The top 10 underrated ABBA songs you might not know

ABBA are one of the most successful pop groups of all times, with their many hits proving dancefloor favourites for more than 50 years.

It was the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest that first thrust the four-piece, comprising Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog, into the spotlight, with their hit single “Waterloo” – and ever since, their music has remained timeless, attracting new generations of fans.

This has been helped by two blockbuster Mamma Mia! films, adapted from the hit West End musical of the same name, and ABBA Voyage, a concert experience that takes place in a purpose-built London arena.

By now, we all know the classics – “Dancing Queen” and“Take a Chance on Me”, to name just two– but ABBA are more than just the hits. Casual listeners might not be aware of the hidden gems– so to mark Ulvaeus’s 80th birthday, we’ve run through the lesser-known tracks you should have on your radar.

10. “On and On and On” (1980)

“On and On and On” is the second single from Abba’s seventh studio album Super Trouper. The 1980 track, which peaked at number nine in Australia (it wasn’t released in the UK), emphasises that we should still try and enjoy ourselves during the bad times. The chorus, which repeats the title of the song, would have certainly felt repetitive in lesser hands. but ABBA managed to turn the refrain into an earworm for the ages.

9. “Hasta Manaña” (1974)

The Spanish phrase “hasta manaña” translates to “until tomorrow” in English. Despite the chorus, “hasta manaña until we meet again”, the rest of the lyrics tell us that the narrator has no idea when she will see her lover again: “Don’t know where, don’t know when.” It’s a musical love letter to an ex, expressing fondness for shared memories and a desire to reunite.

8. “Hole In Your Soul” (1978)

This 1978 single is the second song on the ABBA Voyage setlist and acts as the perfect upbeat number to get audiences dancing. It was written especially for their concert tours, and was also on the setlist of the group’s 1979-80 tour of North America and Europe. The rock ‘n’ roll track is the perfect high-energy number for a live performance.

7. “If It Wasn’t For The Nights” (1978)

This song reflected Ulvaeus’s state of mind during his divorce from Fältskog. The uptempo song contrasts against the despairing lyrics, in which the narrator dreads the end of the working day when they will be all alone to deal with their own thoughts: “I got my business to help me through the day/ People I must write to, bills I must pay/ But everything’s so different when night’s on its way.”

6. “Summer Night City” (1978)

ABBA’s 1978 soul-infused track hit pays homage to warm, balmy nights in their hometown of Stockholm. It is unsurprising, then, that the song did well in Nordic countries, reaching number two in Norway and number one in Finland and Sweden. But the group regarded the song as somewhat of a “failure” after only peaking at number five in other countries, including the UK and the Netherlands.

5. “So Long” (1975)

“So Long” was released as the first single from the group’s 1975 album, simply titled ABBA. The upbeat tune is musically comparable to “Waterloo”, which is why it might have failed to chart in the UK – but take Waterloo away, it still works on many levels.

4. “That’s Me” (1976)

“That’s Me” was only released as a single in Japan – in 1977 alongside “Money Money Money”. It reached 75 in the charts. Elsewhere, “That’s Me” was a B-side to a little song called “Dancing Queen”. The lyrics of the song , fit with a quintessentially catchy piano instrumental, express a woman’s desire for a deep, meaningful relationship while also maintaining her independence: “It’s lonely to be free/ But I’m not a man’s toy, I’ll never be.”

3. “Just A Notion” (2021)

Originally written and recorded in 1978 for the group’s sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous, this song was criminally not included on the final release. Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus felt it was “unmixable” and didn’t fit their vision for the record. Thankfully, though, the song was re-discovered and re-released in 2021 as part of ABBA’s major comeback after nearly 40 years, with the album Voyage. The new version features updated instrumentals but maintains its ABBA identity by retaining the original 1978 vocal tracks.

2. “Tiger” (1976)

From their 1976 album Arrival, “Tiger” acts as a metaphor for the dangers of city life. It kicks off with the vocals of Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad: “This city is a jungle, you better take care/ Never walk alone after midnight. If you don’t believe it, you better beware of me.” Their performance of the song in Australia, in 1977, is one ABBA fans will know well.

1, “Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)” (1974)

A somber choice for number one, but no less deserved. This song features on ABBA’s breakthrough album Waterloo – and it’s easy to see why this one got overlooked when the album’s title track steered the group to victory at Eurovision in 1974. But “Dance (While the Music Still Goes On)” does a beautiful job of encapsulating a couple’s last dance as their relationship comes to an end.