The Definitive Collection (ABBA album)

{{Infobox album

| name = The Definitive Collection

| type = compilation

| artist = ABBA

| cover = Abbadefinitivecollection.jpg

| alt =

| released = 2 November 2001

| recorded = 1972–1982

| venue =

| studio = Metronome Studios, Stockholm; Polar Studios, Stockholm; Criteria Studios, Miami; Europafilm Studios, Stockholm; KMH Studios, Stockholm; Marcus Studios, Stockholm; Bohus Studio, Kungälv,

| genre = Pop

| length = 147:38

| label = Universal Music Group

| producer = Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus

| prev_title = 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of ABBA

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = The Name of the Game

| next_year = 2002

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = Allmusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r559219|pure_url=yes}}

| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|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}}

| rev3 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon & Schuster|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=ABBA|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/1 1]}}

}}

The Definitive Collection is a 2001 compilation album of all the singles released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It consisted of two discs: the first featuring the singles from 1972 to 1979 ("People Need Love" to "Does Your Mother Know"), and the second including the singles from 1979 to 1982 ("Voulez-Vous" to "Under Attack"), with the tracks being listed in chronological order. The main exception is the track "Thank You for the Music", which, despite being written and recorded in 1977, was in fact released as a single (primarily in the UK) in 1983 after the band had split up. It appears on disc two, along with two bonus tracks, "Ring Ring" (1974 UK single remix), and "Voulez-Vous" (1979 US promo extended remix). The Australian version of The Definitive Collection adds a further two bonus tracks: "Rock Me" and "Hasta Mañana". The 1974 remix of "Ring Ring" is the first appearance on CD of this version mastered from the original master tape, after the UK single master tapes had been returned to Polar Music by the former UK licensees, Epic Records. The track's previous appearance on CD, in a 1999 singles boxed set, was mastered from a vinyl single.

The Definitive Collection is the only ABBA compilation to include all the UK single releases from 1973 to 1983. The four "unofficial" UK ABBA singles are included, these being the 1974 remix of "Ring Ring", "Angeleyes", "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "Thank You for the Music". An "unofficial single" is one that was not released by ABBA's record label, Polar Music, in any Scandinavian country. A DVD also called The Definitive Collection was released in 2002, and features all of ABBA's videos, as well as five bonus videos and a picture gallery. In the US the 2-CD set was bundled with the DVD.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 179 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,

{{cite magazine | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599196/180_the_definitive_collection | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060901024131/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6599196/180_the_definitive_collection | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 1, 2006 | title = #179 The Definitive Collection | accessdate = 2013-06-18 | date = 1 November 2003 | magazine = Rolling Stone}} maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, and coming in at number 303 in the 2020 edition.{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/abba-the-definitive-collection-36130/|year=2012| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| publisher=Rolling Stone| accessdate= September 18, 2019}}{{Cite magazine|date=2020-09-22|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/|access-date=2021-01-07|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}

The Essential Collection, an album with a similar track listing but with different artwork and mastering, was released in 2012.{{cite web |title=The Essential Collection - ABBA {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-collection-mw0002363365 |website=AllMusic |accessdate=17 March 2020 |language=en-us}}

Track listing

All songs which 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".

=Disc one=

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Album of Origin

| title1 = People Need Love

| extra1 = Ring Ring (1973); first released as a single the previous year

| length1 = 2:45

| title2 = He Is Your Brother

| extra2 = Ring Ring; first released as a single the previous year

| length2 = 3:18

| title3 = Ring Ring

| note3 = Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus, Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody

| extra3 = Ring Ring

| length3 = 3:04

| title4 = Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)

| extra4 = Ring Ring

| length4 = 2:53

| title5 = Waterloo

| note5 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra5 = Waterloo (1974)

| length5 = 2:47

| title6 = Honey, Honey

| note6 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra6 = Waterloo

| length6 = 2:55

| title7 = So Long

| extra7 = ABBA (1975); released as a single the previous year

| length7 = 3:05

| title8 = I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

| note8 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra8 = ABBA

| length8 = 3:16

| title9 = SOS

| note9 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra9 = ABBA

| length9 = 3:20

| title10 = Mamma Mia

| note10 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra10 = ABBA

| length10 = 3:32

| title11 = Fernando

| extra11 = Non-album single; subsequently included on later releases of Greatest Hits (1975)

| length11 = 4:14

| title12 = Dancing Queen

| note12 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra12 = Arrival (1976)

| length12 = 3:51

| title13 = Money, Money, Money

| extra13 = Arrival

| length13 = 3:05

| title14 = Knowing Me, Knowing You

| note14 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra14 = Arrival; released as a single the following year

| length14 = 4:01

| title15 = The Name of the Game

| note15 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus

| extra15 = ABBA: The Album (1977)

