Gradvall's work does present the story of ABBA with lots of direct quotes from the band members. It also provides a lot of information about the music scene and the musical genres of Sweden, and other Scandanavian countries. I enjoyed how each step of the formation and then song creation was described, but much of each chapter seemed choppy in some way. Overall, I did learn a lot about a lot, not just the band, and bonus-got to practice my Swedish while reading.

If you are a fan of music history, ABBA, or history in general there is something for you in Gradvall's book.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Who hasn’t heard an ABBA song? If you weren’t born yet during their chart topping days then you might have seen the movies based around their songs. There have also been plays designed around the band and their music. This is a great book for any ABBA fan. The author had amazing access to this phenomenal pop band and we are able to discover so much more about the member’s of the band, their success, and their evolution. Definitely pick this one up if you are a fan!!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this free ebook ARC in return for my honest review..

Interesting book for ABBA fans, as journalist Jan Gradvall had pretty much unlimited access to the band members and has done a good job relating much of the behind the scene details of the bands development. If you are looking for a tell-all this is not it. Instead he delves into the early lives and career of the group, as well as giving us a detailed look at Swedish music, as well as the open contempt that the Swedish music pundits had for the group after they won the EuroVision title in 1974. Lots of great stories about Benny and Bjorn and their early musical groups, the Hep Boys and the Hootenanny Singers. Little known facts are also interspersed as we come to realize the Agnetha was a trained pianist and the only person in the group who could read music when they were formed. Also how Waterloo was a last minute change in the Eurovision contest, when they decided not to use their original song. The men have stayed close, no so much the women. Frida seems the most distant from all of the group and Agnetha has had s0lo projects and now enjoys being a grandmother - what she is a grandmother!!!!
I really enjoyed this book but this is a blended rating as I feel the Swedish readers will give this 5 stars, for me it was about a 3.5 stars, but a 4**** makes it ready read for all fans of ABBA!

✨ The Vibes ✨
A look behind the scenes of one of the world’s most successful bands

📖 Read if…
✨ You love a good music biography
✨ Mamma Mia is your favorite musical
✨You’re an ABBA superfan

I’ll be honest, most of my ABBA knowledge comes from Mamma Mia, so I was eager to learn more about the band behind the iconic songs, and Jan Gradvall’s new biography is a great way for both new and longtime fans to learn more about the band.

The Story of ABBA blends exclusive interviews with the band with a more traditional biography format. I personally enjoyed this because hearing directly from the band was balanced by the more objective biography sections, which made all of the information shared feel very well-rounded. I also thought that the way the basic historical facts and events were presented alongside anecdotes about the cultural impact of ABBA was a great way to illustrate the impact of music and art.

As a theater fan, I of course loved the brief insights into Benny and Björn’s experience writing Chess and how that gave the group some hesitancy when conversations around an ABBA musical began. The chapters covering the development of Mamma Mia were also fascinating and really shed light on how the musical has helped to cement the legacy of ABBA around the world.

I read most of this book via audio (which is sometimes my preferred way to consume nonfiction) and I found the narration to be pleasant to listen to. Given that part of the book consists of recent interviews with the band members, I thought those sections flowed especially well through the audio format, but the entire book is a really easy listen.

No matter what format you use to read this book, you can’t go wrong. The Story of ABBA is out June 17. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

Although it was an interesting read it didn’t feel like it centered on the members of ABBA enough. I wish we got more than one chapter dedicated to each of them. Overall, it was intriguing but more about other things that ABBA redefined rather than the group itself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

As a lifelong ABBA fan, I was intrigued when I saw the title of this book, and that it would detail how ABBA came to be the world renowned group with hits such as Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia!

ABBA has always been an important part of my life, with “Dancing Queen” being a a song I used on a very special day in my life. I remember my Mom buying ABBA Gold at Borders Books, and listening to the album on repeat at home, and in the car throughout my childhood. From seeing the musical Mamma Mia, to both movies, and seeing ABBA Voyage on a trip to London a couple summers ago, it’s safe to say, I’m a pretty big ABBA fan.

