Almost 46 years after its release, ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" has passed the 1 billion stream mark on Spotify. The song is the Swedish group's third hit to reach this milestone on the streaming platform, after "Dancing Queen" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)". The three songs have already accumulated over 4 billion streams in total.
"The Winner Takes It All" was released in 1980 as the lead single from the album "Super Trouper" - ABBA's seventh studio album. The song was written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, and features lead vocals by Agneta Fältskog. After reaching the billion mark, the song joins the Spotify Billions Club – the platform’s selection of songs with at least 1 billion streams.
The song has gained new life on social media
According to Universal Music, the song received a new boost in 2025, when a younger generation began using its lyrics in various social media trends. The company says that since then, streams have grown steadily and “The Winner Takes It All” has become ABBA’s most-streamed song of the month.
“It’s a big hit and it’s really touching to hear that the song is so appreciated,” says Agneta Fältskog about the new achievement. “It means a lot to me.“
One of ABBA's most recognizable hits
“The Winner Takes It All“ came out at a time when ABBA was already one of the most successful pop groups in the world. The song is among the most emotional ballads in the quartet's catalog and remains associated with the group's characteristic contrast between melodic pop arrangements and dramatic lyrics.
The new result shows that interest in ABBA's music continues to be carried over to generations born decades after the group's initial success. Along with “Dancing Queen“ and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)“ the song is now part of the small group of ABBA compositions that have crossed the billion mark on Spotify.
Source: Moscow 24