| length15 = 4:52

| title16 = Take a Chance on Me

| extra16 = ABBA: The Album

| length16 = 4:05

| title17 = Eagle

| note17 = 1999 edited version

| extra17 = ABBA: The Album; released as a single the following year

| length17 = 4:27

| title18 = Summer Night City

| note18 =

| extra18 = Non-album single; later included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1979)

| length18 = 3:35

| title19 = Chiquitita

| extra19 = Voulez-Vous (1979)

| length19 = 5:24

| title20 = Does Your Mother Know

| extra20 = Voulez-Vous

| length20 = 3:13

| title21 = Rock Me

| note21 = Australian bonus track

| extra21 = ABBA (1975); released as a single the following year

| length21 = 3:08

| title22 = Hasta Mañana

| note22 = Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus; Australian bonus track

| extra22 = Waterloo

| length22 = 3:11

}}

=Disc two=

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Album of Origin

| title1 = Voulez-Vous

| extra1 = Voulez-Vous

| length1 = 5:08

| title2 = Angeleyes

| extra2 = Voulez-Vous

| length2 = 4:19

| title3 = Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

| extra3 = Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (1979)

| length3 = 4:50

| title4 = I Have a Dream

| extra4 = Voulez-Vous

| length4 = 4:42

| title5 = The Winner Takes It All

| extra5 = Super Trouper (1980)

| length5 = 4:56

| title6 = Super Trouper

| extra6 = Super Trouper

| length6 = 4:13

| title7 = On and On and On

| extra7 = Super Trouper

| length7 = 3:42

| title8 = Lay All Your Love on Me

| extra8 = Super Trouper

| length8 = 4:34

| title9 = One of Us

| extra9 = The Visitors (1981)

| length9 = 3:56

| title10 = When All Is Said and Done

| extra10 = The Visitors

| length10 = 3:17

| title11 = Head over Heels

| extra11 = The Visitors

| length11 = 3:47

| title12 = The Visitors (Crackin' Up)

| extra12 = The Visitors

| length12 = 5:46

| title13 = The Day Before You Came

| extra13 = The Singles: The First Ten Years (1982)

| length13 = 5:51

| title14 = Under Attack

| extra14 = The Singles: The First Ten Years

| length14 = 3:47

| title15 = Thank You for the Music

| extra15 = ABBA: The Album (1977); released as a single in support of Thank You for the Music (1983)

| length15 = 3:51

| title16 = Ring Ring

| note16 = 1974 UK single remix; Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus, Sedaka, Cody; bonus track

| extra16 = Previously unreleased on CD (2001)

| length16 = 3:10

| title17 = Voulez-Vous

| note17 = 1979 US promo extended remix; bonus track

| extra17 = Previously unreleased on CD

| length17 = 6:07

}}

=DVD=

{{Track listing

| title1 = Waterloo

| length1 = 2:47

| title2 = Ring Ring

| length2 = 3:04

| title3 = Mamma Mia

| length3 = 3:32

| title4 = SOS

| length4 = 3:20

| title5 = Bang-A-Boomerang

| length5 = 2:50

| title6 = I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

| length6 = 3:16

| title7 = Fernando

| length7 = 4:14

| title8 = Dancing Queen

| length8 = 3:51

| title9 = Money, Money, Money

| length9 = 3:05

| title10 = Knowing Me, Knowing You

| length10 = 4:01

| title11 = That's Me

| length11 = 3:16

| title12 = The Name of the Game

| length12 = 4:52

| title13 = Take a Chance on Me

| length13 = 4:05

| title14 = Eagle

| length14 = 4:27

| title15 = One Man, One Woman

| length15 = 4:37

| title16 = Thank You for the Music

| length16 = 3:51

| title17 = Summer Night City

| length17 = 3:35

| title18 = Chiquitita

| length18 = 5:24

| title19 = Does Your Mother Know

| length19 = 3:13

| title20 = Voulez-Vous

| length20 = 5:08

| title21 = Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

| length21 = 4:50

| title22 = On and On and On

| length22 = 3:42

| title23 = The Winner Takes It All

| length23 = 4:56

| title24 = Super Trouper

| length24 = 4:13

| title25 = Happy New Year

| length25 = 4:23

| title26 = When All Is Said and Done

| length26 = 3:17

| title27 = One of Us

| length27 = 3:56

| title28 = Head over Heels

| length28 = 3:47

| title29 = The Day Before You Came

| length29 = 5:51

| title30 = Under Attack

| length30 = 3:47

| title31 = When I Kissed the Teacher

| length31 = 3:01

| title32 = Estoy soñando

| note32 = "I Have a Dream"

| length32 = 4:45

| title33 = Felicidad

| note33 = "Happy New Year"

| length33 = 4:23

| title34 = No hay a quien culpar

| note34 = "When All Is Said and Done"

| length34 = 3:17

| title35 = Dancing Queen

| note35 = Live at the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm, Sweden

