:Super Trouper (album)

Led by the international hit "The Winner Takes It All", Super Trouper was the group's sixth chart-topping album in the UK. It was also the best-selling album in Britain for 1980. Super Trouper was first released on CD in 1983 by Polar Music International, in the early 1980s by Polydor, and in the late 1980s by Atlantic Records for the US. The album has been reissued in digitally remastered form four times; first in 1997, then in 2001, again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set and as a Deluxe Edition (containing a bonus DVD) in 2011.

The previous year's divorce between Björn and Agnetha was explored in "The Winner Takes It All", and the members' lives in Stockholm high society circles coloured the lyrics for "On and On and On". Other well-known songs on the album include the hit single title track "Super Trouper", as well as the electro-dance of "Lay All Your Love on Me".

Probably due to the disco backlash at that time, the album saw ABBA returning to a more straightforward pop sound, as opposed to the preceding (and noticeably more dance-oriented) Voulez-Vous album. The album closed with "The Way Old Friends Do", which was recorded live a year earlier during their 1979 concert tour. Although not released as a single with this album, the song was later released as a single in 1992 to promote the compilation More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits.Oldham, A, Calder, T & Irvin, C: "ABBA: The Name of the Game", page 75. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1995 The song was later covered by The Alexander Brothers, The Kingston Trio, Philomena Begley and Faryl Smith. On some European vinyl issues, the cheering and applause at the end of "The Way Old Friends Do" is recorded up to the run-out groove, playing in an endless loop on manual turntables.

In January 1980, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson went to Barbados to write songs for a new album, which resulted in five compositions. The first songs recorded for the album were "Andante, Andante", "Happy New Year" (originally intended as part of a never realised musical), and the backing track of the rockier "On and On and On". The sessions for the album was then interrupted by a short tour in Japan in March. Returning to the Polar Studios in Stockholm, the group then recorded and mixed the five tracks written, also including "The Piper" and "Elaine" (which would be released as a single b-side). Returning to the studio again in June with three new songs written to work on, including "The Winner Takes It All", which was released as the first single from the album in July would become a worldwide hit single, "Our Last Summer" and the country-flavoured "Burning My Bridges", which remains unreleased. After a summer holiday the group started the recording sessions again in September with yet another three new songs written, including "Me and I" and the electro-disco track "Lay All Your Love on Me". The third song in the September session was "Put On Your White Sombrero", which eventually was not included on the album. Having already decided that the album was going to be entitled Super Trouper, the group realised that they needed another track for the album to replace the ditched "Put On Your White Sombrero". Written in the studio as the last track for the album in October, the song fitted to become the title track and also a single.{{cite web |title=The Making of Super Trouper |url=https://abbasite.com/articles/the-making-of-super-trouper/ |website=Abba - the Official Site |date=11 June 2012 |access-date=13 October 2018}}

Lyrically, many of the songs feature personal themes, most notably "The Winner Takes It All" which partly is about the break-up of Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog's marriage. "Our Last Summer" was based on a teenage romance Björn Ulvaeus had experienced in Paris in his youth. "The Piper" features an unusual lyric inspired by Stephen King's novel The Stand about the rise of a fascist-type leader. "Me and I" has another unusual lyric about conflicting sides in one's personality.

Super Trouper was released in November 1980. It was first issued on CD in 1983 by Polar Music International, in the early 1980s by Polydor, and in the late 1980s by Atlantic Records for the US. The album has been reissued in digitally remastered form four times; first in 1997, then in 2001, again in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set and as a Deluxe Edition (containing a bonus DVD) in 2011.

On 30 October 2020, Super Trouper was reissued for its 40th anniversary as a multi-format release. It included: a double-LP, half-speed mastered version of the album, done by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios on 12" black 180 gram, 45rpm vinyl discs; a 7" singles box set of "Super Trouper", "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "The Winner Takes It All" pressed on colored vinyl; and individual 7" picture discs of these three singles.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-01 |title=ABBA’s Super Trouper reissue including remastering out October 30th. |url=https://abbasite.com/articles/abbas-super-trouper-reissue-including-remastering-out-october-30th/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=ABBA |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sexton |first=Paul |date=2020-09-02 |title=Limited Editions Mark 40th Anniversary Of ABBA's 'Super Trouper' Album |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/abba-super-trouper-album-40th-anniversary-releases/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Paul |date=2020-09-02 |title=Half-speed mastered 2LP vinyl leads ABBA ‘Super Trouper’ reissue – SuperDeluxeEdition |url=https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/half-speed-mastered-2lp-vinyl-leads-abba-super-trouper-reissue/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |language=en-US}}

