" Dancing Queen " is a hit single recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the follow-up single to the massive hit "Fernando" and is commonly regarded as one of the best singles of the 1970s. Dancing Queen was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson and is considered by many to be ABBA's signature song. Recorded in 1975 for the group's album Arrival , it was released as a single the following year with "That's Me" as the B-side.
It reached the number 1 position on the popular music charts in 13 countries.
In May 2004, the British performing rights group Phonographic Performance Limited celebrated its 70th anniversary by listing the 70 songs that have played most in Great Britain on the radio, in clubs and on jukeboxes. On this list "Dancing Queen" featured at number 6.
"Dancing Queen" features the shared lead vocal performance by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Its opening keyboard glissando is one of the most instantly recognizable intros in pop music.
History
The recording sessions for "Dancing Queen" began on 4 August 1975. The demo was called "Boogaloo" and as the sessions progressed, Andersson and Ulvaeus found inspiration to the dance rhythm in George McCrae's disco classic "Rock Your Baby", as well as the drumming on Dr. John's 1972 album Dr. John's Gumbo . Fältskog and Lyngstad recorded the vocals on sessions in September, and the track was completed three months later.
During the sessions, Benny Andersson brought a tape home with the backing track on it and played it to his fiancée, singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who apparently started crying when listening. "I found the song so beautiful".
While working on the lyrics, part of the verse was scrapped: "Baby, baby, you're out of sight/hey, you're looking alright tonight/when you come to the party/listen to the guys/they've got the look in their eyes...". It survives in footage from a recording session.
The track was premiered on Swedish tv on June 18, 1976, during an all-star live gala in honour of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his bride to be, Silvia Sommerlath, who were to be wedded on June 19. Benny Andersson has cited it as "one of those songs where you know during the sessions that it's going to be a smash hit". Also Agnetha Fältskog has stated in a TV-programe: "It´s often difficult to know what will be a hit. The exeption was Dancing Queen. We all knew it was going to be massive".
Reception
"Dancing Queen" was massive. It became ABBA's only #1 in the United States in April 1977. It also hit #1 in at least 13 other countries worldwide: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and Zimbabwe. "Dancing Queen" also reached the Top 5 in Austria, Canada, Finland, France and Switzerland. The track peaked at #14 in Italy, where ABBA never achieved the same degree of popularity as elsewhere.
"Dancing Queen" was their last of 3 consecutive Number 1's they had in the UK in 1976, with "Mamma Mia" and "Fernando" being #1 earlier in the year.
Frida's solo version
In 1993, in honor of Swedish Queen Silvia´s 50th birthday, Anni-Frid Lyngstad was asked to perform "Dancing Queen" on stage, repeating ABBA's 1976 performance of the song at the wedding reception of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Frida contacted The Real Group and together they did an a cappella version of the song on stage at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, in front of the king and queen. The Swedish Prime Minister at that time, Ingvar Carlsson, was also in the audience that night and he said it was an ingenious step to do "Dancing Queen" a cappella. This performance with Lyngstad and The Real Group, was filmed by Swedish Television SVT and is included in Frida - The DVD.
More about the song
In 1992, the song was re-released in the UK, as Erasure sparked an ABBA revival after the success of their Abba-esque EP topping the UK charts. The re-issued "Dancing Queen" reached #16 in the UK in September 1992.
In 2000, "Dancing Queen" came fourth in a Channel 4 television poll of "The 100 Best Number Ones" in 2001. It was chosen as number 148 as part of the 365 Songs of the Century list. It is also ranked #171 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, the only ABBA song on the list. That same year, it made VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs in Rock & Roll at #97.
On 9 November 2002, the results of a poll, "Top 50 Favorite UK #1's", was broadcast on Radio 2, celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Official UK Charts Company. 188,357 listeners voted and "Dancing Queen" came out at #8.
In 2008 readers of the Australian LGBT website SameSame voted "Dancing Queen" "The Gayest Song of All Time".
Former U.S. presidential candidate John McCain named "Dancing Queen" as his favorite song in a top 10 list submitted to Blender Magazine in August 2008.
In August 2008, "Dancing Queen" surpassed the 500,000 mark for digital sales in the US (512,000)
For their 1980 Spanish language album/compilation "Gracias Por La Música (album)", ABBA recorded a Spanish version of "Dancing Queen", renamed "Reina Danzante", with Spanish lyrics provided by Buddy and Mary McCluskey.
Chart positions
Cover versions
A*Teens version
" Dancing Queen " was A*Teens' fourth and final single from their first album The ABBA Generation . It is a cover of the ABBA song of the same name.
When the single came out in the spring of 2000, it peaked at number-one in Mexico, becoming their first number-one hit in that country, the song was also a smash hit in South America peaking at number three in Argentina, number five in Chile, number six in Colombia and number fifteen in Brazil.
This was the main single for the United States promotion, when the album was released in March 2000. "Dancing Queen" reached ninety-five on the Billboard Hot 100, thirty-six on Airplay and number thirteen on the Hot Single Sales Chart.
