"SOS"
Single by ABBA
from the album ABBA
Released	June, 1975 (Sweden) September 8, 1975 (US) September 20, 1975 (UK)
Format	7" Single
Genre	Pop/Europop
Length	3:23
Writer(s)	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Producer(s)	Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson
Certification	N/A
Chart positions
#1 (AUS) #6 (UK) #15 (USA) #16 (Canada)
ABBA singles chronology
"I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" (1975)	"SOS" (1975)	"Bang-a-Boomerang" (1975)

"SOS" is the third single from ABBA's self-titled 1975 album, their third for Polar Music, and their second for Epic and Atlantic. It was released with "Man in the Middle" as its B-side. "SOS" is, so far, the only palindromic song by a palindromic artist/group (the only such single ever to chart in the U.S. at least). "SOS" by ABBA holds the record for the (non-eponymous) single with the least different letters making up an artist and single, with just four letters. Agnetha Fältskog recorded the song with lyrics in Swedish on her 1975 solo album "Elva kvinnor i ett hus". Image File history File links SOS_-_Man_In_The_Middle. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... “Abba” redirects here. ... ABBA, the third album by the band of the same name, was first released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-sides, often accompanied by several B-sides—usually remixes or other songs. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For popular music (music produced commercially rather than art or folk music), see Popular music. ... Europop refers to a style of pop music that developed in Europe throughout the 1970s which emphasized catchy beats, slick songs and frothy lyrics. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Björn Ulvaeus in 1999 Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (Swedish IPA: ) (born April 25, 1945) is a Swedish musician and composer, most notable as a member of ABBA. Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg, but as a child he moved with his family to Västervik. ... Image:Benny Andersson. ... Bust of Stikkan Anderson in his native Hova. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Björn Ulvaeus in 1999 Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (Swedish IPA: ) (born April 25, 1945) is a Swedish musician and composer, most notable as a member of ABBA. Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg, but as a child he moved with his family to Västervik. ... Image:Benny Andersson. ... Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has sold a certain number of copies. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... “Abba” redirects here. ... I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do was a hit single for the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was one of the first singles released from their ABBA, album. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Bang-a-Boomerang was a song by Swedish pop band ABBA from the bands third eponymous studio album and was released as a single in France in 1975. ... “Abba” redirects here. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Polar Music is a Swedish record company founded in 1963 by Stig Anderson and his friend Bengt Bernhag. ... Epic Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... see also Alexadrome For the movie, see Palindromes (film) Look up Palindrome in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Agnetha Ã…se Fältskog (born April 5, 1950 in Jönköping) is a Swedish pop singer. ... // Elva kvinnor i ett hus (Eleven women in one house), released on December 1, 1975, was the last solo-album in the Swedish language by Swedish pop singer Agnetha Fältskog. ...

The song

"SOS" was written by Stig Anderson, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus, performed by ABBA, and produced by Andersson and Ulvaeus. The title itself was coined by Stig Anderson, though the lyrics that he provided were rewritten by Ulvaeus. "SOS" was among the first three songs recorded for the group's upcoming 1975 album, ABBA. Bust of Stikkan Anderson in his native Hova. ... Image:Benny Andersson. ... Björn Ulvaeus in 1999 Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (Swedish IPA: ) (born April 25, 1945) is a Swedish musician and composer, most notable as a member of ABBA. Ulvaeus was born in Gothenburg, but as a child he moved with his family to Västervik. ... ABBA, the third album by the band of the same name, was first released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ...

Despite the song's catchiness, it was passed over as the lead single from the album; the track "So Long" was chosen instead. Although "So Long" wasn't the strongest song ABBA had, it was chosen primarily because it had the same uptempo beat as their 1974 hit single, "Waterloo." So Long is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA and was the third single they released in 1974 and the first from ABBAs forthcoming studio-album ABBA. It was backed by Ive Been Waiting for You, also a new composition. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The English language version of Waterloo is the first single from ABBAs album Waterloo, their second album for Polar, and their first album for Epic and Atlantic. ...

