Gold: Greatest Hits

Gold: Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by ABBA
Released 21 September 1992 (1992-09-21)
Recorded December 1973 – October 1981
Genre Europop
Length 77:10 (1992)
79:08 (1999–)
Label PolyGram (1992–1997)
Universal (1998–)
Producer
ABBA chronology
ABBA Live
(1986)ABBA Live1986
Gold: Greatest Hits
(1992)
Oro: Grandes Éxitos
(1992)Oro: Grandes Éxitos1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Gold: Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released on 21 September 1992 through PolyGram and released in 2008 Universal Music Australia, making it the first compilation to be released after the company had acquired Polar Music, and thus the rights to the ABBA back catalogue.

With sales of 30 million,[2] Gold is the best-selling ABBA album, as well as one of the best-selling albums worldwide. Since 1992, it has been re-released several times, most notably in 2008 to coincide with the release of the film Mamma Mia!, and most recently in 2014 to mark the group's 40th Anniversary of winning the Eurovision Song Contest.

Overview

Prior to its release, all previously released ABBA compilations had been deleted and only the original studio albums (along with the 1986 live album) remained in print. Gold: Greatest Hits was well received by the music-buying public, and went on to be one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Gold: Greatest Hits has been re-released in various "special" or "remastered" releases:

Year Edition Notes
1992 Original release The original 1992 release included an edited version of "Voulez-Vous" and the US Promo Edit of "The Name of the Game."
1999 Remastered re-release Celebrating ABBA's 25th anniversary of winning the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo", includes the original versions of Voulez-Vous and The Name of the Game. This new version was called the "signature series", as it came with autographs from the band members embedded into the front plastic casing in gold writing. This edition also contains new sleeve notes and is digitally remastered in 24 bit from the original multitracks.
2002 10th Anniversary Edition Contained a revised booklet and updated liner notes. The ABBA logo was changed to the official ABBA font and the back cover was redesigned. It was released in Europe and New Zealand (with the European track list, and not the previous Australasian track list). This version was not released in Australia.
2008 Second remastered edition Coinciding with the release of the film Mamma Mia!, in a so-called super jewel case, with updated liner notes and with remastered sound (using the remasters for The Complete Studio Recordings). The Australasian release featured the European track list, not the Australasian track list on previous issues. This version was issued in the US in 2010, although it does not come in a super jewel case, but instead a regular jewel case.
2010 Special Edition Included two discs: the original CD (using the 2008 remasters), and a DVD of the video clips, remastered in 2010. The DVD also included five bonus clips.
2014 40th Anniversary Edition A 3 CD edition which includes the original album (disc 1), the More Gold: More Hits album (disc 2) and the "Golden B-sides" (disc 3), containing twenty b-sides.

Regional variations and tie-ins

Australasian editions

The 1992 and 1999 editions released in Australia and New Zealand (and some other territories in that area) had a modified track listing (see below) to include three local hits, replacing three other songs on the international edition.

The 2002 re-release was not released in Australia, while in New Zealand, the international edition was issued.

From 2008 onwards, only the international editions have been released in Australia and New Zealand.

Spanish versions

The original 1992 release had a slightly different track listing, replacing the English versions of Chiquitita and Fernando with the Spanish language versions.

Shortly after the release of Gold: Greatest Hits, a Spanish version of the album, titled Oro: Grandes Exitos was issued, followed later by Mas Oro: Mas Grandes Exitos.

Video and DVD

In 1992 a VHS video was released which included all tracks from the original album. During the 1990s, various regional variations on this video were issued, until Universal Music decided in 2003 to re-issue the video on VHS and DVD. The track listing was similar to the original album, with some added content: a 25-minute documentary produced in 1999, and the 1992 video of Dancing Queen. In 2010, the DVD was remastered with six bonus clips, including five "split-screen" versions of the clips to show which improvements were made by remastering the old videos. These "split-screen" clips were Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, The Winner Takes It All and Money, Money, Money. The sixth bonus clip was an Australian cartoon version of Money, Money, Money. The 2010 edition did not include the 2003 Abba documentary or the 1992 version of Dancing Queen. This disk was available as a stand-alone DVD and as part of the 2010 'Special Edition' re-release.

