Super Trouper (song)

This article is about the ABBA song. For other uses, see Super Trouper (disambiguation).
"Super Trouper"
Single by ABBA
from the album Super Trouper
B-side "The Piper"
Released 3 November 1980
Format 7" single
Genre Pop
Length 4:10
Label Polar Music, Epic Records (UK)[1]
Writer(s) Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus[1]
Producer(s) Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus[1]
Certification Gold (UK)
ABBA singles chronology
"On and On and On"
(1980)		 "Super Trouper"
(1980)		 "Happy New Year"
(1980)
Music video
"Super Trouper" on YouTube

"Super Trouper" is a hit single for Swedish pop group ABBA, and was the title track from their 1980 studio album Super Trouper, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The song, with lead vocals by Anni-Frid Lyngstad, was the last to be written and recorded for this album and it replaced the track "Put On Your White Sombrero". The working title of this song was "Blinka Lilla Stjärna". [2] "Super Trouper" is included on the Gold: Greatest Hits compilation, as well as in the Mamma Mia! musical.

The name "Super Trouper" referred to the spotlights used in stadium concerts.

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. The spotlight featured throughout the music video is, in fact, a CCT Silhouette follow spot, 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 music video were later reused in the Happy New Year video.

Reception

"Super Trouper" was a successful single for ABBA. It topped the charts in Belgium, West Germany, the UK (their ninth and final No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart),[1][3] Ireland and the Netherlands. It reached the Top 5 in Austria, France, Norway, Switzerland and Mexico, while peaking in the Top 10 in Finland and Spain. In the United States, where ABBA never quite managed to achieve the same sort of 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.

Personnel

Additional musicians

Chart positions

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 77
Austrian Singles Chart 3
Belgian Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart[3] 1
Canadian Singles Chart 32
Dutch Singles Chart 1
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1
Finnish Singles Chart 8
French Singles Chart 4
West German Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Japanese Singles Chart 93
Mexican Singles Chart[4] 3
Norwegian Singles Chart 2 Costa Rica Singles Chart 1
Spanish Singles Chart 8
Swedish Singles Chart 11
Swiss Singles Chart 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 45
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[5] 1
US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[6] 64
Zimbabwean Singles Chart 18
Preceded by
"The Tide Is High" by Blondie		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
30 November 1980 – 20 December 1980 		Succeeded by
"(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon
Preceded by
"Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand		 Irish Singles Chart number-one single
29 November 1980 – 13 December 1980 		Succeeded by
"There's No-one Quite Like Grandma" by St Winifred's School Choir
Belgian VRT Top 30 number-one single
30 November 1980 – 19 December 1980 		Succeeded by
"Santa Maria" by Roland Kaiser
Preceded by
"Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Stephanie Mills		 Dutch Top 40 number-one single
6 December 1980 – 13 December 1980
Preceded by
"Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand		 European Hot 100 Singles number-one single
18 December 1980 – 5 February 1981 		Succeeded by
"(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon
German Singles Chart number-one single (first run)
19 December 1980 – 26 December 1980 		Succeeded by
"Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand
German Singles Chart number-one single (second run)
9 January 1981 – 23 January 1981 		Succeeded by
"Fade to Gray" by Visage
Preceded by
"Your Love" / "You're My Magician" by Lime		 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
(with "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "On and On and On")
2 May 1981 		Succeeded by
"Paradise" / "Hold Tight" / "Heaven of My Life" by Change

A-Teens version

"Super Trouper"
Single by A-Teens
from the album The ABBA Generation
Released 29 November 1999
Format CD Single
Cassette
vinyl (12")
Recorded 1999
Genre Pop, Europop
Length 3:52
Label Universal Music Group
Producer(s) Thomas Johansson
Ronald Malmberg
A-Teens singles chronology
"Mamma Mia"
(1999)		 "Super Trouper"
(1999)		 "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
(1999)

"Super Trouper" was A-Teens' second single from their 1st 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 .[7]

It also became their only Top 5 hit in Germany peaking at #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 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 even 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" [Radio Version] – 3:52
  2. "Super Trouper" [Super Radio Remix] – 4:04
European CD Maxi
  1. "Super Trouper" [Radio Version] – 3:52
  2. "Super Trouper" [Super Super Remix] – 8:58
  3. "Super Trouper" [Pinocchio Remix] – 5:08
  4. "Super Trouper" [Extended Version] – 6:05
German CD Maxi
  1. "Super Trouper" [Radio Version] – 3:52
  2. "Super Trouper" [Perre J's Remix] – 4:04
  3. "Happy New Year" – 4:23
  4. "Mamma Mia" [Radio Version] – 3:43
  • Video: "Mamma Mia"
U.K. CD1
  1. "Super Trouper" [Radio Version] – 3:52
  2. "A*Teens Medley" [Pierre J's Full UK Mix] – 7:27
  3. "Super Trouper" [Karaoke Version] – 3:52
  • Video: "Super Trouper"
U.K. CD2
  1. "Super Trouper" [Extended Version] – 6:05
  2. "Super Trouper" [W.I.P.] – 6:10
  3. "Super Trouper" [The Bold & The Glamour Mix] – 6:50
U.K. Cassette
  1. "Super Trouper" [Radio Version] – 3:52
  2. "Super Trouper" [Karaoke Version] – 3:52
Japan CD Maxi
  1. "Super Trouper" [Radio Version] – 3:52
  2. "Happy New Year" – 4:23
  3. "Super Trouper" [Super Super Remix] – 8:58
  4. "Super Trouper" [Extended Version] – 6:05
Sweden Promo CD
  1. "Super Trouper" [Radio Version] – 3:52
12" Vinyl Promo (1 Track)
  1. A. "Super Trouper" [Extended Version] – 6:05

UK 12" Vinyl Promo (3 Track)

  1. A1. "Super Trouper" [Extended Version] – 6:05
  2. B1. "Super Trouper" [The Bold & The Glamour Mix] – 6:50
  3. B2. "Super Trouper" [W.I.P.] – 6:10

Appearances in other media

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 209. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  2. ↑ Elisabeth Vincentelli (2004-03-31). Abba's Abba Gold. Books.google.com. p. 96. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 387–8. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ↑ "Mexico". Home.zipworld.com.au. 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
  5. ↑ Dance mix with "On and On and On" and "Lay All Your Love on Me"
  6. ↑ Downey, Pat; Albert, George; Hoffmann, Frank W (1994). Cash Box pop singles charts, 1950–1993. Libraries Unlimited. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-56308-316-7.
  7. ↑ Archived 28 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
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