Happy New Year (song)


"Happy New Year" is a song by Swedish group ABBA from their 1980 album Super Trouper, with lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog. It originally had a very limited release as a single in December of that year. The song's working title was "Daddy Don't Get Drunk on Christmas Day".
The Spanish-language version of the song, "Felicidad", was released in 1980 in Spanish-speaking territories. The single reportedly charted in the top 5 in Argentina and was included on the South American versions of the Super Trouper album. It was first released on CD as part of the 1994 Polydor US compilation Oro: Grandes Éxitos, and in 1999 on the expanded re-release of Oro: Grandes Éxitos.

Release

In 1999, the English version of the song was re-released for the new millennium, and charted at number 27 in Sweden, number 15 in the Netherlands and number 75 in Germany. In 2008, it was released again in several countries, and charted at number 4 in Sweden, number 6 in Norway and number 25 in Denmark. It re-entered the Swedish and Norwegian charts in 2009 at number 5 in both charts and number 8 in the Netherlands in 2011. It has since gone on to regularly chart in some countries upon the turn of the new year and is regularly played at the same time such as Vietnam.
In December 2011, a silver glitter vinyl single limited to 500 copies was released, including the songs "Happy New Year" and "The Way Old Friends Do". The edition was available exclusively from the official ABBA site and the ABBA fan site. It was sold out within a day of the release being announced.
Upon the release of ABBA: The 40th Anniversary Singles Box Set on 5 May 2014, an alternate mix of "Andante, Andante" was revealed to have been used on the B-side of the single in the box set instead of the original album version. In 2022, it was the 32nd top best selling vinyl single in the UK.

Charts

YearChartPeak
position
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1999–2000
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1999–2000
2005
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1999–2000
2005
Russia Airplay 78--
1999–2000
2006
----
2007
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2007
Russia Airplay 79---
2007
2008
----
Russia Airplay 2008
95---
2009
2008
----
2009
2008
Russia Airplay 56--
2009
2008
2010
---
2009
2011
2010
---
2009
2011
2010
2012
--
2009
2011
2010
2012
2013
-
Slovenia Airplay 2011
2010
2012
2013
21
2014
2011
2010
2012
2013
-
2014
2011
Slovenia Airplay 442013
-
2014
2015
--2013
-
2014
2015
Sweden 68--
2014
2015
2016Slovenia Airplay 40-
2014
20172016Sweden 57-
2018Slovenia Airplay 33---
2018Sweden 51---
2018UK Physical Chart 3---
2019Slovenia Airplay 46---
2019Sweden 38---
20192020
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Slovenia Airplay 2020
33---
Sweden 2020
42---
Ukraine Airplay 2020
172---
2021Slovenia Airplay 18---
2022
-----
2022
Russia Airplay 88---
2022
Sweden 22---
2022
Vietnam 29---
2022
2023
----
Sweden 2023
26---
2024
2023
----
2024
Israel International Airplay 14---
2024
Latvia Airplay 9---
2024
Lithuania Airplay 1---
2024
Norway 4---
2024
Sweden 9---
2024
2025
----
2024
2025
Russia Streaming 54--
2024
2025
Sweden 13--
2026
-----
2026
Israel International Airplay 7---
2026
Latvia Airplay 18---
2026
Netherlands 40---
2026
Netherlands 26---
2026
Russia Streaming 30---
2026
Sweden 9---
2026
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A-Teens version

The song was covered by the A-Teens, and released as a single in 1999. The single was released to celebrate the arrival of the new millennium: thus, the last line in the song's third verse is altered to "in the end of ninety-nine", as opposed to the original's "in the end of eighty-nine". It reached number 4 on the Swedish charts, becoming the band's fourth consecutive top ten in the country and earning a Gold certification weeks after its release. The single was only released in selected countries, including Chile, after their visit there in February 2000. A music video was made to support the single's release.

Track listing

Scandinavian 2-track CD single
  1. "Happy New Year" – 4:24
  2. "Happy New Year" – 6:52
Scandinavian CD Maxi
  1. "Happy New Year" – 4:24
  2. "Happy New Year" – 6:52
  3. "Mamma Mia" – 3:46
  4. "Super Trouper" – 6:10