I enjoyed the parts of the book that told the story about ABBA, the members, Eurovision, and how several songs and albums came to be. Unfortunately, the book was not done in a chronological order and I felt it jumped around a bit too much at times, and also had some fluff in the book that didn’t necessarily pertain to the band specifically, but more to either Sweden, or the music industry. It was interesting to learn more about the band and heir history, but I felt it could have been shorter and wish there were certain parts in order, since I would read a chapter, think it would lead to the following part, and not find out about what actually happened until several chapters later.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, The Story of ABBA. Or as I like to call it: ABBA: Now With 75% Less ABBA Than You Ordered. I went into this expecting a backstage pass to the glittery, spandex-filled world of Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid—and instead I got a whiplash-inducing rollercoaster of vaguely-related tangents, time-hopping faster than a DeLorean with an ABBA Gold playlist.

We start in 1981—bam, the drama, the tension! And then screech—suddenly it’s 1968 and someone’s talking about Swedish politics or some guy who once walked past Benny at a grocery store. The timeline in this book is less “chronological narrative” and more “ABBA-themed fever dream.” You know that feeling when you shuffle your playlist and get whiplash from going from “Dancing Queen” to death metal? Yeah, it’s that. In book form.

And while the blurb promises “exclusive interviews” and “remarkable intimacy,” what it delivers is more like: ABBA exists, Sweden is a place, and here’s 400 pages to say it. I came here to learn secrets of the band’s success, not to take a side quest through 1970s Eurovision bureaucracy or ponder the socio-economic impact of ABBA Voyage on the future of holograms.

To be fair, there is some ABBA in this ABBA book. Occasionally, you get an actual quote or a peek behind the curtain. But then it’s off again—now we’re talking about globalization, now we’re lost in some music critic’s philosophical deep-dive about melancholy, now it’s 1974, or maybe 2013? Time is a construct and this book is its chaotic overlord.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt, detailed, focused look at the rise of one of the world’s most iconic pop groups, this book might leave you saying “Mamma Mia, no.” But if you want a book that occasionally remembers it’s supposed to be about ABBA while doing mental cartwheels through Swedish cultural history—this is your jam.

I grew up listening to ABBA thank you to my father. When the movie Mama Mia came out and my sisters and I rented it from Blockbuster, he sat and watched it with us and then asked if we could start it over again from the beginning. So when I was sent a copy of The Story of ABBA I was SO excited.

This book goes into great detail from the beginning of the band and all the ups and downs of their relationships and making music together. An absolute must buy for any fan of the their music.

Resident Music Nerd reporting for duty!

This is less "the story of ABBA" and more the story of ABBA's immense impact, not just in Sweden but around the world. This book handily demonstrates how ubiquitous and important ABBA's success was and the waves they made that are still being felt today. I went into this reading expecting an overview of ABBA's career -- that arguably changed the course of pop music as the world knew it in the 1970's -- but instead was gifted this reminder of far their reach really was, long beyond their too-short recording career (brief "reunion" notwithstanding). I also learned quite a bit about Sweden and its culture, and as an American, that was also fascinating.

My only real complaint would be the writer often jumped around within each chapter, requiring a bit more focus to keep to the topic at hand. Overall, this was a fun read and inspired me to re-listen to ABBA's entire recording catalogue. If you're curious, 'Voulez-Vous' is my favorite ABBA album and I'll hear no pushback! Recorded long before I was born and still holds up in 2025 if you ask me.

My many thanks to St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

A gripping story of the history of ABBA. From the early days and Eurovision to the very end, you feel immersed in the story of their history and the love the band shared for music and each other.

If you want a definitive history of ABBA, this is it. The author goes in depth on their beginnings and the political and historical climate in Sweden when ABBA started. I would have loved to have more background history on Frida and Agnetha; it seems he dived deep in Benny and Björg's origin stories but the ladies seemed like an afterthought and we learn more from them on the 2nd half of the book.

