This Friday, the King of Sweden awarded the members of the legendary group Abba the Royal Order of Vasa, the first in fifty years in the Nordic country.
During a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Carl XVI Gustaf presented this award to Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Reuss and Björn Ulvaeus, gathered – somewhat rarely – for the occasion.
Known for its planetary tubes. Mama Mia (1975), Dancing Queen (1976) and The winner takes it all (1980), the four singers were honored for “their outstanding achievements in Swedish and international music.”
In 1975, Sweden decided to stop granting this order to its own citizens, considering it too anachronistic. The foreigners were not worried.
Parliament reinstated this practice in 2022.
With a unique style and catchy melodies, the four artists of ABBA (their acronym) personified the disco years until their separation in 1982.
Fifty years of “Waterloo”
Their prolificacy, with eight albums released in as many active years, and their accessibility (they opened their bedroom door to journalists) give them a special place in the pantheon of Swedish music.
This year also marks fifty years since ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with waterloowhich paved the way for the group’s international success.
The Royal Order of Vasa was created on May 29, 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden to reward people who have provided important services to the State and society, specifically in the fields of agriculture, commerce, metallurgy and Arts.
A total of 13 Swedes were recognized for their achievements during the ceremony, including two Nobel laureates: geneticist Svante Pääbo and French-Swedish physicist Anne L’Huillier.
Source: BFM TV