Other variations

In 2002, Gold: Greatest Hits was released in mainland Europe (though not in the UK) with a bonus second disc. This included the following tracks:

No.TitleLength
1."Summer Night City" 
2."Angeleyes" 
3."The Day Before You Came" 
4."Eagle" 
5."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" 
6."So Long" 
7."Honey, Honey" 
8."The Visitors" 
9."Ring Ring" 
10."When I Kissed the Teacher" 
11."The Way Old Friends Do" 

The UK saw a 30th Anniversary Edition released in 2004 with a gold-coloured sleeve cover rather than the normal black sleeve. The original release included a DVD with 18 of the 19 songs from the CD, excluding "The Name of the Game". It was available also without the DVD.

Sales and charts

The album topped the UK Albums Chart on five separate occasions over sixteen years, first in 1992, then three times in 1999, and then again in 2008. Gold: Greatest Hits is the second highest selling album of all time in the United Kingdom (after Queen's Greatest Hits), with sales of over 5.3 million copies.[3] In the United States, the album has sold a total of 5.8 million copies and is the nineteenth biggest-selling greatest-hits album in the Nielsen Music era (which began in 1991).[4][5]

In Germany, Gold: Greatest Hits has been certified five times Platinum for shipment of 2.5 million units.[6] It has also been certified 10 times Platinum in Switzerland for sales of 500,000 units.[7] In Austria, the album charted for 397 weeks, making it the all-time 2nd longest stay on the chart [8]. After reaching catalogue status, it returned to the top 10 three times, twice in the wake of the releases of Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and once due to the release of a special edition [9]. In Sweden the album is listed as the sixth best-charting album as of October 2016.[10] In Austria, the album is the fourth best selling album of all time.[11] In Australia, the album is the third or fourth best selling album of all time.[12]

Critical reception

Gold: Greatest Hits has been called one of the most influential compilation albums ever released. Music critic Elisabeth Vincentelli (New York Post; Time Out New York) credits the album for a critical revival of interest in ABBA's music after ten years of neglect following the band's 1982 break-up.[13]

Former Rolling Stone magazine writer Tom Moon included Gold: Greatest Hits among his 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, describing the tracks as "models of impeccable craft", adding that the album is "an excellent starter kit for those wanting to investigate the DNA of post-Beatles pop."[14]

Track listings

Gold: Greatest Hits includes "Lay All Your Love on Me", which was a Top 10 hit only in the UK and Ireland, and "Thank You for the Music", which only had a limited release as a single. Only the Australasian release of the album (until 2008) included "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", which was a successful global hit for ABBA (except in the UK and Ireland). It does not feature "Summer Night City" which was a bigger hit globally than "Voulez-Vous" which was included.

Worldwide Edition (excluding Australian until 2008)

All songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dancing Queen"Andersson, Stig Anderson, Ulvaeus3:52
2."Knowing Me, Knowing You"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus4:02
3."Take a Chance on Me" 4:04
4."Mamma Mia"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus3:33
5."Lay All Your Love on Me" 4:34
6."Super Trouper" 4:14
7."I Have a Dream" 4:44
8."The Winner Takes It All" 4:55
9."Money, Money, Money" 3:08
10."SOS"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus3:21
11."Chiquitita" 5:26
12."Fernando"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus4:13
13."Voulez-Vous" (Edited Version for 1992 original) / (Original 5:09 Version used for reissues) 4:22
14."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" 4:48
15."Does Your Mother Know" 3:15
16."One of Us" 3:58
17."The Name of the Game" (US Promo Edit for 1992 original) / (Original 4:54 Version used for reissues)Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus4:00
18."Thank You for the Music" 3:51
19."Waterloo"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus2:42

Australian version (until 2008)

