Germany:

GOLD 60 (76) 408

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Switzerland:

GOLD 59 (34) 665

Voyage 82 (re-entry) 33

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ireland:

GOLD 10 (6) 708

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Belgium (FL only):

GOLD 102 (112) 256

Voulez-Vous 134 (130) 27

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Netherlands:

Voulez-Vous 53 (55) 72

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweden:

(physical charts): Voyage 17 (11) 40

[brian05]

HMV on-line.
Abba's Voyage at £6.99 becomes £3.49 with discount code Flash50.
Collect in-store for free or add £2 for postage.

[TfromBinG]

Sweden (physical charts):

Voyage 15 (17) 41