Benny Andersson On ABBA Using The Techniques Of Fleetwood Mac And The Beatles

The members’ roles in a band can sometimes cause significant problems when it comes to stealing the light. Especially if there are two vocalists in a band, this problem can get bigger. However, ABBA’s Benny Andersson said in an interview with Record Collector magazine that this two-vocalist formula, which the Beatles and Fleetwood Mac inspired them, works well. In fact, this is the secret of their success.

“So, you have ‘Fernando,’ you want a song like ‘Dancing Queen’ or ‘My Mama Said,’ or whatever on that album, to give it some listening value,” he said, recalling some of their hits. “And another great thing, I have to say, that goes for many of the bands that I like, is that you have more than one singer; it helps you.”

Andersson continued, “You have John [Lennon] and Paul [McCartney], or you have Fleetwood Mac, you have the Eagles: it’s great to have two singers because that makes a difference between the tracks as well.”

ABBA jumped onto the scene in 1972. Especially the catchy hits they created in the decade following their inception made them one of the best-selling bands in music history. It is not surprising that the band, which was able to hold on to this position for years, had various secret formulas. Having two singers added such a special touch to ABBA’s tunes, keeping them fresh yet familiar in each of their songs.

They were musically okay since they had a well-functioning formula, but romantic relationships were what really hurt ABBA. The divorces damaged the in-group dynamics, and ABBA needed to stop and take a breath many times. The break they took in the 1980s would have been quite long. They released ‘The Visitors’ in 1981 and then didn’t make any new music for 40 years.

Most would have given up on any reunion after 40 years, but ABBA members didn’t, and in 2021, almost half a century later, a follow-up album arrived! As the band members noted, this was a late-closing album. However, they did not leave everything unfinished and made a farewell worthy of them.