A countdown of the UK's "Favourite ABBA Songs" with Björn and Frida sharing memories about the songs and their time in ABBA.

Viewers had been asked to vote from a selection of UK singles only and voted online through the itv.com website until 11 October 2010.

The programme promotion quoted Frida as saying, "Discussing all of our singles was great fun. There are many fond memories - memories about writing the songs, recording and promoting and performing them." Björn added, "We're all curious and excited to see which songs appear where in the countdown. The British people took us to their hearts, completely... and made us their own, which we are very proud of. It's very nice to come to England because it's like going home."

Contributors for the programme were: Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Amanda Holden, Louis Walsh, Pixie Lott, Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Pierce Brosnan, Robin Gibb, Kate Nash, Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child), Nicole Sherzinger (Pussycat Dolls), Dermot O'Leary, Chris Tarrant, Terry Wogan, Kelly Holmes, Konnie Huq, Neil Sedaka, Martine McCutcheon, Michael Ball, Richard Curtis, Pete Waterman, Joe McElderry, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne (both from Westlife), Judy Craymer, Mollie King (The Saturdays), Adams Hills, Tom Fletcher (McFly) and Ulrika Jonsson.

Contributors from the ABBA gang were Lasse Hallström, Owe Sandstrom, Janne Schaeffer and Carl Magus Palm.

Chris Tarrant recounted how he and a friend sang to Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! when they saw ABBA live in Birmingham - but that was in 1977 and Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! didn't come out until 1979!

There was no new footage for the programme other than the Björn and Frida contributions although the programme made good use of footage from ABBA in Japan 1978 and 1980 and ABBA - The Movie.

The countdown:

25. Ring Ring
24. Head Over Heels
23. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
22. Money Money Money
21. Under Attack
20. Voulez Vous
19. Does Your Mother Know
18. Summer Night City
17. Waterloo
16. Super Trouper
=15. SOS
=15. Lay All Your Love on Me
=13. I Have A Dream
=13. Take a Chance On Me
11. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
10. Chiquitita
 9. The Name Of The Game
 8. One Of Us
 7. Fernando
 6. Mamma Mia
 5. Knowing Me, Knowing You
 4. Thank You For the Music
 3. The Day Before You Came
 2. Dancing Queen
 1. The Winner Takes it All

Broadcast information:
Sunday 5 December 2010, 21:00-22;30pm, ITV1, UK 
Monday 20 December 2010, STV, Scotland

The programme was available on the ITV Player online only until 5 January 2011.

Not all parts of the programme are available on YouTube - only parts 3,4,5 and 8 out of 8 are available).


Björn's words about Dancing Queen were used for the programme The Nation's Favourite 70's Number One broadcast in the UK on 5 March 2015.

Thanks to Anthony Grice, Lisa Crane, Carl Magnus Palm, Erik Liebstaedter, David Calverley, Sophie Collins, Monique Hoevens and Paul Russell. Thanks also to Peter James c/o ABBA Village.
YouTube links c/o frapistat and Steve Layton