}}

Personnel

Agnetha Fältskog - lead vocals {{small|(9, 16, 19, 22, 25, 27, 30-31, 33, 35-37)}}, co-lead vocals {{small|(1-8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 20-21, 23-24, 29, 38-39)}}, backing vocals
Anni-Frid Lyngstad - lead vocals {{small|(11, 13-14, 26, 28, 32, 34)}}, co-lead vocals {{small|(1-8, 10, 12, 15, 17-18, 20-21, 23-24, 29, 38-39)}}, backing vocals
Björn Ulvaeus - lead vocals {{small|(18, 20-21)}}, co-lead vocals {{small|(1-2, 4)}} acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Benny Andersson – synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border="1"

!scope="col"|Chart (2001)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{album chart|Austria|38|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|Flanders|29|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|Ireland|33|year=2001|week=44|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|Italy|10|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|UK2|17|artist=ABBA|date=2001-11-10|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border="1"

!scope="col"|Chart (2002)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{album chart|Australia|10|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|New Zealand|9|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border="1"

!scope="col"|Chart (2003)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{album chart|Netherlands|39|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border="1"

!scope="col"|Chart (2004)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{album chart|Denmark2|3|year=2004|week=22|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|Norway|8|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|Sweden|26|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

{{album chart|Switzerland|34|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border="1"

!scope="col"|Chart (2010)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{album chart|Finland|28|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" border="1"

!scope="col"|Chart (2011)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{album chart|France|35|artist=ABBA|album=The Definitive Collection|accessdate=28 December 2012}}

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2004|access-date=28 December 2012}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=video|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|number=3|note=video|relyear=2001|certyear=2004|access-date=3 November 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=2001|certyear=2006|access-date=28 December 2012}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=2001|source=chart|certyear=2004|id=31|access-date=28 December 2012}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|certyear=2009|certmonth=12|access-date=28 December 2012}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|relyear=2001|access-date=28 December 2012}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=video|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Platinum|number=2|note=video|relyear=2001|certyear=2004|access-date=3 November 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|type=video|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|note=video|relyear=2001|certyear=2005|access-date=3 November 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|type=video|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|note=video|relyear=2001|certyear=2004|access-date=3 November 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|id=2005-01-07|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|award=Gold}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=South Korea|title=The Defnitive Collection|artist=ABBA|type=album|nocert=true|relyear=2001|salesamount=134,996|salesref={{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr:80/stat/pop_2003_2h.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717174459/http://www.miak.or.kr:80/stat/pop_2003_2h.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-07-17|title=자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2003년 - POP 음반 판매량|publisher=MIAK|language=Korean}}{{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2004.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616204841/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2004.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-06-16|title=자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2004년 총결산 POP음반 판매량|publisher=MIAK|language=Korean}}{{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2001_2h.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616165619/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2001_2h.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-06-16|title=자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2001년 - POP 음반 판매량|publisher=MIAK|language=Korean}}{{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr:80/stat/pop_2003_1h.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060416084237/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2003_1h.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-04-16|title=자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2003년 - POP 음반 판매량|publisher=MIAK|language=Korean|access-date=2019-07-27}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=album|title=Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=2001|access-date=28 December 2012}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|type=album|title=The Definitive Collection|artist=ABBA|award=Gold|relyear=2001|certyear=2002|access-date=28 December 2012|certref={{cite web | url=http://www.ifpi.se/wp-content/uploads/ar-20021.pdf| title=Sweden certifications (2002) | publisher=International Federation of the Phonographic Industry | date=2002 | access-date=18 April 2017 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811154110/http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/ar-20021.pdf | archivedate=11 August 2010}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Abba|title=The Definitive Collection|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2013|certmonth=7|relyear=2001|id=6881-1693-2|access-date=10 July 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Abba|title=The Definitive Collection|type=video|note=video|award=Platinum|certyear=2013|certmonth=7|relyear=2002|id=6881-1693-5|access-date=10 July 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Abba|type=album|nocert=true|relyear=2001|salesref={{cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/thisday/ask-billboard-mariah-carey-abba-oasis-the-1003934063.story | title=Ask Billboard: Mariah Carey, Abba, Oasis, The Verve | publisher=Prometheus Global Media | magazine=Billboard | date=23 January 2009 | access-date=12 April 2013 | author=Trust, Gary | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207065222/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/thisday/ask-billboard-mariah-carey-abba-oasis-the-1003934063.story | archivedate=7 February 2009}}|salesamount=342,000}}

References

Category:2001 greatest hits albums

Category:ABBA compilation albums

Category:Universal Music Group compilation albums

Category:Albums recorded at Polar Studios

Category:Albums produced by Björn Ulvaeus

Category:Albums produced by Benny Andersson