On 9 May 2011, Super Trouper was reissued as a 2-disc deluxe edition package to celebrate as part of its 30th anniversary celebration.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-13 |title=Smiling, having fun – Super Trouper Deluxe Edition to be released in May 2011 |url=https://abbasite.com/articles/smiling-having-fun-super-trouper-deluxe-edition-to-be-released-in-may-2011/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=ABBA |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Paul |date=2011-04-08 |title=Abba / Super Trouper Deluxe Edition / Coming Soon – SuperDeluxeEdition |url=https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/abba-super-trouper-deluxe-edition-coming-soon/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |language=en-US}} Disc one consisted of a remastered CD version of the original album, expanded with five bonus tracks. It featured the stereo mix of the original, full length version of "On And On And On", that was previously only found in mono, as well as "Put on Your White Sombrero", a song recorded during the album's sessions, not released until 1994 on the Thank You for the Music box set.{{Cite web |date= |title=SUPER TROUPER DELUXE EDITION – THE TRACK LIST REVEALED |url=https://abbasite.com/articles/super-trouper-deluxe-edition-the-track-list-revealed/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=ABBA |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2012-06-11 |title=In Focus: The Making Of Super Trouper |url=https://abbasite.com/articles/the-making-of-super-trouper/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=ABBA |language=en-US}} The mastering of the tracks was done by Erik Broheden, using the original master tapes, at Masters of audio in Stockholm.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-13 |title=Super sound on Super Trouper |url=https://abbasite.com/articles/super-sound-on-super-trouper/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=ABBA |language=en-US}}

The second disc contained a variety of television content, including: ABBA's appearance on ZDF's Show Express, that included performances of "The Winner Takes It All", "Super Trouper", and "On And On And On"; a performance of "Happy New Year" from SVT; Words And Music, a documentary produced by Polar Music International that features the group talking about the album after its completion; the new featurette, Somewhere In The Crowd There's You – On Location With ABBA, that compiles footage from the night of the photo shoot for the album's sleeve; remastered promo clips of "Super Trouper" and "Happy New Year"; two Super Trouper TV commercials; and the "International Sleeve Gallery". This issue also had a 28-page booklet with an essay on the making of the album.

Paul Sinclair of SuperDeluxeEdition said that Super Trouper{{'}}s deluxe edition "doesn't offer a great deal that fans will not already be familiar with" but that "for those wishing to explore beyond the boundaries of the enduring ABBA Gold collection... [it] could be a very good place to start".{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Paul |date=2011-05-03 |title=ABBA / Super Trouper deluxe edition reviewed – SuperDeluxeEdition |url=https://superdeluxeedition.com/reviews/abba-super-trouper-deluxe-edition-review/ |access-date=2024-09-09 |language=en-US}}

Super Trouper is a registered trademark owned by Strong Entertainment Lighting for their brand of followspots, i.e., directional spotlights used to follow a performer on stage.{{cite web|url=https://trademarks.justia.com/720/03/super-72003047.html|work=Justia|title=SUPER TROUPER - Trademark Details|access-date=17 April 2025}}

Album cover designer, Rune Söderqvist, decided to use the spotlight theme and photograph the group, surrounded by circus performers, at Piccadilly Circus, London, but after failing to gain permission to base the shoot in central London, they instead invited the members of two local circuses to Europa Film Studios, Stockholm to take the photograph there.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Several of ABBA's friends were also invited to take part and the following also appear on the cover: Görel Hanser (vice-president of Polar Music who subsequently married the band's photographer Anders Hanser), Berka Bergkvist (another Polar Music employee), Tomas Ledin, and Anders Anderson (ABBA's manager's son).{{cite book|title=Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA|first=Carl Magnus|last=Palm|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2001|page=432-433|isbn=978-1783053599}}

At the same time, Lasse Hallström also filmed scenes that were eventually used in the videos for "Happy New Year", "Felicidad" and "Super Trouper" even though the latter had not even been composed at the time.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r42/review|pure_url=yes}}|title=Super Trouper|website=AllMusic |access-date=7 January 2012|first=William|last=Ruhlmann}}

