The Definitive Collection (2001)

The Definitive Collection is a 2001 compilation album of all the singles released by Swedish pop group ABBA. It consisted of two discs: the first featuring the singles from 1972 to 1979 ("People Need Love" to "Does Your Mother Know"), and the second including the singles from 1979 to 1982 ("Voulez-Vous" to "Under Attack"), with the tracks being listed in chronological order. The main exception is the track "Thank You for the Music", which, despite being written and recorded in 1977, was in fact released as a single (primarily in the UK) in 1983 after the band had split up. It appears on disc two, along with two bonus tracks, "Ring Ring" (1974 UK single remix), and "Voulez-Vous" (1979 US promo extended remix). The Australian version of The Definitive Collection adds a further two bonus tracks: "Rock Me" and "Hasta Mañana". The 1974 remix of "Ring Ring" is the first appearance on CD of this version mastered from the original master tape, after the UK single master tapes had been returned to Polar Music by the former UK licensees, Epic Records. The track's previous appearance on CD, in a 1999 singles boxed set, was mastered from a vinyl single.

The Definitive Collection is the only ABBA compilation to include all the UK single releases from 1973 to 1983. The four "unofficial" UK ABBA singles are included, these being the 1974 remix of "Ring Ring", "Angeleyes", "Lay All Your Love on Me" and "Thank You for the Music". An "unofficial single" is one that was not released by ABBA's record label, Polar Music, in any Scandinavian country. A VHS (has been long out of print ever since), and a DVD (available on all regions with both PAL and NTSC color mode), also called The Definitive Collection were released in 2002, and features all of ABBA's videos, as well as five bonus videos and a picture gallery. In the US the 2-CD set was bundled with the DVD.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 179 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,

maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, and coming in at number 303 in the 2020 edition.

The Essential Collection, an album with a similar track listing but with different artwork and mastering, was released in 2012.

Personnel

Agnetha Fältskog – lead vocals (9, 16, 19, 22, 25, 27, 30–31, 33, 35–37), co-lead vocals (1–8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 20–21, 23–24, 29, 38–39), backing vocals

Anni-Frid Lyngstad – lead vocals (11, 13–14, 26, 28, 32, 34), co-lead vocals (1–8, 10, 12, 15, 17–18, 20–21, 23–24, 29, 38–39), backing vocals

• Björn Ulvaeus – lead vocals (18, 20–21), co-lead vocals (1–2, 4) acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Benny Andersson – synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals