Abstract
In 2017, the Swedish pop group ABBA began secretly recording new songs together for the first time since 1982. During their 35-year absence from music-making and public performance, ABBA nevertheless maintained both a huge, passionate fanbase, and a continual presence in the core repertoire of modern Anglophone pop music. Their endurance, not least in the LGBTQ+ community, prompted ABBA-related phenomena, which in turn increased the band’s popularity. Subsequent official ABBA ventures – the Gold: Greatest Hits compilation album (1992), plus the stage show, Mamma Mia! (1999), and its subsequent film adaptations (2008, 2018) – led to the emergence of newer ‘waves’ of ABBA fandom.
This thesis examines ABBA fandom, developing understanding of the dynamics of popular music fans’ behaviour and discourse. Showing how fans engage with ABBA’s music, with each other, with representations of fans, and with the object(s) of their adoration – ABBA themselves – the thesis problematises notions of music fans, conceptualising ABBA core fan social imaginaries and practices. Using dialogic, hybrid ethnography, it asks whether there are better ways to investigate the band’s enduring popularity than by only talking about core fans, looking at the role of music in both ABBA fandom and more generalised listenership. The thesis questions how ABBA fans interpret terminology used about them, and if ABBA fans have any unifying characteristics beyond the pop group. Due consideration is also given to whether core ABBA fandom can be deemed a reciprocal relationship with the band. Through its exploration of what being an ABBA fan or listener means, this thesis probes ideas involving people beyond the band’s long-lasting and important group of core fans, prompting findings applicable to all music fandoms. It celebrates the band and its loyal followers, saying ‘Thank You for the Music’ (1977) to ABBA and highlighting their fans as a unique research case study.
This thesis examines ABBA fandom, developing understanding of the dynamics of popular music fans’ behaviour and discourse. Showing how fans engage with ABBA’s music, with each other, with representations of fans, and with the object(s) of their adoration – ABBA themselves – the thesis problematises notions of music fans, conceptualising ABBA core fan social imaginaries and practices. Using dialogic, hybrid ethnography, it asks whether there are better ways to investigate the band’s enduring popularity than by only talking about core fans, looking at the role of music in both ABBA fandom and more generalised listenership. The thesis questions how ABBA fans interpret terminology used about them, and if ABBA fans have any unifying characteristics beyond the pop group. Due consideration is also given to whether core ABBA fandom can be deemed a reciprocal relationship with the band. Through its exploration of what being an ABBA fan or listener means, this thesis probes ideas involving people beyond the band’s long-lasting and important group of core fans, prompting findings applicable to all music fandoms. It celebrates the band and its loyal followers, saying ‘Thank You for the Music’ (1977) to ABBA and highlighting their fans as a unique research case study.
| Original language | English |
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| Qualification | Ph.D. |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisors/Advisors |
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| Award date | 1 Apr 2025 |
| Publication status | Unpublished - 2025 |
Keywords
- ABBA
- pop music
- fandom
- listeners
- ethnography