ABBA

By far the biggest act to record for Polar – and one of the major pop bands of all time – ABBA was formed in 1972, first recording under the name Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid. Their victory with Waterloo in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest saw an international breakthrough on a scale that was unprecedented for a group with its roots outside the English-speaking world. Hits such as Mamma Mia, Fernando, Dancing Queen and Knowing Me, Knowing You cemented ABBA’s popularity on the global arena.

A mature streak in their later work, whether in a disco classic like Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) or an emotionally charged tour de force such as The Winner Takes It All, added further shades to the group’s catalogue, ensuring that their music would live on even after they stopped recording together in 1982. An immensely successful comeback in the shape of their 2021 comeback album Voyage added a much longed-for coda to ABBA’s incredible story.