Super Trouper (song)


"Super Trouper" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, recorded for their seventh studio album of the same name, Super Trouper. It was the last song recorded for the album, and was written and produced by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang lead vocals. It was released on 3 November 1980 as the second single from the record via Polar Music. The song's name refers to the Super Trouper, a type of spotlight used in large venues.
"Super Trouper" would go on to become one of the group's best selling singles, and a smash hit across Europe. In the United Kingdom, it was ABBA's ninth and final number one hit on the UK singles chart, and was the fourth best-selling single in the UK that year, selling over 700,000 copies. The single also reached the top spot in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and West Germany. It proved less successful, however, in Australia and North America, only reaching the top forty in Canada.
It is featured on ABBA Gold, and is also included in both the Mamma Mia! musical and Mamma Mia! film.
Fandom abba:Super_Trouper_(song)

Background

The song – with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad – had the working title "Blinka Lilla Stjärna", and was the last track to be written and recorded for the album.
The group had already decided on the album title Super Trouper when they realised that they needed another track for the album. Written in October 1980, the song fitted to become the title track and also a single.

Lyrics

The first verse contains the line, "I was sick and tired of everything when I called you last night from Glasgow", with the video showing lead vocalist Anni-Frid Lyngstad singing this line. In February 2020, saxophonist Ulf Andersson, who toured with ABBA in the late 1970s, revealed that name-checking Glasgow was a coded love note from Björn Ulvaeus to then-wife Agnetha Faltskog. "It was a personal thing between Bjorn and Agnetha," he told the Scottish Mail on Sunday. "Björn was in Glasgow for some ABBA promotion. It was around the time they were about to separate. He wrote the lyrics and Agnetha sings it, but really it was meant to be from him."
However, in 2014 lyricist Björn Ulvaeus wrote about the creation of the song for The Singles box set, hinting it was inspired by his new fiancé Lena Källersjö: "weaving a story around that title was no problem for a man, who had fallen in love again."

Reception

"Super Trouper" is an upbeat pop rock, disco 1980s track. It continued ABBA's run of chart success, particularly in Europe. It became ABBA's ninth No. 1 in the United Kingdom. This distinction placed ABBA fourth for the most UK chart-toppers in history ; a position the group would keep for almost 20 years until Madonna scored her tenth UK No. 1 with "Music" in August 2000. "Super Trouper" also topped the charts in Belgium, West Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, and was a top 10 hit in Austria, Finland, France, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. In their native Sweden however it failed to reach the top 10, stalling at number 11.
Outside of Europe, "Super Trouper" was a more modest hit. For example, in the United States, where ABBA never attained quite the popularity experienced elsewhere, the single reached No. 45. However, combined with "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "On and On and On", it topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart in May 1981. The song reached the lower regions of the charts in countries such as Australia and Japan, but in Mexico it reached No. 3.
The track was the fourth biggest selling single in the UK for 1980 and sold 709,000 copies in the United Kingdom in 1980 alone.
In addition to those physical sales, the single’s digital sales & streaming equivalent has achieved 600,000 units certified by the British Phonographic Industry.
Combined, total United Kingdom sales therefore exceed 1.3 million units.
Record World said that the song "deals with onstage loneliness" and that "engaging vocal interaction bounces resoundingly."

Music video

In October 1980, the music video for "Super Trouper" used the largest number of artists that ABBA ever used in a music video, including a full circus troupe. The spotlight featured throughout the video is, in fact, a CCT Silhouette profile spot with followspot kit, as opposed to a real Super Trouper. The city of Glasgow mentioned in the lyric was suggested by Howard Huntridge who worked with their then-UK publishers Bocu Music. The music video was directed by Lasse Hallström. Parts of the video were later reused in the clip for the song "Happy New Year".

Personnel

Additional musicians

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Austria 5
Belgium 62
West Germany 11

Certifications and sales

  • In the United Kingdom, total sales are estimated at over 1,300,000 copies, combining more than 700,000 physical copies sold in 1980 with a further 600,000 streaming-equivalent units certified by the British Phonographic Industry since 2004.

A-Teens version

"Super Trouper" was A-Teens' second single from their first album, The ABBA Generation, a cover of ABBA's song. When the single came out in the fall of 1999, it became a hit around the globe, just as its predecessor "Mamma Mia", also an ABBA cover. "Super Trouper" debuted at No. 2 in Sweden and was later certified platinum.
It also became their only Top 5 hit in Germany peaking at No. 4. The single also reached No. 21 in the United Kingdom, No. 18 in Switzerland, No. 15 in Norway, No. 11 in Austria and No. 12 in the Netherlands.

Music video

The music video was directed by Sebastian Reed and was filmed in Sweden. The video shows a girl so obsessed with the band that she owns posters, magazines, mugs, clothing, and a key chain. She also copies the band's choreography that is shown on TV. Some of the articles that feature pictures of the band come to life in the video.
In the first few seconds of the video, before the actual song starts, Mamma Mia can be faintly heard in the background.
The video was a hit in most TV stations charting inside the Top 10 countdowns in late 1999 and early 2000.

Releases

European 2-track CD single
  1. "Super Trouper" – 3:52
  2. "Super Trouper" – 4:04European CD Maxi
  3. "Super Trouper" – 3:52
  4. "Super Trouper" – 8:58
  5. "Super Trouper" – 5:08
  6. "Super Trouper" – 6:05German CD Maxi
  7. "Super Trouper" – 3:52
  8. "Super Trouper" – 4:04
  9. "Happy New Year" – 4:23
  10. "Mamma Mia" – 3:43UK CD1
  11. "Super Trouper" – 3:52
  12. "A*Teens Medley" – 7:27
  13. "Super Trouper" – 3:52UK CD2
  14. "Super Trouper" – 6:05
  15. "Super Trouper" – 6:10
  16. "Super Trouper" – 6:50UK Cassette
  17. "Super Trouper" – 3:52
  18. "Super Trouper" – 3:52Japan CD Maxi
  19. "Super Trouper" – 3:52
  20. "Happy New Year" – 4:23
  21. "Super Trouper" – 8:58
  22. "Super Trouper" – 6:05Sweden promo CD
  23. "Super Trouper" – 3:5212" vinyl promo
  24. A. "Super Trouper" – 6:05UK 12" vinyl promo
  25. A1. "Super Trouper" – 6:05
  26. B1. "Super Trouper" – 6:50
  27. B2. "Super Trouper" – 6:10

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Germany 55

''Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'' version

Super Trouper was released on 13 July 2018, alongside the soundtrack of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, by Capitol and Polydor Records. The song is performed by the whole main cast and it was produced by Benny Andersson. The song was also performed in the first film by Streep, Baranski, and Walters.