"Money, Money, Money" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...

, written by

Benny Andersson Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, singer, composer and producer best known as a member of the musical group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and '' Mamma M ...

and

Björn Ulvaeus Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals '' Chess'', '' Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamma Mia!'' He co-produced the films ...

with

Anni-Frid Lyngstad Princess Anni-Frid Synni Reuss, Countess of Plauen (born Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad on 15 November 1945), also known by her nickname "Frida", is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer, songwriter and environmentalist, who is best known as one of the foun ...

singing lead vocals. It was released on 1 November 1976, as the second single from their fourth album, '' Arrival'' (1976). The

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

, "Crazy World", was recorded in 1974 during the sessions for the album ''

''. The song (originally titled "Gypsy Girl") is sung from the viewpoint of a woman who, despite hard work, can barely keep her finances in surplus, and therefore desires a well-off man. ABBA perform parts of "Money, Money, Money" live in the 1977 film '' ABBA: The Movie''. In the popular musical, ''

Mamma Mia! Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent *Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlemen ...

'', the song is sung by the character of Donna as she explains how hard she has to work to keep the taverna in order and her dreams of a better life. Anni-Frid sings the solo parts. In the 2008 film,

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

sings the song.

Reception

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' reviewed the single release and described it as a "fast paced" song with "lots of good-natured gimmicks" that is highlighted by its

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' said that it "is BBA'scleverest ingleto date, adding humorous lyrics to the distilled pop hooks." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record W ...

'' said that it "combines

Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

- Weill overtones with a typically sound ABBA pop structure" and that "the ironic lyric goes well with a haunting, music-hall-style tune." "Money, Money, Money" was the second worldwide hit from ''Arrival''. The song became a number-one chart hit in Australia (ABBA's sixth consecutive chart-topper there), Belgium, France, West Germany, The Netherlands, Mexico and New Zealand, while reaching the top three in Austria, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. By peaking at No. 3 in the UK, "Money, Money, Money" was the only ABBA single between " Mamma Mia" in January 1976 and "

Take a Chance on Me "Take a Chance on Me" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in January 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, '' ABBA: The Album'' (1977). Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad share the lead vocals on the verses an ...

" in February 1978 not to top the UK chart. A British poll of "The Nation's Favourite ABBA song" in December 2010 saw "Money, Money, Money" placed at #22 (out of 25). As of September 2021, it is ABBA's 16th-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams. As of September 1979 in Germany "Money, Money, Money" had sold over 300,000 units. French sales as of April 1977 stand at 500,000.

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

for "Money, Money, Money" was inspired by the film ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...

'', showing Frida wearing a hat typical of the 1920s. The video varies from her determined presence in reality during the verses, to the dream sequences about money and "the good life" in the chorus. The video's director,

Lasse Hallström Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop group ABBA, and subsequently became a feature film director. He was nominated for an Academ ...

, later acknowledged "Money, Money, Money" as the best ABBA video he ever directed. An alternate music video was filmed for the TV special ''ABBA-DABBA-DOOO!!'' featuring Agnetha and Frida in 1920s style flapper dresses, with feathers in their hair.

Personnel

– lead vocals *

Agnetha Fältskog Agneta Åse Fältskog (born 5 April 1950), known as Agnetha Fältskog (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and musician. She first achieved success in Sweden with the release of her 1968 self-titled debut album. She later achieved internatio ...

- backing vocals *

Anders Glenmark Gert Anders Glenmark (born 20 November 1953) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He is the brother of singer Karin Glenmark and nephew of band leader Bruno Glenmark. Career Among the artists for whom Glenmark has w ...

- Guitar * Björn Ulvaeus – backing vocals * Benny Andersson – keyboards, synthesizer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Cover versions

* The song was covered by

The Nolans The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish girl group who formed in Blackpool in 1974 as the Nolan Sisters, before changing their name in 1980. Often referred to as Ireland's ''First Family of Music'', they were the first Irish performing family to achiev ...

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

covered the song for the 1999 tribute album/TV programme '' ABBAmania''. * In 2008, the song is performed by

in the film adaptation of ''

'', and is included on the soundtrack album.

References

{{Authority control 1976 singles ABBA songs Dutch Top 40 number-one singles European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Belgium Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in New Zealand Polar Music singles Epic Records singles Atlantic Records singles Songs written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus Music videos directed by Lasse Hallström Madness (band) songs Song recordings produced by Clive Langer Song recordings produced by Alan Winstanley