ABBA break Universal Music UK record for biggest ever pre-order

ABBA have broken pre-order records with their new album Voyage, just three days after its announcement.

A press statement for the band has revealed that Voyage has received over 80,000 pre-orders in the UK alone since Friday, a new record for their long-time label Universal Music UK. This overtakes the previous record-setters Take That with their albums Progress and III. Released under Universal imprint Polydor, Voyage will be available on Friday November 5.

In a worldwide stream on Thursday (September 2) ABBA confirmed plans to reunite for the first time in 40 four decades. Two new songs - I Still Have Faith In You and Don't Shut Me Down - were released to coincide with the announcement, and are on course to debut in the Top 10 of the Official Singles Chart this Friday.

If so, then they would clinch the group their 20th and 21st UK Top 10 entries respectfully. Voyage, the new album, will contain a total of 10 new tracks, with one Christmas song that could even see the group in contention for this year's coveted Christmas Number 1.

MORE: View ABBA's official Top 20 biggest songs in the UK

Digital versions of the iconic Swedish pop group will perform as part of a world-first residency in support of their new album in the specially constructed ABBA Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. General ticket sales for the ABBA Voyage show, which begins on May 27, 2022 - start on Tuesday, September 7 at 10am.

The digital ABBAtars of Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus will perform their two new singles and greatest hits accompanied by a live 10-piece band.

ABBA's digital counterparts have been created by Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects company founded by George Lucas. Work on the concert series has involved months of motion-capture performances and an 850-strong team.

ABBA have scored nine Number 1 singles and nine Number 1 albums in the UK. Their greatest hits collection Gold is the only album to spend more than 1000 weeks on the Official Albums Chart and is the second bestselling album of all time in the UK, with 5.61 million copies sold as of August 2021. Look back at ABBA's full Official UK Chart history here.