"You can dance, you can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene
Diggin' the dancing queen" - Dancing Queen by ABBA

Calling all dancing queens!!!! The Story of ABBA: Melancholy Undercover tells the story of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad who made up Sweeden's best-selling band of all time!!! Who hasn't found themselves singing along or dancing to one or more of their songs? In 2013, journalist Jan Gradvall was given access to the band members. This book is full of facts about them, where they recorded, the significance of places and relationships for them. Speaking of relationships, I had no idea that there were two marriage couples in this group who did get divorced, but sill made magical music together. This book also provides some facts on Sweden and other musical groups who recorded at studios where ABBA recorded.

"There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando" - Fernando by ABBA

ABBA's popularity ebbs and flows around the world and most have seen Mamma Mia the play and movie by the same name. I know I have! This book gives quite a bit of information, some that I enjoyed and some that I wasn't sure was necessary. The most intriguing part for me was that the two couples and how they worked and sang together through marriage and divorce. I was hoping for more juicy bits here as I can only imagine how difficult that must have been. But one thing that was brilliant was learning the history behind the songs and the inspiration behind them.

"I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play" - The Winner Takes It All - ABBA

Overall, an enjoyable book about ABBA and its members. I must admit this book had me thinking of their songs in a new way and wanting to hear them again. ABBA did have a big impact on music worldwide and through the disco era. They had presence and presentation on their side! I enjoyed learning some new information about them. I do wish that some information was given in a more cohesive manner but overall, this was an informative read. I believe ABBA fans will enjoy this book.

"Mamma mia, here I go again
My, my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My, my, just how much I've missed you?" - Mamma Mia - ABBA

My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for allowing me this arc.

As an Abba fan I had to read this and I did it in one day. LOVED IT!! My only issue was I thought it would be more focused on the band. I didn't need to read about Swedish culture/movements and the bios of the engineer and band player. All in all a good well researched book.

ABBA. Four incredibly and individually talented people combined their talents to form the first true worldwide Super Group. As a longtime fan of ABBA, I thought I knew a lot about the band. This extremely detailed look at ABBA, one that could rival any college class, presents much more.

As I was reading, I repeatedly found myself amazed at the connections between the band members and each other, and with others involved in the music and entertainment industries, fashion, politics, German history, and so much more.

The way the book was written, in a somewhat scattered manner appealed to me. It felt like sitting down and chatting with friends, one subject or topic at a time leading to another and maybe wrapping back around again.

This deep dive into the magic of ABBA is one that should delight most ABBA fans. It is well worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

5/5 stars.

I grew up on the music of ABBA. My parents have been huge fans since the moment they first heard ‘Waterloo’ on the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, so in between listening to my Winnie the Pooh and The Wombles records as a kid, I’d often put on an ABBA album to get my parents singing and dancing. This band never seemed “uncool” to me simply because they were from my parents’ generation. On the contrary, I was proud of my parents for having good taste. Every single ABBA song was really good and drew out an emotional response from me. And because they’d always get my parents singing and dancing, I’ve always associated ABBA with joy and family togetherness.

And yet, I knew very little about the band members themselves. So when I saw this book available for anyone to read on NetGalley, I snapped it up.

If you would only pick this up to get the deets on celebrity scandals, don’t bother. ABBA was pretty wholesome, at least by the standards of the music industry. Sure, the two couples that made up the group ended up divorced, but they kept it civil and private, and Gradvall respects that. There were no drugs or wild parties on their tours to talk about either. Nobody got arrested. Nobody hated anybody else. The two guys (Benny and Björn) were best friends who loved to write songs together, and their wives (Anni-Frid and Agnetha) supported and complemented each other both on and off the stage. They really were just 4 incredibly talented musicians who got together for a while to make groundbreaking music. This book doesn’t offer up any drama.