All songs written by Andersson and Ulvaeus, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dancing Queen"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus3:49
2."Knowing Me, Knowing You"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus4:01
3."Take a Chance on Me" 4:01
4."Mamma Mia"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus 
5."Lay All Your Love on Me" 4:32
6."Ring Ring"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus, Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody3:02
7."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus3:15
8."The Winner Takes It All" 4:54
9."Money, Money, Money" 3:05
10."SOS"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus3:19
11."Chiquitita" 5:26
12."Fernando"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus4:10
13."Voulez-Vous" (Edited Version) 4:21
14."Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" 4:46
15."Does Your Mother Know" 3:14
16."One of Us" 3:53
17."The Name of the Game" (US Promo Edit)Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus3:56
18."Rock Me" 3:02
19."Waterloo"Andersson, Anderson, Ulvaeus2:42

2014 40th Anniversary Edition

Disc 1: (The original 1992 release; for track listing see above under "Worldwide edition")

Disc 2: Same as on More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits

Disc 3: The Golden B-sides

No.TitleOriginal A-sideLength
1."She's My Kind of Girl""Ring Ring" 
2."I Am Just a Girl""Love Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)" 
3."Gonna Sing You My Lovesong""Waterloo (French version)" 
4."King Kong Song""Honey, Honey" 
5."I've Been Waiting for You""So Long" 
6."Rock Me""I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" 
7."Man in the Middle""SOS" 
8."Intermezzo No. 1""Mamma Mia" 
9."That's Me""Dancing Queen" 
10."Crazy World""Money, Money, Money" 
11."Happy Hawaii""Knowing Me, Knowing You" 
12."I'm a Marionette""Take a Chance on Me" 
13."Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special""Summer Night City" 
14."Kisses of Fire""Does Your Mother Know" 
15."The King Has Lost His Crown""Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" 
16."Elaine""The Winner Takes It All" 
17."The Piper""Super Trouper" 
18."Andante, Andante""Happy New Year" 
19."Should I Laugh or Cry""One of Us" 
20."Soldiers""When All Is Said and Done" 

Personnel


Production

  • Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus producers
  • Michael B. Tretow engineer, digital remastering (1992 edition)
  • Jon Astley – digital remastering (1999, 2002, 2004 reissues)
  • Henrik Jonsson – digital remastering (2008 reissue)
  • Ingemar Bergman – compilation
  • Chris Griffin – compilation
  • George McManus – compilation
  • Jackie Stansfield – compilation
  • John Tobler liner notes, compilation
  • Carl Magnus Palm – liner notes (1999, 2002, 2004, 2008 reissues)

Charts

Chart (1992–2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[15] 1
Austrian Albums Chart[16] 1
Belgium Albums Chart (Flanders)[17] 15
Belgium Albums Chart (Wallonia)[18] 16
Canadian Albums Chart 4
Croatian Albums Chart[19] 7
Czech Albums Chart[20] 38
Danish Albums Chart[21] 10
Dutch Album Chart[22] 2
European Top 100 Albums[23] 1
Finnish Albums Chart[24] 1
French Albums Chart[25] 1
German Albums Chart[26] 1
Hungarian Albums Chart[27] 10
Irish Albums Chart[28] 1
Italian Albums Chart[23] 2
Japanese Albums Chart[29] 13
Mexican Albums Chart[30] 69
New Zealand Albums Chart[31] 3
Norwegian Albums Chart[32] 1
Portuguese Albums Chart[33] 2
Spanish Albums Chart[23] 3
Swedish Albums Chart[34] 1
Swiss Albums Chart[35] 1
UK Albums Chart[36] 1
Uruguayan Albums Chart[37] 5
US Billboard 200[38] 25
US Top Pop Catalog Albums[39] 1

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[40] 3× Platinum 180,000^
Australia (ARIA)[41] 17× Platinum 1,190,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[42] 3× Platinum 150,000*
Belgium (BEA)[43] 7× Platinum 350,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[44] Gold 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[45] Diamond 1,000,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[46] 7× Platinum 560,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[47] 2× Platinum 145,962[47]
France (SNEP)[48] Diamond 1,114,300[49]
Germany (BVMI)[50] 5× Platinum 2,500,000^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[51] Platinum 100,000^
Italy (FIMI)[52]
for 2008 release
Platinum 70,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[53] 3× Platinum 600,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[54] Platinum 0^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[55] Platinum 250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[56] 16× Platinum 240,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[57] Platinum 100,000*
Portugal (AFP)[58]
for 2008 release
Platinum 20,000^
Russia (NFPF)[59] Gold 10,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[60] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Sweden (GLF)[61] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[62] 10× Platinum 500,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[63] 17× Platinum 5,300,000[3]
United States (RIAA)[64] 6× Platinum 6,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Further reading

  • ABBA Gold by Elisabeth Vincentelli – ( ISBN 0-8264-1546-6) in 2004.

