The Singles: The First Ten Years (re-released in 2024 as The Singles: The First Fifty Years) is a double compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released on 8 November 1982. Issued as a double album of their most famous single A-sides, the collection included two new tracks: "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack". Both songs were released as singles, with "Cassandra" and "You Owe Me One" as their respective B-sides. The Singles: The First Ten Years would be ABBA's final album release while still active as a group (at least until 2021 after a reunion).

Background and release In May 1982, ABBA started work on what was meant to be their ninth studio album ended up only completing three songs: "You Owe Me One", "I Am The City" and "Just Like That". Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were not happy with the tracks and shelved the project in favor of a greatest hits album: The Singles: The First Ten Years. Released on 8 November 1982 in Sweden and four days later in the UK, it contained most of the band's hit singles from their ten years together as recording artists, and included two new tracks: "The Day Before You Came" and "Under Attack". A box set of the compilation was also released exclusively in the UK on 6 December 1982.

The Singles: The First Ten Years was released on CD in Canada only by Atlantic Records in 1987, but was quickly deleted in 1988 when Atlantic's rights to the catalog expired. In 2001, the album was replaced by The Definitive Collection. In the Spin Alternative Record Guide (1995), the compilation was ranked 80th on the book's list of the "Top 100 Alternative Albums".

Richard Cook in the New Musical Express described the collection as a "documentation of the group who altered the course of pop more than anyone else. It resulted in a seam of unbroken, highly individual pop music that in lifespan terms is still unmatched."

In September 2024, a new compilation was announced as an update to The Singles: The First Ten Years. Titled The Singles: The First Fifty Years, the 38-track collection not only contains the singles from Voyage (ABBA's latest studio album), but also includes ten extra tracks from the 1972–1982 period that were not included on the 1982 compilation. It was released on October 25, 2024, and issued as a 2-CD set and a 4LP 180g vinyl package. Both formats feature an illustrated booklet with unseen band images and liner notes by Carl Magnus Palm.

Track listing Released as a double album, the compilation was divided into two records.

Record one All tracks are written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, except where noted.

Record two All tracks are written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

The Singles: The First Fifty Years track listing All songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, except where noted. Tracks 1–4 were first released by the band as "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid".

Personnel ABBA Agnetha Fältskog – lead vocals , co-lead vocals , backing vocals Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals , co-lead vocals , backing vocals Björn Ulvaeus – steel-string, acoustic guitar, lead vocals , backing vocals Benny Andersson – synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals

Additional personnel Ulf Andersson – saxophone Ola Brunkert – drums Lars Carlsson – horn Christer Eklund – saxophone Malando Gassama – percussion Anders Glenmark – guitar Rutger Gunnarsson – bass Roger Palm – drums Janne Schaffer – guitar Åke Sundqvist – percussion Mike Watson – bass Lasse Wellander – guitar

Production Benny Andersson – producer, arranger Björn Ulvaeus – producer, arranger Michael B. Tretow – engineer Lars Larsson – cover photo Anders Hanser, Ola Lager, Lars Larsson – inner sleeve photo Rune Söderqvist – art director

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1982)PeakpositionAustralian Albums (Kent Music Report)18Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)1Canadian Albums (RPM)24 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) 9French Albums (SNEP)6South African Albums (RISA)1Swiss Albums (Swiss Hitparade)4

+ Chart performance for The Singles: The First Fifty Years Chart (2024) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 42 Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 7

Year-end charts Chart (1983) Position German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 51

Certifications

Release history RegionDateFormat(s)LabelVarious8 November 1982VariousUnited Kingdom12 November 1982Epic

References