What this book offers is context. Gradvall provides a brief biography of each ABBA member in turn, and their lives really are quite interesting to read about, but the main focus of this book is on the world around them. In any other place and time, would a group like ABBA have been taken seriously? Would they have had the opportunity to make such a lasting impact on the music industry? Would they have changed as many lives and meant as much to as many people? Once you take a closer look at what was happening in the world in the 1970s and 80s, and the social movements that kept ABBA’s music alive throughout the 90s and into the 2000s, you might begin to wonder. It’s clear that ABBA came along at the exact moment that the world needed them.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I kept giving my parents a summary of everything I’d learned about ABBA each day, and I’ll probably buy them a copy once it’s on sale. I’m so happy that this didn’t turn out to be about scandals and fast living. I wouldn’t have enjoyed that at all. Instead, Gradvall somehow captured the comforting, feel-good magic of ABBA within these pages, and I’ve walked away an even bigger fan of them and their music.

I've always liked ABBA unconsciously without ever knowing who they were as a group. Embarrassingly, my true fondness for the group came after seeing Mamma Mia 2 in the theaters. It was a life-changing experience. ABBA now lies in my top ten favorite bands. I love learning more about this talented group. Only in the past few years did I discover that the acronym is based on their names and they used to be married to each other. The Story of ABBA did exactly what the title promised, even to excess. I did enjoy reading about these Swedish superstars, but it was told in a very dry manner. It was incredibly serious and felt like an academic dissertation on pop music. I understand this was heavily researched, but it felt inaccessible as a reader. I can appreciate Gradvall's dedication to this foursome and say Thank You for the Music, but I would have preferred a much lighter vibe. I Do, I Do, I Do. I really do.

This was a quick read but way longer than it needed to be. It was a book about ABBA, but there wasn’t much ABBA in it.

It isn’t chronological or anything. It’s really not a well written or good book.

I don’t recommend this one.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

I'm not a huge ABBA fan, but do love one song of theirs- "Dancing Queen". Another lesser favorite is "Fernando". I was intrigued enough to find out the nuts and bolts of their existence, especially with the tantalizing fact that it was comprised of two couples who later divorced. It kind of reminded me of the Fleetwood Mac saga, and as a high schooler I lived through the rise and fame of both these groups.

The book began in such an alluring fashion as if you were there in the recording studio, as they recorded their final song in 1982 entitled "The Day Before You Came". I was instantly riveted and paused to cue up the song on YouTube, described as being "chilling and portentous"- a melancholy synthesizer ballad sung by Bjorn's ex-wife Agnetha, with Benny's ex-wife Frida contributing wordless backing vocals. Unfortunately, the rest of the book wasn't quite as engaging. It reminded me of Craig Brown's books such as "One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time" and "Q: A Voyage Around the Queen". In fact, the author cited this author and his books during this one. All of a sudden I'd be reading about some unknown person and wondering what this had to do with ABBA...but then it would turn out to have something to do with ABBA. In one instance there was a brain surgeon who always listened to ABBA while he operated.

I had hoped for more of an intimate account of these couples, seeing as how the author had opportunities over the years to interview them, but save the first chapter that had lured me in on a deep emotional level, the rest of the book was a little more cluttered and clinical for me with other facts and tangents. However, I was touched towards the end by Frida's full speech when ABBA was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am only a casual fan of ABBA. Grew up listening to the group in the 1980s, when telling other people you listened to ABBA would get you beaten up. I did see and interview with the members not too long ago on CBS Sunday Morning, so I knew the basics of the group. I hoped this book would reveal more.

While this was an interesting listen, revealing layers to the group members who traditionally have been very private, I feel a better subtitle would have been “And the Times They Lived In.” There’s an incredible amount of cultural and societal analyzing of life in Sweden. There’s also the fact that ABBA influenced and continues to influence other singers, songwriters, and bands.

This book is very non-linear and hard to follow at times, jumping around from one thing to another. It’s also written in a way that assumes you already know a lot about the group already..

Narrated by Ian Hallard, he’s a bit underwhelming to listen to. Sort of dry, and his attempts at accents fail. Not sure I’d listen to something else he narrated. I’d say this book is for fans only, even though I appreciated the very private members granting the author interviews. Glad I got to listen/read this book, but I can’t imagine revisiting it ever again.

I had high expectations of this book. Unfortunately it did not live up to those expectations. It had its good bit, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.