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |author-link=Douglas Wolk |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=3053 |title=ABBA: Super Trouper |magazine=Blender |date=21 December 2004 |access-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809210419/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=3053 |archive-date=9 August 2007 |url-status=dead}}

| rev3 = The Daily Vault

| rev3score = A−{{cite web |url= http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1500 |title=The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Super Trouper |first=Christopher |last=Thelen |work=dailyvault.com |year=2019 |access-date=17 February 2019}}

| rev4 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev4score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2007 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-84609-856-7 |pages=31 |edition=5th Concise}}

| rev5 = rollingstone.de

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.de/reviews/abba-super-trouper-2/|title=Abba Super Trouper|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=23 March 2017}}

| rev6 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |last=Berger |first=Arion |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |chapter=ABBA |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/1 1–2]}}

| rev7 = Smash Hits

| rev7score = 5/10{{cite journal |first=Beverly |last=Hillier |title=Albums |journal=Smash Hits |date=27 November – 10 December 1980 |page=29}}

}}

The album received favorable reviews from music critics.

William Ruhlmann from AllMusic noted that "Super Trouper found ABBA, always trend-conscious, taking account of the passing of disco and returning to the pop/rock sound typical of their early albums" and that it includes "an unusual amount of what sounded like real unhappiness into their pop music".

Douglas Wolk from Blender gave the album four out of five stars and wrote that although it shows some "dark side" of the group like "being sick of show business", the Agnetha and Björn divorce, it has a "lot of joy" like the song "Lay All Your Love On Me".

Christopher Thelen, from The Daily Vault gave the album an A− and wrote that "whatever was happening to the band, internally or externally, they were able to take it and put the best creative spin on it. The result was possibly their best album".

The German counterpart of Rolling Stone magazine and The Rolling Stone Album Guide both gave four out of five stars, while Smash Hits magazine and The Encyclopedia of Popular Music gave the album mixed reviews.

All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

{{track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Super Trouper

| length1 = 4:13

| title2 = The Winner Takes It All

| length2 = 4:55

| title3 = On and On and On

| length3 = 3:41

| title4 = Andante, Andante

| length4 = 4:38

| title5 = Me and I

| length5 = 4:53

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side two

| total_length = 42:06

| title1 = Happy New Year

| length1 = 4:37

| title2 = Our Last Summer

| length2 = 4:18

| title3 = The Piper

| length3 = 3:25

| title4 = Lay All Your Love on Me

| length4 = 4:33

| title5 = The Way Old Friends Do

| note5 = recorded live at the Wembley Arena in November 1979

| length5 = 2:53

}}

Released on 11 May 2011, for the album's 30th anniversary. All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus tracks

| title1 = Elaine

| note1 = B-side of "The Winner Takes It All"

| length1 = 3:45

| title2 = On and On and On

| note2 = full length version, stereo mix

| length2 = 4:15

| title3 = Put on Your White Sombrero

| note3 = first released on Thank You for the Music

| length3 = 4:34

| title4 = Andante, Andante

| note4 = Spanish version

| length4 = 4:40

| writer4 = {{hlist|Andersson|Ulvaeus|Buddy McCluskey|Mary McCluskey}}

| title5 = Felicidad

| note5 = Spanish version of "Happy New Year"

| length5 = 4:24

| writer5 = {{hlist|Andersson|Ulvaeus|B. McCluskey|M. McCluskey}}

}}

• "Elaine"

A song recorded in 1980 and released as B-side "The Winner Takes It All" single.

• "Put on Your White Sombrero"

A song based on waltz with a Latin American sound recorded in 1980 with lead vocal by Lyngstad. The track was replaced at a late stage by this album's title track, "Super Trouper". The arrangement of "Put On Your White Sombrero" was later remodelled into a new ABBA song, "Cassandra", which became the B-Side to "The Day Before You Came". The song remained unreleased until 1994.

Adapted from the album's liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |last=ABBA |title=Super Trouper |year=1980 |publisher=Polar Music |language=en |id=POLS 322 |type=liner notes}}

ABBA

• Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals (1, 4, 5, 7), co-lead vocals (3, 8, 10), backing vocals
• Agnetha Fältskog – lead vocals (2, 6, 9), co-lead vocals (3, 8, 10), backing vocals
• Björn Ulvaeus – acoustic guitar (1, 5–8), backing vocals
• Benny Andersson – keyboards (1–9), synthesizers (1–9), backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Per Lindvall – drums (1)
• Mike Watson – bass guitar (1, 2)
• Janne Schaffer – guitars (1, 3, 6)
• Åke Sundqvist – percussion (1, 2, 5, 7)
• Ola Brunkert – drums (2–9)
• Lasse Wellander – guitars (2, 4–9), acoustic guitar (8)
• Rutger Gunnarsson – bass guitar (3–9)
• Lars O. Carlsson – saxophones (3)
• Kajtek Wojciechowski – saxophones (3)
• Janne Kling – saxophones (3), flutes (8)

