Official Albums Chart on 25/6/2021

I don't find it offensive, but it is very patronising and damaging to race relations. It certainly indicates an unequal treatment by the division of race.

Music charts died at the end of the 80s . All the interesting stuff like say Marina gets the one week fan push then gone !

Agree!

Not all Abba fans need to learn how to stream & download, i have been doing it for years, dont assume that Abba fans are all old fogies

I was born after The Visitor was released but have every recording to hit the chart, so why learn to stream or download? (I don't so either) - I already have everything in digital library ripped from physical formats. These new songs were first annouced about 5 years ago. Still waiting!
I'm not holding my breath.

David -- the 1st 2 'New' ABBA Songs were announced, (by ABBA), on Friday 27th April 2018. Hardly 'About 5 years ago'. It is just over 3 Years ago. ABBA Recorded them in June 2017, so the 1st 2 Songs, are 4 Years Old. Since then, ABBA, (Bjorn mainly), have dropped many hints, that they went on to Record more than 2 'New' Songs. For example, he admitted that ABBA had been 'Recently', in the Recording Studio, in a September 2019 Interview, with ITV News. The Interview is on YouTube. He was referring to ABBA Recording inside 2019, so those Recordings, were nothing to do, with the 2 June 2017 Songs. We are to get at least 1 'New' Song, before the end of 2021 - in the Autumn. The rest will, most likely, be Released, in the 1st half of 2022. Of the 2 June 2017 Songs, Bjorn says that 'I Still Have Faith In You', is a 'Timeless', Ballad. It is actually about ABBA, themselves - an Auto-Biographical Song. The other June 2017 Song, is 'Don't Shut Me Down', and that is a more up-tempo Song. A bit like 1970's Disco. On top of those 2, there are now, more 'New' ABBA Songs, but no-one, seems to know, just how many. Some say, that ABBA now have 3 'New' Songs, and others say 4, or 5, or 8. Some ABBA Fans, even think, that we are to get an entire New ABBA Album! We will just have to wait and see. ABBA have a very long time good Friend, and Spokesperson, called Görel Hanser, and she has been hinting, (this Year), that there are now more than 2 New ABBA Songs. She has ceased referring to them as 'Two', and she now - always - says, that they are: 'New Songs'. She is always very careful, about what she says about ABBA, and their Plans.

I'm pretty sure I heard about them in 2017. I remember distinctly because I was awaiting the new Shania album (Now), her first studio album in 15 years, released on the same day as (non-charting) Belinda Carlisle's first album in over 10 years, and the subject of long delays in releasing follow-ups came up.

4 year old records, 3 year old (at least) announcement. Both are closer to 5 years old than brand new. The nearest they came was writing a song for Steps (announced March 2017, first released April 2017), themselves their first album in 5 years and 2nd in 17.

With waits that long and multiple "the new record's going to be out" type announcements along the way, I'll believe it when I see it and the release date is absolutely confirmed.

This particular announcement must be at least the 5th I've heard for the Abba singles.

Surely, we have to go by ABBA themselves, as to when they Recorded, the 1st 2 'New' Songs? ABBA made an announcement, about the 2 'New' Songs, on Friday 27th April 2018. It then, (instantly), became a huge Entertainment 'Story', in the Global Media. It was the 1st time that 'The World', even knew that ABBA had Recorded again. ABBA themselves, (27th April 2018), said that they had Recorded the 2 'New' Songs, in June 2017. I'm a huge ABBA Fan, and I can assure you, that ABBA had never mentioned, any 'New' Songs, before Friday 27th April 2018. It was a massive shock, to their Fans, when they told us, about the 2 'New' Songs, on Friday 27th April 2018. The 1st 2 'New' ABBA Songs, were 4 Years old, this Month. Recorded in June 2017. Now, there are more than 2 'New' Songs. The big question is, how many of them there are.

Yes, there is a 'worry', that being a 'Heritage', ('Old'), Act, ABBA, will be unable, to get enough UK Streams, for their New Songs, to make a big impact, in the UK Singles Chart. All such Acts, now struggle, to get into the UK Singles Top 10. For example, Madonna has had 63 UK Top 10 Singles, but her last New Single, (in 2019), only reached No.87! Madonna, was last in the UK Singles Top 10, in 2009! The last Kylie Minogue Single, stalled at No.95. Only 1, of Kylie's last 7 Singles, have even reached, the UK Top 40. Queen's last Single, in May 2020, could get no higher than No.95. Westlife, Released 3 Singles, off their 'Spectrum' Album, in 2019, and they got no higher than, No.13, No.26, and No.96. However, 'Heritage' Acts, can still have UK Top 5 Albums. The most recent Albums, by both Kylie Minogue, and Westlife, became their 8th UK No.1's. Madonna's 2019 Album, reached No.2. Queen's last Album, (in 2020), was their 10th UK No.1. So ABBA, really need, to Release a New Album, to be sure of further UK Top 10, Top 5 - and No.1 - success. If, they only Release, a few 'Singles', a lack of Streaming, could cause them all, to be medium to small, UK Hits. Whilst a New ABBA Album, would - easily - be their 10th No.1 Album, in the UK. (That goes, for the Charts, in other Countries, too - Ireland, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Australia, etc.).

I don't think I ever heard it from Abba themselves, and the exact date when I heard it I no longer know. It may well be mixed up in the memory with some of the other releases for various reasons. They seem to make the announcement at least annually ever since the initial one and to be holding the songs back for some reason - a big release?It does seem odd, as I distinctly remember the announcement saying 35 years (rather than 36) since the last recordings or release, although I could be thinking of 1982 releases of final 1981 recordings, which I thought were 1982 recordings. The dates could be wrong somewhere.

I'm looking forward to the insight in next week's 1000-week article for Gold.
The last newly released recording I knew about was 2014 release of a previously unreleased live at Wembly track from 1979.

The main point is we've been waiting a of a long time from first annoucement to any release. From the artists I like, releases a decade or more apart is not unusual. Cher, Shakin' Stevens, Meat Loaf, Shania, Steps, Bangles to name a few. In many cases, there have been multiple speculative announcements of a new record in the long waits!

Why they dont release unreleased tracks ?

Probably quality control - incomplete recordings, unmixed etc. The Wembly live track was because it was the first time the gig had been released in it's entirity in 2014, having previously been only released in edited form.

It was Bjorn, who 'announced', that ABBA had Recorded 2 New Songs. He was speaking on behalf of ABBA. He said, that they had Recorded, the 2 New Songs, in June 2017. He said this on Friday 27th April 2018. It was then all over the UK and Global Media. He has since said, (more than once), that he revealed the 'News', too soon. That he should have waited. What made him 'announce' it, was his excitement at ABBA Recording again, after so many Decades. He let his excitement rule him, rather than patience.

Benny and Bjorn don't like to give their Fans 'Unreleased' Tracks. Nor do they believe in letting their Fans have 'Alternative Versions' of ABBA Songs. (They do exist). Nor do they like their Fans to have ABBA Remixes. They say, that it is like admitting, that ABBA Recorded the Songs 'wrongly', in the first place.

A little over a month ago Bjorn said it again that the new songs would be out this year 2021.....Check on Youtube you can find him saying it...type in Abba update...thank you...