The Story of ABBA Melancholy Undercover by Jan Gradvall
Audio Version
Overall Grade: C+
Information: C- (so little about ABBA. More about other people, many random people I would never know.)
Writing/Organization: B
Narration: B
Best Aspect: The beginning.
Worst Aspect: The rest.
Recommend: Sadly, No.

I love ABBA so when I saw "The Story of ABBA" audiobook I knew I had to give it a listen!

The beginning of the book really pulled me in and I was enthralled. As the book went on it lost a bit of that but it was still enjoyable and I really loved learning more about the band with such catchy songs!

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my ALC!

There was nothing wrong with the book, this one just wasn't for me. The author stated facts, did a lot of research on backgrounds and ABBA side projects, but I think it was too long for me. Maybe not too long, maybe I just wanted to know about the music, because that part was great! I didn't really care about side projects, inspiration projects, and solo productions.

The book wasn't really for me, the ABBA fan, of only the music...I think this book would thrill the massive fan.

My parents were teens in the 1970's, I grew up listening to all of their records and I remember listening to Waterloo so much my dad told me I was going to wear out the record. I went into this book only knowing the songs of ABBA and very little about the members. I enjoyed learning about the history of the group and what life was like in Sweden post World War II that influenced their music. The narrator did an impressive job speaking both English and Swedish. It did take me a bit to get through the book because I had to keep stopping to listen to the songs as they were mentioned. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch Mamma Mia on repeat.

I really enjoyed this audiobook "The Story of ABBA" by Jan Gradvall. I really only knew Abba's music and not much of the history of the group or of the individual people before listening to this book. This book included details of the lives of each of the members of the group which were fascinating, how each came to music and eventually found each other.
The information was incredibly detailed and I learned many unexpected things along the way. If you are a fan of ABBA this audiobook is worth a listen.

Biography = No Rating

OUT ON: JUNE 17, 2025

As someone who has been obsessed with ABBA since back when my Opa used to workout to their music in his basement, I was thrilled to receive an early copy of this book (thank you so much @macmillan.audio | @stmartinspress | @netgalley for the advanced audio and physical copies 🤍🥹)

While I found the information within this book thoroughly engaging and learned quite a bit, the non-linear structure of the book wasn’t quite my style. Despite that, I came away with so many intriguing new facts: I learned that dansband culture played a key role in ABBA’s evolution, and that Sweden’s tax laws actually influenced their iconic, over-the-top costumes.

Again, there was so much interesting knowledge scattered throughout this book, that I can’t help but share a few more nuggets with you all. I was surprised to find out that Thank You for the Music was composed in just 30 minutes at a house party—he simply sat down at the piano and the song emerged. I discovered that the group’s story is less about instant success and more about resilience and overcoming setbacks. I had known about the romantic pairings that inspired the band’s name (A+B, B+A), but never had read anything quite this in depth about it before! Perhaps most unexpected of all was finding out that Frida was born as part of the Lebensborn program involving German soldiers and Norwegian women. The way that their joint history is so full of melancholy moments made me appreciate their wonderful music even more!

For any true ABBA fan, this book is a treasure trove. It’s not just a biography—it’s a deeper look into the heart of one of pop’s most legendary groups.

📖Genres: Nonfiction | Biography | Music

I listened to the audiobook, which, personally, had its positives and negatives. With Abba being a Swedish band, many of the (Swedish) names are unfamiliar to my American familiarity, and if I were to read the book, I'd have no clue how to pronounce anything. But, only hearing the names and words, it would be nice to see them written down for memory's sake. Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I realized that I had gotten used to listening to autobiographies, and with this being a biography, there are obvious differences, but these helped the story feel whole and complete. Before I began listening, I was a "fan" in the sense that I knew and liked "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia," but after listening and learning about the story of ABBA and related history to not just to them, but society and the world that influenced and affected how we know them today. I'm a stronger fan now and would recommend this book to anyone - history buffs, ABBA fans, ABBA acquaintances, or anyone looking for an enjoyable and informative read!

Thank you to NetGalley!