The descending chords and ominous synthesizer melody line of the introduction set the tone for Faltskog’s vocals, sounding almost as if she were breaking down in tears. By now, ABBA had mastered the art of creating pure pop, and, moreover, they were doing it on their own terms, within a soundscape that was all their own.

Chart Success

"SOS" was the song that put ABBA back on the worldwide charts. It was their UK comeback, where it reached number six, and a U.S. top twenty single. More importantly, it touched off "Abbamania" in Australia, where it, along with other singles "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "Mamma Mia," occupied the top spot for record weeks at that time. It also topped the charts in New Zealand, and countries as diverse as Mexico, South Africa, Belgium and West Germany. "SOS" was a top ten hit in Austria, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do was a hit single for the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was one of the first singles released from their ABBA, album. ... For the play of the same name, please see Mamma Mia! Mamma Mia is a song from ABBAs third album, ABBA, and was first released on the ABBA album in April 1975. ...

From this point on, ABBA was guaranteed as a force in 1970s popular music, no longer regarded as Eurovision one-hit wonders.

Comprehensive charts

Miscellanea

"SOS" has a number of musical fans: John Lennon and Pete Townshend had both declared that it was one of their favourite pop songs. Peter Cetera also released a cover version of the song some two decades later (Cetera's love of ABBA has been evidenced in not only his covering "SOS," but in his producing of her 1987 solo album I Stand Alone which included a duet (I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)). John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... Peter Paul Cetera (born September 13, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, USA) is an American singer, songwriter, bass guitar player and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career. ... In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... I Stand Alone was released in 1987 by Agnetha Fältskog. ... I Wasnt The One (Who Said Goodbye) was the second single from Agnetha Fältskogs third English-language album I Stand Alone, released in 1987. ...

Released in the early 1980's the "Stars on 45 Medley 2" started off with a bunch of 60's songs then ended the last third with several ABBA songs. This section of the medley kicked off with the song SOS, followed by Money Money Money/Knowing Me, Knowing You/Fernando/The Winner Takes It All/Super Trouper 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Stars on 45 were a Dutch novelty pop act that was briefly very popular in the UK, Europe and the US in the very early 1980s. ...

The punk rock band The Sex Pistols used the riff of SOS as the intro for their track Pretty Vacant. Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The Sex Pistols in 1977. ... Pretty Vacant was the third single released by punk band the Sex Pistols. ...

The ska band Mad Caddies covered SOS on their The Holiday Has Been Cancelled EP. Ska is a Jamaica-originated music genre that combines elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. ... The Mad Caddies are a third wave ska band from Solvang, California. ... The Holiday Has Been Cancelled is the first EP released by The Mad Caddies Falling Down – 3:09 Nobody Wins At The Laundromat – 1:59 Somethings Wrong At The Playground – 2:10 Destro – 2:25 S.O.S. – 3:12 Categories: | | | ...

In 1989, Austrian group Edelweiss used the melody behind "SOS" as part of their biggest-selling single "Bring me Edelweiss" 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edelweiss was an Austrian band which had two single hits: Bring me Edelweiss in 1988/1989; Starship Edelweiss in 1992 from the album Wonderful World of Edelweiss. The band used a lot humour and sexually suggestive lyrics in its music. ...

In 2000, "SOS" is the main theme song in Lukas Moodysson's film Tillsammans. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Karl Frederik Lukas Moodysson (born January 17, 1969) is a Swedish film writer and director. ... Tillsammans (Together) is Swedish director Lukas Moodyssons second full length film. ...

In 2001 "SOS" was the biggest selling single by an international artist in Japan, selling 130,000 copies. ^[1] 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2002 "SOS" was awarded gold at the 17th Japan Gold Disc Awards 2002. ^[2]. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

References