The ABBA Generation explained

The ABBA Generation
Type:studio
Artist:A-Teens
Cover:Theabbagenerationinternational.jpg
Border:yes
Released:25 August 1999
Recorded:January–March 1999
Length:42:50
Next Title:The ABBA Generation Remix
Next Year:2001

The ABBA Generation is the debut studio album by Swedish pop group A-Teens. It was released on 25 August 1999 by Stockholm Records. The album is composed of cover versions of well-known ABBA songs. The album spawned four singles, "Mamma Mia", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", "Super Trouper", and "Dancing Queen".

The album reached number one in Sweden and Argentina. In the United States, the album peaked at seventy-one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and was certified Gold.[1]

Background

In 1998, Marie, Sara, Dhani, and Amit came together to form the ABBA-Teens and began recording their debut album which would consist entirely of covers of ABBA songs. Their first single, "Mamma Mia", was first released in April 1999 in their native Sweden where it stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks. Following this release, the group's name was changed to the A-Teens to avoid litigation.[2] [3] "Mamma Mia" was released internationally following their name change and topped the charts in over ten countries.

Further singles from the album were hits in Sweden: "Super Trouper" peaked at number two and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) peaked at number ten; both songs charted moderately worldwide. "Happy New Year" was released as a standalone single in Sweden at the end of 1999 and peaked at number four.

In March 2000, the group released the single "Dancing Queen". The single reached ninety-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone, being certified Gold. Coinciding with this release, the band embarked on a promotional tour of the United States and was an opening act for the Britney Spears tour later that summer.[4]

Critical reception

Despite its commercial success around the world, the album received generally negative reviews from music critics. Alex Henderson of AllMusic said that the group's "versions of ABBA gems like "Take a Chance on Me", "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen", and "Voulez-Vous" aren't brilliant, but they're enjoyable—and they show just how well the songs have held up over time." He concluded his review by saying, “All things considered, The ABBA Generation is a pleasing, if unremarkable, testament to the durability of ABBA's songs." In an average review for The A.V. Club, Steven Thompson wrote, "Pop music doesn't get more marginal than a collection of overdriven dance-pop covers, but The ABBA Generation succeeds on its own modest terms."[5]

David Hiltbrand of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+, saying that the group "look and sound better than their supergroup heroes; even the music is spruced up, thanks to a cast of savvy Swedish producers." Writing for Rolling Stone, Arion Berger gave the album one and a half out of five stars, saying that "all the keyboard doodling and note-for-note diligence in Scandinavia wouldn't help these poseurs bring the pure-pop greatness of the real ABBA to life."

Track listing

All tracks written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except as noted.

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.

Musicians

Production

Other personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999–2000)Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] 18
Spanish Albums (Promusicae)[7] 19

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[8] 92
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 27
Chart (2000)Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[10] 17
European Albums (Music & Media)[11] 44
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 21
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 39

Release history

Notes and References

  1. https://www.riaa.com/gp/database/search_results.asp RIAA: Gold Certificate for "The ABBA Generation" 29 September 2000
  2. Web site: How Swede It Is. 14 October 2007. Douglas Wolk. 8 May 2000. Boston Phoenix. 21 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090621103329/http://weeklywire.com/ww/05-08-00/boston_music_4.html. dead.
  3. Web site: An Oral History Of The A*Teens, The ABBA Cover Band That Defined Y2K Pop . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807164741/https://www.mtv.com/news/u6aip0/a-teens-teen-spirit-oral-history . dead . August 7, 2022 . 2023-05-30 . MTV . en.
  4. Web site: 2001 . A-Teens - Interview @ Designer Magazine . 2023-05-30 . Designer Magazine.
  5. Web site: The ABBA Generation · Music Review · The A.V. Club. avclub.com. 11 May 2000 .
  6. Book: Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Oricon Entertainment. Roppongi, Tokyo. 2006. 4-87131-077-9.
  7. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st. September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 8480486392. Only hits: year by year, 1959–2002.
  8. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1999. Ultratop. 5 October 2021.
  9. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1999. dutchcharts.nl. 17 October 2020.
  10. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 2000. austriancharts.at. 17 October 2020.
  11. Year in Focus – European Top 100 Albums 2000 . Music & Media . 17 . 52 . 23 December 2000 . 9 . 29800226 . American Radio History. 19 January 2019.
  12. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de . GfK Entertainment. 8 September 2016.
  13. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000. hitparade.ch. 17 October 2020.
  14. Web site: Aftonbladet nöje: A Teens: Våra framgångar är mycket tack vare ABBA . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613041937/http://www.aftonbladet.se/noje/9909/02/ateens.html . 13 June 2007 . aftonbladet.se . dead .
  15. Web site: iTunes - Music - The Abba Generation by A*Teens. iTunes.