See also

References

  1. Gold: Greatest Hits at AllMusic
  2. Entertainment.ie. "Win an ABBA GOLD 40th Anniversary Edition + The Singles CD Boxset - entertainment.ie".
  3. 1 2 Myers, Justin (12 July 2016). "The greatest of the greatest: the UK's official Top 10 biggest hits collections revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  4. Keith Caulfield (April 21, 2017). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Twenty One Pilots' 'Blurryface' Hits 100th Consecutive Week on List". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  5. Keith Claufield (May 9, 2018). "ABBA Music Sales Up 57% After Reunion News, 'Gold' Hits Album Returns to Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  6. "Bundesverband Musikindustrie: Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ABBA)". Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  7. "Schweizer Hitparade: Edelmetall (ABBA)". Schweizer Hitparade. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  8. https://austriancharts.at/bestall_a.asp
  9. https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=ABBA&titel=Gold+-+Greatest+Hits&cat=a
  10. "Swedishcharts.com: BEST OF ALL TIME - ALBUMS". swedishcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  11. "austriancharts.at: EWIGE BESTENLISTE - ALBEN". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  12. "australian-charts.com: BEST OF ALL TIME - ALBUMS". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  13. Vincentelli, E. (2004). 33-1/3 Abba Gold. New York: Continuum.
  14. Moon, T. (2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. New York: Workman
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  16. "ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits" (in German). IFPI Austria. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  17. "ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  18. "ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  19. "TOP STRANIH - TJEDAN 3. 2010" (in Croatian). HDU. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  20. "TOP50 Prodejní – ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  21. "ABBA / Gold". IFPI Denmark. TOP20.dk. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  22. "ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  23. 1 2 3 "Hits of the World". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 104 (48): 61. 28 November 1992. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
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  25. "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2012. Note: The reader must select "ABBA" and then click "OK".
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  27. "Top 40 album- és válogatáslemez-lista – 1993. 9. hét" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
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  33. "ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits". Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
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  37. "Ranking de Artistas Internacionales" (PDF). Cámara Uruguaya del Disco. February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
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  39. "Catalog Albums – Week of August 02, 2008". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  40. "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  41. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  42. "Austrian album certifications – ABBA – Abba Gold - Greatest Hits" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter ABBA in the field Interpret. Enter Abba Gold - Greatest Hits in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen. 
  43. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2014". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  44. "Brazilian album certifications – ABBA – ABBA Gold" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos.
  45. "Canadian album certifications – ABBA – ABBA Gold". Music Canada.
  46. "Album Top-40 Uge 52-2011". Hitlisterne.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  47. 1 2 "ABBA" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  48. "French album certifications – ABBA – Gold" (in French). InfoDisc. Select ABBA and click OK. 
  49. "Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums "Tout Temps"". infodisc.fr (in French). SNEP. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  50. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (ABBA; 'Gold: Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  51. "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2000" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
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  53. "Japanese album certifications – ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2009年2月 on the drop-down menu
  54. "Dutch album certifications – ABBA – ABBA Gold Their Greatest Hits" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter ABBA Gold Their Greatest Hits in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  55. "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Type ABBA in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Gold / Greatest Hits in the box under TÍTULO
  56. "New Zealand album certifications – ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits". Recorded Music NZ.
  57. "Polish album certifications – ABBA – Gold" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  58. "Artistas & Espectáculos: Top Oficial AFP" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
  59. "Russian album certifications – ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF).
  60. "Spanish album certifications – ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Select album under "Chart", enter the certification year in the field "Year". Select the certification month in the field "Semana". Click on "Search Charts".
  61. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
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  63. "British album certifications – ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Gold: Greatest Hits in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  64. "American album certifications – ABBA – Gold - Greatest Hits". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  • abba4therecord / Webpage showing Gold Releases worldwide
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