‘The Name Of The Game’ Was UK Chart Supremacy For ABBA
By late 1977, the Swedish quartet were on an unstoppable roll, especially in the UK.
ABBA’s international fortunes had been somewhat faltering after their Eurovision triumph with “Waterloo” in 1974. But by late 1977, they were on an unstoppable roll, especially in the UK, as they notched their sixth No.1 single, and fifth from their last six releases, with “The Name Of The Game.”
That sequence started with “Mamma Mia” and continued with “Fernando,” “Dancing Queen,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” It was only interrupted by “Money Money Money” peaking at No.3, rather surprisingly for what has become a real theme song for the Swedish pop champions.
The new, atmospheric “The Name Of The Game,” written as so often by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus with band manager Stig Andersson, was the first to be composed for their next LP, simply called The Album. It became a Top 10 single in many countries, including Germany, Holland, Australia, and indeed Sweden.
The song fared well in the States, with a No.12 peak and a Top 10 placing on the Adult Contemporary chart there. But it was in the UK that “The Name Of The Game” really enhanced ABBA’s ever-growing reputation as the premier quality pop hitmakers of the era.
An album scene-setter
The track entered the British singles countdown at a relatively modest No.20, but a week later, it raced to No.5, with the summit in its sights. On the chart for the first week of November 1977, it unseated another, infinitely more fleeting European pop favorite, Baccara’s “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie,” to begin a triumphant month at No.1. What’s more, “The Name Of The Game” whetted the British appetite for The Album, which landed on the chart early in 1978 and posted seven straight weeks at the top.
After covers of “The Name Of The Game” by such artists as Any Trouble in 1980 and Martha Wainwright in 1999, the song was given another update in 2018 when Cher remade it for her ABBA-inspired Dancing Queen album.
Buy or stream “The Name Of The Game” on The Album.
S.Vasudevan
November 9, 2015 at 7:10 am
I love ABBA
basil alany
November 9, 2015 at 5:10 pm
I remember all my best memory with lovely days when I hear your songs
OLGA MIELOTTIMOS DOIS EU AMO O GRUPO ABBA.
November 9, 2015 at 12:51 pm
SOMOS DOIS EU AMO O GRUPO ABBA.
António Esteves
November 9, 2015 at 9:21 pm
Este foi o grupo que mais me marcou. Sem dúvida o melhor
roseline
November 9, 2015 at 11:21 pm
COUCOU.
J’ADORE le groupe ABBA, je les écoute très souvent surtout dans ma voiture. Dommage qu’il ne fasse pas un nouveau C.D. Personne ne peut et ne pourra les remplacer car ils sont uniques. Ils me manquent BEAUCOUP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JOSEPH
November 10, 2015 at 7:45 pm
the group of abba is my favorous ,chikitita,fernando etc is my
Kees Koks
April 19, 2016 at 7:36 pm
I am glad that it goes well with Agneta. Abba was my music. Shame it had to stop. I’d like to hear more.
“The winner takes it all” was a sad song for me because it went to the end.
Lots of love for the whole group.
Regards,
Kees
carlos paya
November 7, 2016 at 9:50 am
Para mi fue uno de los mejores grupos de musica pop.
Marina
November 6, 2017 at 5:07 pm
I really, really love ABBA
I love them as clean air, as everything beautiful in life
and this is for life!
Marina
November 6, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Thank You For The Music!!!!!!
Andrew Crawford
November 12, 2018 at 2:31 pm
26 Singles issued in the UK, 9 Number One Singles, 19 Top Ten Singles, 25 Top 40 Singles & only One non chart single, So Long & ABBA called it a day, many a band would be happy with a quarter of what ABBA had but yet still exist. What a legacy
Colin
November 7, 2019 at 3:29 pm
‘The Name Of The Game’ was only a No.1 Hit in the UK.It reached the Top 5 in many Countries, but it was not one of ABBA’s Global No.1’s. Germany was not keen on it. There it stalled at No.7, breaking a ‘Run’ of 6 No.1 Singles there. RCA, (Australia), were not keen on it either. They wanted to release ‘Hole In Your Soul’ instead, but ABBA said ‘No!’. ‘The Name Of The Game’ peaked at No.6 there. I’m sure that the very catchy ‘Hole In Your Soul’ would have been no.1 in more than just the UK. As well as reaching the German and Australian Top 5’s. Remember – In 2020, ABBA will be releasing New Music. It has been delayed until next Year, which means that it could be released any time from January to December. ABBA have Recorded more than just the 2 Songs that they told us about, in April 2018. In September Bjorn said that ABBA had ‘Recently’, been Recording in the Studio. He did not mean the 2 Songs that they did in June 2017. He means that ABBA have been Recording in the past few Months – or Weeks. We are definitely getting more than just 2 New Songs. It will be 3 to 5. Maybe even an entire Album…