Dancing Queen

“Dancing Queen”
Single by ABBA from the album Arrival
B-side	That's Me
Released	August 16, 1976 (Sweden) August 21, 1976 (UK) November 12, 1976 (US)
Format	7" single
Genre	Disco/Pop
Length	3:51
Label	Polar (Sweden) Epic (UK) Atlantic (US)
Writer(s)	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Andersson
Producer	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Certification	Gold (UK), Gold (USA)
ABBA singles chronology
"Fernando" (1976) "Dancing Queen" (1976) "Money, Money, Money" (1976)

"Dancing Queen" is the biggest hit single recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the follow-up single to the massive hit "Fernando". Dancing Queen was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson and is considered by many to be their signature song. Recorded in 1975 for the group's album Arrival, and released as a single the following year with "That's Me" as the B-side.^[1]

It reached the No.1 position on the popular music charts in approximately 13 countries.

"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.

[edit] History

"Dancing Queen" recording sessions began August 4, 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 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 fiance, 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 a footage from a recording session. ^[2] In Frida the dvd, Lyngstad explains how she and Fältskog developed as singers, as Abba´s recordings got more and more complex over the years.

[edit] Reception

"Dancing Queen" spent six weeks at No.1 in the UK from September 1976, and became ABBA's only chart-topper in the United States in April 1977. It also hit No.1 in at least thirteen other countries worldwide: ABBA's native Sweden (where it spent 14 weeks at the top), Norway, Ireland, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. "Dancing Queen" also reached the Top 5 in Canada, Finland, Switzerland, Austria and France. The track did not prove a mega-hit in Italy, however, peaking at No.14. As ABBA never achieved the same sort of popularity in Italy as elsewhere; this may explain the song's low chart position.

[edit] Frida´s solo version

1993, due to the swedish Queen Silvia´s 50th birthday, Anni-Frid Lyngstad was asked if she would perform "Dancing Queen" on stage, just like ABBA had performed the song when the king and queen got married. Frida contacted The Real Group and together they did an acapella 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" acapella. This performance with Lyngstad and The Real Group, was filmed by Swedish Television SVT and is included in Frida the dvd.

[edit] 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 No.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 was also was ranked #171 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time^[3], the only ABBA song on the list. That same year, it made VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs in Rock and Roll at number 97.

On November 9, 2002, the results of a poll, "Top 50 Favourite UK Number Ones", was broadcasted on Radio 2, celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Official UK Charts Company. 188,357 listeners voted and "Dancing Queen" came out at number eight.

In 2008 readers of the Australian LGBT website SameSame voted "Dancing Queen" "The Gayest Song of All Time".[1][2]

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.^[4]

In August 2008, "Dancing Queen" surpassed the 500,000 mark for digital sales in the US (512,000)^[5]

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Cover versions

[edit] A*Teens version

“Dancing Queen”
Single by A*Teens from the album The ABBA Generation
Released	March 7, 2000
Format	CD single Cassette 12" vinyl Airplay
Recorded	1999
Genre	Pop, Europop
Length	3:48
Label	Universal Music
Writer(s)	B. Andersson, S. Anderson, B. Ulvaeus
Producer	Ole Evenrude
A*Teens singles chronology
"Take a Chance on Me" (2000) "Dancing Queen" (2000) "Upside Down" (2000)

"Dancing Queen" was A*Teens' fourth and last 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 earned a Gold certification in the United States, selling over 500,000 copies and also peaked at number thirteen on the Hot Single Sales Chart.^[6][7]

"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.

[edit] Music video

Directed by Patrick Kiely, it was the first A*Teens video to be filmed in the United States. It was filmed on March 7, 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.

[edit] Releases

European 2-Track CD single

1. Dancing Queen [Album Version] - 3:48
2. The Name Of The Game - 4:17

European/Mexican CD maxi

1. Dancing Queen [Album Version] - 3:48
2. Dancing Queen [Pierre J's Main Radio Mix] - 3:27
3. Dancing Queen [Pierre J's Main Extended Mix] - 5:47
4. Dancing Queen [BTS Gold Edition Mix] - 5:13

