Dancing Queen

"Dancing Queen"
Single by ABBA
from the album Arrival
B-side	"That's Me"
Released	16 August 1976 (Sweden) 21 August 1976 (UK) 12 November 1976 (US)
Format	7" single
Recorded	1975
Genre	Disco/Pop
Length	3:51
Label	Polar (Sweden) Epic (UK) Atlantic (US)
Writer(s)	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Producer	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Certification	Gold (UK), Gold (USA)
ABBA singles chronology
"Fernando" (1976) "Dancing Queen" (1976) "Money, Money, Money" (1976) Music video "Dancing Queen" at YouTube (requires Adobe Flash)

"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.^[1]

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.^[2]

"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.^[3]

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^[4], 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".[2][3]

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.^[5]

In August 2008, "Dancing Queen" surpassed the 500,000 mark for digital sales in the US (512,000)^[6]

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"
Single by A*Teens
from the album The ABBA Generation
Released	7 March 2000
Format	CD single Cassette 12" vinyl Airplay
Recorded	1999
Genre	Pop, Europop
Length	3:52 (Album Version) 3:20 (UK Radio Edit)
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 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.^[7][8]

"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

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

Other artists who have recorded covers of the song

• Abbacadabra (from various compilations released by Almighty Records)^[9]
• 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 album (2005)
• Glow on the compilation A Tribute to ABBA (also released as ABBAMetal) (2001)
• 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) and ABBA: A Tribute - The 25th Anniversary Celebration (1999).
• 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 and Shunji Suzuki from Natural Beauty Basic Presents Blend compilation (2004)
• Oompah Brass [4], in 3/4 on Oompocalypse Now (2008) [5].
• 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
• Riff Raff from Rock 'N' Roll Mutation Vol. 1: Riff Raff Performs ABBA (2006)
• Rob ‘N’ Raz DLC from ABBA: The Tribute (1992)
• Rockapella
• Rozalla
• Inger Lise Rypdal
• Kalomoira Saranti and 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)
• Seppo Rannikko from the album Sahara (1976)
• 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)
• Tracy Huang from her album "Mississippi" (1977)

Artists who have performed/recorded the song live

• Alanis Morissette
• Edurne (in the TV show Operación Triunfo in Spain)
• Dan Baird (with the Sofa Kings)
• Jimmy Barnes on The Andrew Denton Breakfast Show - Musical Challenge (2000)
• 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 (during the Zoo TV tour, 1993, and joined by Björn and Benny on stage for the track as the tour reached Stockholm)
• Girls' Generation

Appearances in other media, etc.

• ABBA perform the song live in the film "ABBA: The Movie" (1977).
• 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, which also happened at the 2008 movie remake.
• 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 inspired the title of the 1993 film Dancing Queen, part of Rik Mayall's series of films Rik Mayall Presents... starring Rik Mayall, Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Clunes.
• 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."
• The song also used in Scrubs when JD comes back to this acre of land and a gang of old gay guys are dancing to it.
• 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 and Larry, at a costume party this song is being played.
• In an episode of Even Stevens, Ren Stevens is singing this song at a Karaoke 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.
• The song was also used as the background music for the evening gown presentation of the five finalists competing for the title of Miss France 2009.

Notes and references