About the band: ABBA were a Swedish pop group formed in 1972. They became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982. ABBA release eight studio albums, but are mainly known for their hit singles and compilation albums. Estimates of their total record sales are over 150 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. ABBA currently have one song in my list of about 200 best pop/rock songs of all time.
About the song: The winner takes it all is a track from their 1980 album Supertrouper, which dates from the twilight of their career. Partially inspired by the real-life divorce of members Bjorn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Faltskog, this great song presents a first-person account of the inevitable, painful feelings of loss that follow the end of a romance. The lyrics have a no-nonsense tone of dark emotion, which is further enhanced by an almost gothic melody. The recording pushes it into the realm of the truly unforgettable thanks to a heartrending lead vocal from Agnetha and an arrangement that builds from soft piano lines and background vocals to a grand operatic coda. Run time 4:54.
