ABBA’s 1979 disco track Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) has reached 1 billion streams on Spotify.
It marks the Swedish pop group’s second entry into Spotify’s Billions Club, following Dancing Queen in July 2023.
Spotify attributed the milestone to Gen Z listeners — typically those born between 1997 and 2012 — which accounts for half of the 11 million ABBA discoveries across all age groups on Spotify this year.
Globally, Gen Z Spotify users now account for 50% of ABBA’s streaming audience this year. In Sweden, where the group was formed in Stockholm in 1972, Gen Z users now comprise 35% of total streams.
Spotify said: “More than four decades after its release, the disco anthem is experiencing a powerful resurgence, thanks in large part to Gen Z listeners on Spotify, who are discovering ABBA’s music in massive numbers.”
ABBA’s catalog has seen renewed interest, with global streams increasing 150% over the past five years. The group’s songs appear in about 130 million user-generated playlists on Spotify.
“More than four decades after its release, the disco anthem is experiencing a powerful resurgence, thanks in large part to Gen Z listeners on Spotify.”
Spotify
Among Gen Z listeners, Dancing Queen remains the most-streamed track, followed by Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! The top five also includes Lay All Your Love On Me, The Winner Takes It All, and Mamma Mia.
January 1 has become the single highest-streaming day for Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, suggesting its appeal as the disco anthem for New Year celebrations.
The song was released as the sole single from ABBA’s second greatest hits album Greatest Hits Vol. 2. It was also part of reissues of the group’s sixth studio album Voulez-Vous from 1979.
It now joins other hits on Spotify’s Billions Club playlist, which also includes Billie Eilish’s BIRDS OF A FEATHER, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ Die With A Smile, Gracie Abrams’ That’s So True and Kali Uchis’ Moonlight.
While ABBA has stopped performing together since 1982, fans can still watch their digital avatars at the group’s holographic concert residency ABBA Voyage at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The concert series has been running since May 2022.
In October last year, the UK-based holding company for the virtual event series, Aniara Ltd., reported that Abba Voyage generated £103.67 million ($129 million) in turnover in 2023, driven by strong sales.
Aniara’s board expressed optimism about the future of ABBA Voyage. In a statement, they said: “The Group’s long-term strategy is to continue the run of the show in London for as long as it remains commercially viable.”
“I’ll talk to the others about that as we need to decide beforehand between us if it’s OK for all four of us to go on after we’re gone.”
Björn Ulvaeus, ABBA
Last week, ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus said he is uncertain if ABBA Voyage will continue if one of his bandmates dies, The Independent reported. His bandmates include Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson.
Speaking on Times Radio, Ulvaeus said: “I’ll talk to the others about that as we need to decide beforehand between us if it’s OK for all four of us to go on after we’re gone.”
Music Business Worldwide