"Dancing Queen" was released as a double A-side with "The Name of the Game" in Europe, where both the songs were promoted on radio at the same time, because Universal Music thought that "Dancing Queen", being the last single, needed a back-up to be successful. The video for "The Name of the Game" was an unofficial video, made especially for an A*Teens TV special in Sweden and it was never intended to be a promotional video. It was only aired by Channel 4.
Music video
Directed by Patrick Kiely, it was the first A*Teens video to be filmed in the United States. It was filmed on 7 March 2000, the same day the song was released. The video was tribute to the movie The Breakfast Club . Paul Gleason (now deceased), the actor who played the principal in the movie, plays the same role in the video. When the principal leaves the members of the band alone in the detention room (which was actually the library), the school turns into a 70s discotheque.
Releases
European 2-Track CD single
- "Dancing Queen" - 3:48
- "The Name of the Game" - 4:17
European/Mexican CD maxi
- "Dancing Queen" - 3:48
- "Dancing Queen" - 3:27
- "Dancing Queen" - 5:47
- "Dancing Queen" - 5:13
U.S. CD single
- "Dancing Queen" - 3:48
- "Dancing Queen" - 5:48
U.S. cassette
- "Dancing Queen" - 3:48
- "Dancing Queen" - 5:48
Other artists who have recorded covers of the song
- Abbacadabra (from various compilations released by Almighty Records)
- Angeleyes on the album ABBADance (1999)
- Jodi Albert and Carley Stenson from ABBAMania 2 (2004)
- Arrival from their album First Flight (1999)
- Audioscam on the album Abbattack (2008)
- Claudja Barry
- Candy Cane
- Beat Crusaders on their album Musicrusaders (2005)
- Milo Binder on the promo compilation Rolling Stone - Rare Trax Vol. 2 (1997)
- Black Sweden on Gold (2004) ~ often mistakenly listed as Black Sabbath on P2P filesharing networks
- Luka Bloom on his album Keeper of the Flame (2000)
- BNB on the album Bossa Mia: Songs of ABBA (2008)
- Brotherhood of Man on their album Sing 20 Number One Hits (1980)
- Donna Burke from Japanese ABBA Ibiza Caliente Mix
- Belinda Carlisle from the German ABBA Mania album (2005), which tied into a TV special
- Philippe Cohen Solal featuring Melonie Cannon on the album Solal Presents: The Moonshine Sessions (2007)
- Diablo on their album Elegance In Black (2000)
- Chixie Dix on the compilation ABBAlicious (2004)
- Carol Douglas on her album Full Bloom (1977)
- Eric Bibb on his album Even Better Than the Disco Thing (2008)
- E-Rotic from ABBA tribute album Thank You for the Music (1997)
- Euphorica on the album ABBA Dance (2003)
- Frank Turner on the album The First Three Years (2008)
- Flock of Doug on the album Wish I Were Here (2004)
- Garageland from New Zealand tribute album Abbasalutely (1995)
- Girl Authority from their self-titled Girl Authority
dancing queen ringtone !!! country real ringtone, free lg ...
Download dancing queen ringtone!! Free country real ringtone? All of free lg ringtone vx6000!
logo Dancing Queen Ringtone (Animated screensavers queen) (jessy.
Dancing queen Download Music 01 02.. airwolf ringtone; film ringtones; mobile phone ringtones; mobile Ringtones P phone logos; The V400 MegaPage: Motorola polyphonic ring tones.
Dancing Queen Ringtone, Download Abba Dancing Queen Ringtones, Free ...
Download the Dancing Queen ringtone and more Abba ringtones. Works with Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Alltel, Boost, Dobson and more.
ABBA - DANCING QUEEN LYRICS
Send "Dancing Queen" Ringtones to Cell ... Ooo.. see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the Dancing Queen Friday night and ...
ABBA LYRICS - Dancing Queen
ABBA LYRICS Send "Dancing Queen" Ringtone to your Cell "Dancing Queen" You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch that scene, digging the ...
ABBA - DANCING QUEEN LYRICS
Dig in the dancing queen Dig in the dancing queen. Send "Dancing Queen" Ringtone to your Cell . © UNION SONGS AB; EMI GROVE PARK MUSIC INC;
Myxer - Ringtone - DANCING QUEEN
By: Golden Quartet, Type: Ringtone, Category: Pop, Price: $2.99 ... Myxer is NOT a subscription service and there are no monthly fees, however Msg&Data Rates May Apply.
Abba - Dancing Queen LYRICS
Send "Dancing Queen" Ringtone to your Cell: You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life See that girl, watch ...
Streep, Meryl & Julie Walters / Christine Baranski Lyrics, Dancing ...
Streep, Meryl & Julie Walters / Christine Baranski Lyrics, Dancing Queen Lyrics, Ringtone ... Streep, Meryl & Julie Walters / Christine Baranski - Dancing Queen Lyrics
DANCING QUEEN Lyrics - ABBA
Song Lyrics » A » Abba Lyrics » Dancing Queen Lyrics Abba Dancing Queen Lyrics ... Send "Dancing Queen" Ringtone to your Cell Phone! Browse Other Abba Lyrics