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‘Dancing Queen’: ABBA‘s Disco Anthem Becomes Their Only US No. 1

The single took seven weeks to make the Top 40 and 18 to reach No.1 on the Hot 100.

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ABBA 'Dancing Queen' artwork - Courtesy: UMG
ABBA 'Dancing Queen' artwork - Courtesy: UMG

The American singles chart career of ABBA had its ups and downs, with nothing like the unstoppable success they enjoyed in so many other countries. In the UK, for example, the Swedish pop maestros racked up a total of 19 Top 10 hits, nine of them No.1s. In the US, their Top 10 total was four, just one of which topped the chart. That song, the timeless “Dancing Queen,” hit the top, after an epic route there, on April 9, 1977. It went on to become one of the quartet’s truly definitive songs.

American audiences were entranced by Rod Stewart that week. He continued a chart-topping run with “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” that was already in its fifth week, and would extend to eight, into the new year. The big mover into the Top 10 was also a Brit, Leo Sayer with “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.”

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ABBA were in some pretty good company among their fellow new entries to the hallowed 100 on  December 11, 1976. Barbra Streisand took a bow with “Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen),” Bob Seger came in with “Night Moves,” as did Stephen Bishop with “Save It For A Rainy Day.” The ABBA song had already been a smash in many parts of the world by the time it started its American ascent. It topped the British charts in September and October 1976, but its climb up the Hot 100 was slow and steady.

Scenic route to No.1

The single took seven weeks to make the Top 40 and 12 to reach the Top 10, by which time the Streisand single was about to make its move to the summit. Even then, “Dancing Queen” took the scenic route, but finally, in early April – in its 18th week, and four months after its debut – it made it to No.1, taking over from Daryl Hall and John Oates’ “Rich Girl.” It later went gold.

Listen to the best of ABBA on Apple Music and Spotify.

ABBA would never again reach the top of the American bestsellers, although there was another gold-certified top tenner, “Take A Chance On Me,” in 1978. They made one last visit to the US Top 10 with “The Winner Takes It All” early in 1981.

Buy or stream “Dancing Queen” on Arrival.

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. PEPE

    December 12, 2014 at 1:01 am

    I’ve uploaded a video where you can here them reach Number One here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZtU5a3qwc&list=UUQK9LSPvMteImatd9-C4vfA

  2. sully hernandez

    April 13, 2015 at 9:35 am

    genios!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. GAYLENE

    April 13, 2015 at 10:43 am

    I love abba llove there music it brings back memories l love then l love fraid she is so beautiful l with l had a photo of her my mom is from Sweden l would love to no wont she looks like now

  4. Sunil Mani

    April 13, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    The kind of music that stirred my soul….!

  5. raed

    April 13, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    hi

  6. Ashley Rota

    April 14, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    I had all the Abba Albums. I loved them greatly

  7. Vitale laura

    September 4, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Únicos excepcionales nunca igualados por ningún grupo musical ni solista.

  8. Ton Ton Zarli

    December 11, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    I love ABBA forever.
    Till the end of the world.
    Agnetha ♥♥♥♥♥
    Frida ♥♥♥♥♥
    Benny ♥♥♥♥♥
    Bjorn ♥♥♥♥♥

  9. Ian

    December 11, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    Why does this story feature some appalling fan art single sleeve image, and not a real single sleeve?

  10. Ron middelkoop

    December 12, 2015 at 9:30 am

    Wonderful abba and my loveable and breakable agnetha

  11. adel

    December 12, 2017 at 12:54 am

    abba is a way of life

  12. E Fabian

    April 9, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    They always state ABBA only had *one* number 1 in the US but this is incorrect. This completely ignores that Billboard has multiple charts. ABBA had one single reach the top in the Hot 100 but they had 4 number 1’s on the Billboard charts: #1 on Hot 100 with Dancing Queen, two #1’s on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart with Fernando & The Winner Takes it All & a #1 in the Billboard Club/Dance chart with Lay All Your Love on Me in 1981. Technically they had FOUR #1’s on Billboard.

  13. James Scott Heine

    May 22, 2021 at 3:00 am

    E Fabian has a point. The Billboard Hot 100 never truly summed up what Americans like and want to hear. And ever since 1990 it’s been even more markedly divided and what qualifies for each chart category is aambiguous. Radio stations in certain cities also get forced to have restricted playlists and DJs get paid to play garbage. And while ABBA is remembered fondly by many who lived in 1977, there’s a lot of music that was played often back then that NOBODY wants to remember. Mister Rogers says, ‘Can you say, “DISCO?”‘.

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