| The Essential Collection | |
| Type: | compilation |
| Artist: | ABBA |
| Cover: | The Essential Collection (ABBA album).jpg |
| Released: | 2012 |
| Recorded: | 29 March 1972 – 26 August 1982 |
| Length: | 154:56 |
| Label: | Polar Music International |
| Producer: | Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus |
| Prev Title: | Icon |
| Prev Year: | 2010 |
| Next Title: | Live at Wembley Arena |
| Next Year: | 2014 |
The Essential Collection is a 2012 compilation album released by Swedish pop group ABBA, collecting all single A-sides as originally planned and conceived by their record company, Polar Music, in addition to a few songs that were single hits in significant markets, as well as album tracks for which music videos were made.[1] [2] A two-CD set, the first disc spans 1972 to 1978 ("People Need Love" to "Summer Night City"), while the second covers 1979 to 1982 ("Chiquitita" to "Under Attack").
The Essential Collection effectively supersedes 2001's The Definitive Collection, retaining all but two tracks from the earlier release (eliminating the "Ring Ring" and "Voulez-Vous" remixes) and adding four others ("Bang-A-Boomerang", "That's Me", "One Man, One Woman" and "Happy New Year"). The sequencing is chronological, with "Thank You for the Music" moved from the second disc to the first. Unlike its predecessor, The Essential Collection does not feature regional bonus tracks.
The Essential Collection was also released in DVD format. It features every official ABBA music video plus five Spanish-language clips, two of which ("Conociéndome, conociéndote" and "Gracias por la música") did not appear on The Definitive Collection. It also includes the 2004 short film The Last Video.
The collection was released as a two-CD set, a DVD, and a three-disc set including the DVD and both CDs.
It was awarded a gold disc for 100,000 sales in Germany.[3]
All songs are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus unless otherwise noted. Tracks 1–4 were originally released under the name "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid".