Best ABBA Songs to Learn on Guitar

On this page, you'll find 15 of their greatest hits including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, and Fernando—each paired with a play-along demo, rhythm breakdown, and purchase link for the full lesson.

Whether you're a beginner or seasoned strummer, these timeless classics will bring energy and nostalgia to your playing.

Chiquitita was released by ABBA in 1979 as part of their album "Voulez-Vous." Originally not planned as a single, the band changed their minds after completing the recording, recognizing its potential impact.

The title "Chiquitita" translates to "little one" in Spanish, reflecting the tenderness embedded in the song's lyrics. Notably, ABBA demonstrated their philanthropic spirit by donating half of the royalties generated by the track to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.

The band's decision to release versions of the song in both English and Spanish broadened its global appeal, contributing to its massive international success. "Chiquitita" remains a cherished piece in ABBA's discography, showcasing their musical prowess and compassionate engagement with social causes.

Dancing Queen, released in 1976,  stands out as their sole number one hit in the United States. Despite being their only chart-topper in the U.S., the song achieved immense success globally, becoming a sensation in numerous countries.

Notably, "Dancing Queen" was crafted by the male members of the group, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, as a deliberate move to embrace the disco trend that dominated the music scene in the mid to late 1970s. With its upbeat tempo and catchy melody, the song perfectly encapsulated the disco vibe of the era.

Over the years, "Dancing Queen" has not only retained its popularity but has also become a widely covered and recognized ABBA classic, showcasing the group's ability to craft timeless and universally appealing music.

Does Your Mother Know is a song by a famous Swedish pop group called ABBA. It was the second single from their album called Voulez-Vous.

The song was recorded in February 1979 and then released as a single in April of that year. It was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. When they first recorded it, Ulvaeus sang the guide vocal, and they decided to keep his voice for the final version.

"Does Your Mother Know" became a big hit for ABBA. It reached number 1 in Belgium and made it to the top 5 in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Finland. It was also popular in other countries like Australia, Canada, West Germany, Rhodesia, and Switzerland. In the UK, it's one of ABBA's most popular songs, even in 2021.

In 2019, they re-released the single on a special kind of record called a picture disc.

This song Fernando, was not on any previous ABBA album but was written specifically for Anni-Frid-Lyngstada's album and latter placed on their Greatest Hits album in 1976 as an "extra" track.

They changed the name to Fernando after the name of a bartender at a local bar in Stockholm where they would gather for a drink.

A Swedish, Spanish and English version was released and with the English lyrics being a much different story than the other versions.

Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie was a single release and not from any individual album.The song was never released as a single.

Hasta Manana was the last single from the groups 1074 album Waterloo. It was a top 20 in Australia and a top 10 in New Zealand on it's first release in 1974. They re-released the songs again as a single in 1976 and it made it to #2 in South Africa.

I Have A Dream was written by the two male members of ABBA in 1976 but the band never released it as a single until Dec 1979 when it hit the top of the charts in many countries.

It's the only ABBA song that has non ABBA members singing on their song. This was a group of school kids from the international School Of Stockholm.

I've Been Waiting For You is a track from the 1975 album ABBA.

At first, it was the B-side to another song called "So Long." Later, it was also included on their album called ABBA, which came out in April 1975.

In Australia, they released it as a single in 1975 with another song called "King Kong Song" on the other side. It reached number 49 on the charts there. In New Zealand, it was released as a single in 1977 and reached number 8 on the charts.

In 2018, "I've Been Waiting for You" was released again on July 13th. This time, it was part of the soundtrack for the movie Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. The song was released by Capitol and Polydor Records.

Knowing Me, Knowing You is a song recorded by the famous Swedish pop group ABBA. They released it in February 1977 as the third single from their album called Arrival, which came out in 1976. The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, and it features Anni-Frid Lyngstad as the lead singer.

They recorded "Knowing Me, Knowing You" in 1976 at the Metronome Studios in Stockholm. Then, they released it as a single in February 1977, and it became one of their most successful hits.

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" was one of the first ABBA songs that talked about a breakup in a relationship. It came out before any of the ABBA members got divorced. Later, they would release more songs about breakups, like "The Winner Takes It All," "One of Us," and "When All Is Said and Done."

Benny Andersson, one of the group members, said in a 2004 interview that "Knowing Me, Knowing You" was one of ABBA's best recordings, along with songs like "Dancing Queen," "The Winner Takes It All," and "When I Kissed the Teacher."

Mamma Mia, which means "my mother" in Italian but in reality equates to the English expression "my my", was released as a single in 1975.

A music video for this song certainly helped promote their bands image and the song itself.

In 1981 Slipping Through My Fingers, from "The Visitors" album, was released as a single, but only in Japan.

 It was the only song as there was no recording on the B-side, just the picture of the group standing on a Coca-Cola logo. Now that's strange.

SOS is a song by ABBA released in June 1975 as the fifth single from their album titled ABBA, which came out in the same year.

The song was released with another song called "Man in the Middle" on the other side of the record. Agnetha Fältskog, one of the singers in ABBA, recorded a Swedish version of the song for her solo album which came out in 1975.

"SOS" became a big hit for ABBA worldwide, following their earlier success with "Waterloo." It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson and was recorded in Sweden in August 1974.

"SOS" helped ABBA regain popularity and became a top 10 hit in many countries. It reached number 6 in the UK and number 4 in Ireland, starting a streak of 18 consecutive top 10 hits for ABBA in the UK and Ireland. The song reached number 1 in several countries including Australia, Belgium, France, West Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa.

It was also a top 3 hit in several other countries.

The Winner Takes It All was released as the first single from their album called Super Trouper in 1980. It's a bit of a sad song about the end of a relationship.

The song became a big hit, reaching number 1 in many countries, including the UK, where it was their eighth chart-topper. It was also one of ABBA's last top 10 hits in the United States. It was written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, and Agnetha Fältskog sang the lead.

In a poll done by Channel 5 in 1999, "The Winner Takes It All" was voted as Britain's favorite ABBA song.

Björn Ulvaeus said he was drinking whiskey when he wrote it, and it was the quickest he ever wrote lyrics. He said the words just came to him in one hour. When he showed the lyrics to Agnetha Fältskog, she got emotional and had tears in her eyes because the words affected her so much.

Waterloo was released as the single that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. It marked ABBA's breakthrough on the international music scene, propelling them to fame and launching their successful career.

The song is an upbeat and catchy pop tune, with a driving beat and memorable hooks. Its lyrics tell the story of a person who surrenders to love, likening it to the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo. The song's title references this historical event, using it as a metaphor for a decisive and dramatic moment in a romantic relationship.

"Waterloo" was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson, the primary songwriting team behind ABBA's success. It was produced with ABBA's signature polished sound, featuring lush vocal harmonies, catchy melodies, and upbeat instrumentation.

Upon its release, "Waterloo" became an instant hit, reaching the top of the charts in numerous countries around the world. It solidified ABBA's reputation as one of the leading pop acts of the 1970s and remains one of their most iconic and beloved songs to this day.

When I Kissed the Teacher is a song from ABBA's album Arrival, which came out in 1976. They started recording the song on June 14, 1976, originally naming it "Rio de Janeiro." Eventually, they changed it to "When I Kissed the Teacher."

The song has fun, light-hearted lyrics about a student who has a crush on her teacher. One day, she can't help herself and kisses him. The music is upbeat and lively. Benny Andersson, one of the members of ABBA, really liked this song bu the song failed to chart in the US and it's highest chart position was in Hungray reaching #15.