ABBA – Dancing Queen

The discovery of youth, joy, and global harmony through pop

Few songs embody timeless joy like “Dancing Queen.” Written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, and produced by Andersson and Ulvaeus, it opened a new chapter for ABBA with the 1976 release of their album Arrival. Recorded in August 1975, the track was initially dubbed “Boogaloo” and drew inspiration from George McCrae’s disco hit “Rock Your Baby.” When Anni-Frid first heard the backing track, she was moved to tears even before vocals were added.

Musically, “Dancing Queen” merges European pop and lush disco textures. It features striking keyboard lines, layered vocal harmonies from Agnetha Fältskog and Frida Lyngstad, and builds from gentle verses to an exhilarating, dance-inducing chorus. During recording, the group sensed they had something special: “It’s often difficult to know what will be a hit. The exception was ‘Dancing Queen.’”

The song made its live debut on June 18, 1976, at a televised tribute to Queen Silvia and King Gustaf XVI of Sweden, who were married the following day. The choice of song seemed serendipitous: a celebration of youth and joy, unveiled at a royal wedding celebration. Decades later, its royal connections deepened. According to BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, Queen Elizabeth once remarked when the song came on at a Windsor Castle event: “I always try to dance when this song comes on because I am the Queen and I like to dance.”

Released in August 1976, Dancing Queen became ABBA’s global breakthrough. It was the group’s only U.S. No. 1 single and topped charts across continents—from the UK and Australia to South Africa and even the Soviet Union. In the UK, it remains ABBA’s biggest-seller, surpassing one million physical sales and continuing to thrive on digital platforms.

The official music video, directed by Lasse Hallström, was filmed in Stockholm’s Alexandra’s discotheque. It featured ABBA performing amid warmly lit dancers, visually translating disco’s euphoric spirit. Remastered in 2021, it has since surpassed one billion views on YouTube, keeping the group alive for new generations of fans.

Critics and institutions have long recognized the track’s enduring magic. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015, ranked among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in 2023 Billboard named it the second greatest pop song of all time. In 2022, it received a BMI Million-Air Award for over six million U.S. radio plays, and in 2024 it was added to the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

Nearly fifty years after its release, Dancing Queen continues to live up to its name. From royal wedding stages to dance floors worldwide, from the charts of the 1970s to billion-stream milestones, it remains ABBA’s crown jewel: a song that still makes queens and fans alike rise to their feet.

“Dancing Queen” – Single by ABBA from the album Arrival
B-side “That’s Me”
Released 16 August 1976
Label Polar Epic Atlantic
Songwriters Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson
Producers Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
Charted No.1 in US; No.1 in UK; No.1 Sweden; No.1 in Portugal; No.1 in West Germany; No.1 in Ireland; No.1 in West Germany; No.1 in Netherlands.