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Benny Andersson

Music & Lyrics

From 1964 to 68, Benny was a member of the Hep Stars, Sweden’s most popular rock band in the Sixties. During this time, he began composing music. ‘Sunny Girl’ and ‘Wedding’ were huge hits for the Hep Stars.

In 1972, he created ABBA with his friends Björn, Anni-Fred, and Agnetha.

Shortly after ABBA disbanded in 1982, Benny composed the music (together with Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice) for the musical Chess.

Benny received the title of professor from the Swedish government in 1995.

In 2001, his collaboration with Orsa Spelmän led to the formation of Benny Andersson’s Orchestra, a 16-man constellation with vocalists Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg. Thus far, this has resulted in seven CD albums and several summer tours.

Benny was inducted in to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2007 and in 2008, he was appointed Honorary Doctor of the College of Humanities at Stockholm University, and at Luleå University of Technology in 2012.

Björn Ulvaeus

Music & Lyrics

In the mid-Fifties, Björn fell in love with rock’n’roll and skife. By the early Sixties, he was a member of a folk group called the West Bay Singers. In 1963, the group entered a talent contest arranged by Swedish radio. Björn had a chance meeting with Benny Andersson in 1966, himself a member of Sweden’s number-one pop group, The Hep Stars. They hit it off and wrote their 1st song together, ‘Isn’t It Easy to Say’. Björn started concentrating more on his collaboration with Benny Andersson. In 1972, with their fiancées, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, the 4 created ABBA.In 1982, Björn and Benny started writing the musical Chess with lyricist Tim Rice, and in 1984,  a concept album for Chess was released in the autumn hitting the charts.

The musical opened in London’s West End in May 1986.

Björn and Benny have collaborated on a few musicals over the years, and has involved himself in the stagings of MAMMA MIA!.

Stig Anderson

Some Songs with

Stig contributed lyrics for several ABBA songs, and was especially adept at coming up with catchy titles. However, Stig’s main responsibility was to act as ABBA’s manager. After ABBA – The Album in 1977 he stopped writing lyrics for the group, instead concentrating on business.