My first introduction to ABBA was the Mamma Mia movies, so it was a bit weird to hear about the more melancholy aspects of the band's music. Overall, this book wasn't what I was expecting. It didn't focus on the band entirely and gave a lot of information about Swedish pop music and the people who are somehow connected to the band. I wish that it followed specifically the band and only the band, but I can see what was trying to be accomplished by including other aspects of life at the time.

The Story of ABBA: Melancholy Undercover by Jan Gradvall is an intriguing and insightful read that goes beyond the glitzy pop hits to explore the deeper, often melancholy undercurrents behind ABBA’s music. I really enjoyed this book, even though at times it felt a bit heavy with backstory about other people connected to the band. Still, Gradvall’s meticulous research and captivating storytelling kept me hooked, and I came away with a richer appreciation of ABBA’s journey and legacy. Plus, this book sparked a new interest—I’m now into Dansband music! Look out for my new playlist! Four stars.

I grew up listening to ABBA. I had no idea the name of the band came from each of their first initials. There was a lot of great info and stories in here, but the narrator was very, very dry. It kept putting me to sleep.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, The Story of ABBA. The audiobook was full of information about the members of ABBA and others. At times, I found it challenging to read and process the information. I expected the audiobook to stay closer to the band members, instead of following threads to others and their story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"You can dance, you can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene
Diggin' the dancing queen" - Dancing Queen by ABBA

Calling all dancing queens!!!! The Story of ABBA: Melancholy Undercover tells the story of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad who made up Sweeden's best-selling band of all time!!! Who hasn't found themselves singing along or dancing to one or more of their songs? In 2013, journalist Jan Gradvall was given access to the band members. This book is full of facts about them, where they recorded, the significance of places and relationships for them. Speaking of relationships, I had no idea that there were two marriage couples in this group who did get divorced, but sill made magical music together. This book also provides some facts on Sweden and other musical groups who recorded at studios where ABBA recorded.

"There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando" - Fernando by ABBA

ABBA's popularity ebbs and flows around the world and most have seen Mamma Mia the play and movie by the same name. I know I have! This book gives quite a bit of information, some that I enjoyed and some that I wasn't sure was necessary. The most intriguing part for me was that the two couples and how they worked and sang together through marriage and divorce. I was hoping for more juicy bits here as I can only imagine how difficult that must have been. But one thing that was brilliant was learning the history behind the songs and the inspiration behind them.

"I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play" - The Winner Takes It All - ABBA

Overall, an enjoyable book about ABBA and its members. I must admit this book had me thinking of their songs in a new way and wanting to hear them again. ABBA did have a big impact on music worldwide and through the disco era. They had presence and presentation on their side! I enjoyed learning some new information about them. I do wish that some information was given in a more cohesive manner but overall, this was an informative read. I believe ABBA fans will enjoy this book.

"Mamma mia, here I go again
My, my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My, my, just how much I've missed you?" - Mamma Mia - ABBA

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC!

I don't feel like I am in the minority when I say that I love ABBA! Their music is just so much fun and are an earworm. When I saw that there was an opportunity to learn more about the band, I jumped on it!

I felt that the structure of the book was different than what I was expecting. I thought the book was going to be the beginning of the band, height of fame and then after they disbanded. Though the beginning of the book did focus on the start of the band specifically on Benny and Bjorn. The story didn't seem to have any flow and would bounce from one topic to another.

I was really looking forward to learning about the band during the height of the band's fame but unfortunately I did not get there. I was hoping that the book would dive into what it was like to be the biggest band and what life was like for the group. The band members were married to one another - where is the drama from that in the book?! The book did mention how they were pretty much not in the tabloid or known for being wild as they were older with children.

The book mostly focused on the genius of the music and how it was a part of pop culture which I did enjoy. Who knew that so many punk & alternative acts loved Abba! Of course I loved the section on A*Teens who were popular when I was a tween girl. And they did talk about the movie success as well as Broadway. I was also happy to see that the Swedish pop explosion of the later 90s was discussed as even now I am still fascinated by the music that comes from there.

I read this book majority with the audiobook and I thought the narrator Ian Hallard was fine. I thought he did a great job with all the different Swedish names and terminology. The audio is just over 10 hours long and I was able to complete in 2 days so it was easily digestible.

