Abba - The Winner Takes It All (1980) May 2026

: Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson wrote the song in a summer cabin on the island of Viggsö. It began as an up-tempo track titled "The Story of My Life" before they settled on a slower, French chanson-style arrangement featuring a descending piano motif .

"The Winner Takes It All" is ABBA's definitive heartbreak ballad, released in July 1980 as the lead single from their album Super Trouper . While Björn Ulvaeus has stated the lyrics are a fictionalized portrayal of divorce, they were written in the wake of his own separation from lead vocalist Agnetha Fältskog, who recorded her legendary performance just ten days after their divorce was officially finalized. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All (1980)

: It was ABBA's last Top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. : Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson wrote the

: The song reached No. 1 in the UK, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and South Africa. While Björn Ulvaeus has stated the lyrics are

: Agnetha Fältskog recorded the vocals in the dark to capture the raw vulnerability of the lyrics. Despite the painful subject matter, she has called it her favorite ABBA song . Chart Performance & Legacy

: It is frequently voted as Britain's favorite breakup song and gained renewed fame through the Mamma Mia! musical and films, where it was memorably performed by Meryl Streep .

: Björn reportedly wrote the lyrics in a single, emotional hour fueled by whiskey. He later recalled an image of a man walking through an empty house as the core symbol of the divorce.