Beyond the hits and pop culture moments, Swedish band ABBA have remained so popular because of their dramatic personal lives. 

That’s according to television and radio broadcaster Dave Fanning as the world celebrates 50 years since ABBA won Eurovision with their hit ‘Waterloo’. 

Speaking on The Anton Savage Show, Mr Fanning said the band have written “some of the greatest pop songs ever”, but they didn’t see immediate success after their Eurovision win. 

“I remember somebody saying it about a year ago, that after ‘Waterloo’, they weren't exactly massively successful for a short while afterwards,” he said. 

“You thought they might be because they just lit up Eurovision, and then SOS came out and that changed everything.” 

He pointed out that band such as the Bee Gees would have been a huge inspiration for ABBA in its earliest days.  

“They just had a knack for writing certain bits and pieces and then they had hooks and choruses that have stayed through the years,” Mr Fanning said. 

“They had a dip in the 80s to be honest, but boy did they come back.” 

Mr Fanning pointed out that a lot of ABBA’s success can be attributed to what went on behind the music. 

“There's an article today in The Irish Times about Taylor Swift of just where she sits in the pantheon of the whole thing,” he said. 

“Now, I don't know Taylor Swift's music, but I do see one of the things that she has done, it's not unlike Abba, and it's not unlike what Fleetwood Mac were doing. 

“People invested completely in the private lives of what was going on with these people and we're behind them all the way.” 

'People lived the story of ABBA'

Mr Fanning said the drama between Fleetwood Mac members Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham is similar to both married couples that make up ABBA divorcing while remaining a band. 

“They started breaking up and marriage is falling apart,” he said. “And they bring out a very serious song like ‘The Winner Takes It All’ and that really hit home with people. 

“It was powerful - people lived the story of ABBA.” 

ABBA’s Eurovision victory will be aired on BBC Four tomorrow at 8.10pm. 

This year’s Eurovision, taking place in ABBA’s own homeland of Sweden from May 7th to May 11th. 

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