Production

• Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus – producers, arrangers
• Michael B. Tretow – engineer
• Rutger Gunnarsson – string arrangements (2)
• Rune Söderqvist – album design
• Lars Larsson – photography

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Argentina|artist=Abba|title=Super Trouper|type=album|nocert=true|salesamount=170,000|relyear=1980|salesref={{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1981/CB-1981-01-17.pdf|title=International Dateline - Argentina|magazine=Cash Box|page=36|volume=42|issue=35|date=17 January 1981|via=American Radio History|access-date=4 December 2019}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|artist=ABBA|title=Super Trouper|award=Platinum|relyear=1980|certyear=1981|certref={{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-05-09.pdf|magazine=Billboard|title=Scoring High|via=World Radio History|page=ANZ-23|date=9 May 1981|accessdate=5 December 2021}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=1981|access-date=30 March 2020|certref={{cite journal |last=Rondeau |first=José Emilio |date=9 August 1981 |title=Abba, adeus |url=http://memoria.bn.br/hdb/periodico.aspx |journal=Jornal do Brasil |language=pt |access-date=30 March 2020|quote="Only in Brazil their last album Super Trouper has already received a gold certification for 100,000 sold."}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|nocert=true|relyear=1980|salesamount=400,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/80s/81/RW-1981-03-28.pdf|title=Canada|magazine=Record World|first=Larry|last=LeBlanc|page=40|date=28 March 1981|via=World Radio History|access-date=10 May 2022}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=2022|id=11010|accessdate=9 February 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Finland|artist=Abba|title=Super Trouper|type=album|award=Diamond|salesamount=50,552|relyear=1980|certyear=1981|access-date=28 August 2013}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|nocert=yes|salesamount=250,000|salesref={{cite web|url=http://www.top-france.fr/html/33tours/33t1980.htm|title=TOP – 1980|work=40 ans de tubes : 1960–2000 : les meilleures ventes de 45 tours & CD singles|author=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP)|editor=Fabrice Ferment|access-date=10 May 2022|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019200200/http://www.top-france.fr/html/33tours/33t1980.htm|archive-date=19 October 2020|via=Top-France.fr|oclc=469523661}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1980|salesamount=1,000,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dyQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT59|magazine=Billboard|first=Wolfgang|last=Spahr|title=DG Sales Stable In Declining Mart|page=60|date=8 August 1981|issn=0006-2510|accessdate=10 May 2022}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Hong Kong|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|relyear=1980|certyear=1982|access-date=8 January 2016}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan (Oricon Charts)|nocert=yes|salesamount=219,000|salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=1980|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|accessdate=19 January 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=South Africa|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|nocert=true|relyear=1980|salesamount=50,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1981/Music-Week-1981-02-28.pdf|title=EMI honours top girls|magazine=Music Week|first=Joe|last=Bronkhorst|page=10|date=28 February 1981|via=World Radio History|access-date=10 May 2022}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|relyear=1980|certref={{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|relyear=1980|salesamount=1,250,000|id= 6386-1693-2|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1981/CB-1981-01-10.pdf|title=International - ABBA Album Reaches #1 Spot In 10 Countries|magazine=Cash Box|page=36|date=15 November 1980|via=World Radio History|access-date=10 May 2022}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=video|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|certyear=2013|relyear=2004|note=video|id=12021-1693-5|access-date=6 May 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=1980|access-date=3 March 2013}}

{{Certification Table Summary}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|type=album|title=Super Trouper|artist=ABBA|nocert=yes|salesamount=8,000,000|salesref={{cite book|last1=Palm |first1=Carl Magnus |title=ABBA: The Complete Recording Sessions |date=2017 |publisher=CPI Group |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-91-639-2656-3 |pages=400 |edition=2nd Revised and Expanded}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.discogs.com/master/25734-ABBA-Super-Trouper Super Trouper] at Discogs (list of releases)

{{ABBA}}

{{UK best-selling albums (by year) 1970–1989}}

{{UK Christmas No. 1 albums in the 1980s}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:ABBA albums

Category:Polar Music albums

Category:1980 albums

Category:Albums recorded at Polar Studios

Category:Albums produced by Björn Ulvaeus

Category:Albums produced by Benny Andersson

Category:Atlantic Records albums

Category:Epic Records albums