U.S. CD single

1. Dancing Queen [Album Version] - 3:48
2. Dancing Queen [Extended Version] - 5:48

U.S. cassette

1. Dancing Queen [Album Version] - 3:48
2. Dancing Queen [Extended Version] - 5:48

[edit] 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)
• Jimmy Barnes on The Andrew Denton Breakfast Show - Musical Challenge (2000)
• 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)
• 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 album (2005)
• The Grace a.k.a. TSZX on their album 한번더, OK? (2007)
• Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers on their album Non-Stop ABBA Party
• Mambo Kurt from Spiel, Heimorgel spiel (2007)
• CoCo Lee on her album CoCo's Party (1996)
• London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Jennifer Love Hewitt on her album Love Songs (1992)
• Issa on the Electronic Tribute to ABBA compilation (2001)
• Pamela McNeill from Tribute To ABBA album
• Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
• Nils Landgren from Funky ABBA (2004)
• Manabu Nagayama & Shunji Suzuki from Natural Beauty Basic Presents Blend compilation (2004)
• Oompah Brass [3], in 3/4 on Oompocalypse Now (2008) [4].
• P
• Franck Pourcel
• Raining Pleasure (featured in the Greek film Hardcore)
• Rajaton from Rajaton Sings ABBA With The Lahti Symphony Orchestra (2006)
• The Real Group from ABBA: A Tribute - The 25th Anniversary Celebration (1999)
• Redd Kross
• Regine Velasquez
• Rob ‘N’ Raz DLC from ABBA: The Tribute (1992)
• Rockapella
• Rozalla
• Inger Lise Rypdal
• Kalomoira Saranti & Giwrgos Xristou
• S Club 7 from Abbamania (1999)
• SD Project on the album ABBA Chill Out (2006)
• San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus from the album ExtrABBAganza! (1997)
• SexBomb Girls
• Sixpence None the Richer from Dick (1999) soundtrack and The Best Of Sixpence None The Richer (2004)
• The Ten Tenors
• Texas Lightning from Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (2005)
• Wing from her album Wing Sings ABBA
• Victor Wong
• The Yayhoos from their album Fear Not The Obvious (2001)

[edit] Artists who have performed/recorded the song live

• Edurne (in the TV show Operación Triunfo in Spain)
• Dan Baird (with the Sofa Kings)
• Belle & Sebastian
• Christy Carlson Romano (on the TV series Even Stevens)
• The Continentals
• John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Robbie Fulks
• Paul Gilbert from the Japanese live album Acoustic Samurai
• Growing Girls
• Fran Healy from Travis
• Taylor Hicks
• The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu
• Kylie Minogue (at the closing ceremony for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia and during her Intimate and Live Tour)
• Moxy Früvous
• Over the Rhine
• Sex Pistols
• Jason Shand
• The Sugarcubes (with lead singer Björk)
• Donna Summer
• Frank Turner
• U2

[edit] Appearances in other media, etc.

• The song is a prominent number in the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!. In the context of the musical, Donna is angry at herself for getting into the predicament she is in. Tanya and Rosie sing the song in order to cheer up Donna. At the beginning of the song, Donna is reluctant to join in, but after the first verse and chorus, she ends up joining in with Tanya and Rosie and she is no longer depressed.
• In Mortal Kombat series, the character, Frost, has a kick/stumble move called Dancing Queen in her Tong Bei stance. Not only that, thanks to Kreate-A-Fighter, in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, a player can find this move in the low kick section and include it in their custom fighters.
• A "deleted" scene unlockable in Syphon Filter 2 features the main characters dancing in a Moscow club featuring an instrumental cover of the song.
• The song was featured in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding as the theme for idealised dreaming, with the character Muriel desiring a perfect life. She always wished her life was "Dancing Queen".
• The song is occasionally performed by the Queen's military band (as part of an ABBA medley) during the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London.
• The song was sung by the character "Ms. Swan" during a comedy sketch on MADtv.
• ABBA donned 18th century-inspired costumes when they first performed this song for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden the night before he was married to Silvia Sommerlath, June 19, 1976.
• "Dancing Queen" was also featured in a couple of episodes of Winter Sonata, an immensely popular Korean drama series.
• "Dancing Queen" was also featured in a couple of episodes of Dal-Ja's Spring, a popular Korean drama series.
• The song was featured prominently in Spike Lee's 1999 film Summer of Sam. According to Lee, he had to personally contact ABBA and get permission to use the song, as the band were afraid that Lee was going to mock them in the movie. The song was used to ironically underscore an argument between John Leguizamo and Mira Sorvino.
• Late night talk show host Art Bell occasionally uses "Dancing Queen" as bumper music on his show. Because of this, Phil Hendrie (on his own show) always uses "Dancing Queen" as his bumper music for bits in which he plays Bell.
• In one episode of That 70s Show, when Hyde and Jackie recount how they initially became romantic, Jackie began to reminisce about how they first danced together to "Dancing Queen." Upon hearing this, Hyde stops the story, saying: "Hold it. I don't shake it and I don't listen to Abba."
• During the 2007 Houston Art Car Parade, a former school bus which houses a dance floor, disco balls, and rope lights rolled as The Dancing Queen - the song was played on the bus, along with 70s disco hits.
• In the final episode of the TV show Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law, the song's melody accompanies Phil Ken Sebben's backwards drive back to California from "The Most Eastern Point In The USA".
• In the episode "My Mirror Image" of TV sitcom Scrubs the song is played on JD's deck when a group of gay seniors are having a party there.
• The song is performed by Wing in episode 903 of South Park entitled "Wing."
• The song is featured in the movie Miss Congeniality when Sandra Bullock's character is learning dance choreography for the Miss United States Beauty Pageant. This film uses the A*Teens version rather than the ABBA version.
• In the movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, at a costume party this song is being played.
• In an episode of Even Stevens, Ren Stevens is singing this song at a Karoke Bar.
• On the December 4, 2008 edition of the The Rush Limbaugh Show, a parody titled "Banking Queen" portrayed a cover song by Barney Frank, voiced by Paul Shanklin.
• In the television show House, M.D., the main character, Doctor Gregory House, tells Dr James Wilson that his ringtone for him is Dancing Queen by ABBA.

[edit] Notes and references