Though I did enjoy this, I just wanted more Abba.


*I do not rate Non Fiction books.*

Loads of interesting items/facts on this pop band from the 70's. A sort of unauthorized biography. I wasn't necessarily a huge fan back then, but I did want to be the "Dancing Queen" LOL This book read a little disjointed but all in all a good read.
Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and the Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a for an advanced copy of this audiobook. This book caught my eye after my daughter was in a production of Mamma Mia. I was ready to immerse myself in the world of ABBA. I enjoyed this book, but found it a little chaotic. It was not in any sort of chronological order that I could tell and despite having grown up with ABBA's music, I knew very little about the band members. Introductions were a little hard to follow. I also was somewhat unclear who is speaking. Sometimes it seems to be a narrator and other times quotes from random people. Perhaps I would've been less confused with a paper copy versus the audiobook, but I did enjoy the narrator and I think the paper copy might have lost my interest. Despite my criticism, I really did enjoy the book. I learned a lot about Swedish culture at the time and I loved the deep dive into a band who created such phenomenal music.

I love ABBA and always have. Something about the group is just magnetic. The Story of ABBA by Jan Gradvall provides so much insight about the band, its members, what was going on socially and politically throughout their careers and about the music industry itself. This book is clearly full of a lot of research and love for the industry. At times it does feel like the focus of the book shifts from ABBA to the Swedish music industry as a whole, which did surprise me since I feel like there’s so much to learn about the four members. Despite the focus shifting at points, I would recommend this for ABBA fans who would like to learn more about their history, what influenced them, and how their influence continues today.

Narration: I actually enjoyed the narration of this one. I think the tone matched the story well and I enjoyed hearing the Swedish parts out loud, since I do not speak Swedish and I think I would have struggled more attempting to read those myself.

WOWZA.
I knew I didn't know very much about ABBA but wow- I feel like I do now. This book offers a thorough account of the history and CONTEXT of ABBA's musical career and where they are now. I really valued the option to listen to the book and hear pronunciations of many of the words I imagine I would have struggled with. I grew up listening to ABBA from my mom but I was really an A* Teens kind of gal- which I also appreciated learning about some of the history between the two. I found myself NEEDING to go listen to the music as the history of each song came up. I loved it :)

Enjoyable book about ABBA. I learned a lot but also felt like the translation was a little choppy. I had the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am only a casual fan of ABBA. Grew up listening to the group in the 1980s, when telling other people you listened to ABBA would get you beaten up. I did see and interview with the members not too long ago on CBS Sunday Morning, so I knew the basics of the group. I hoped this book would reveal more.

While this was an interesting listen, revealing layers to the group members who traditionally have been very private, I feel a better subtitle would have been “And the Times They Lived In.” There’s an incredible amount of cultural and societal analyzing of life in Sweden. There’s also the fact that ABBA influenced and continues to influence other singers, songwriters, and bands.

This book is very non-linear and hard to follow at times, jumping around from one thing to another. It’s also written in a way that assumes you already know a lot about the group already..

Narrated by Ian Hallard, he’s a bit underwhelming to listen to. Sort of dry, and his attempts at accents fail. Not sure I’d listen to something else he narrated. I’d say this book is for fans only, even though I appreciated the very private members granting the author interviews. Glad I got to listen/read this book, but I can’t imagine revisiting it ever again.

If you are looking for just the story of ABBA from point of origin to culmination of career this is not the book for you. Rather, Jan Gradvall provides a deep dive into the story of ABBA in the context of what was going on in the music scene and Sweden's culture and its significance at this time. This is a deep dive, not a broad brush stroke, which I found fascinating and impressive for all the research that was clearly required in this book. I came away understanding the origin of ABBA, but as importantly the context of their place in music history and in Swedish history as well. Lastly, I was blown away by the numerous musicians in this book who site ABBA among their favorites (I won't say any specific names so it doesn't ruin it for other readers - but one in particular, just wow!, huge surprise.) I would recommend this book to anyone who loves ABBA, for people who enjoy music history, and for readers who enjoy learning about other cultures. Very enjoyable and informative book!

I thank Jan Gradvall and NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.