ABBA - "When All is Said and Done"

(Debuted January 9, 1982, Peaked #27, 14 Weeks on the Chart)

ABBA enjoyed a phenomenal career in almost every country they targeted. Except the U.S.

Let me elaborate...yes, they had several big singles (including the #1 "Dancing Queen" in 1977), but their American success was dwarfed in comparison to what they did nearly everywhere else: all across Europe, in Australia, South Africa and even in Mexico, as they recorded several of their songs in Spanish for that market.

By 1982, the end was near. The band that once consisted of two married couples were now four divorced individuals who were ready to try new avenues. Indeed, the lyrics of "When All is Said and Done" were written as Benny Andersson and Frida Lyngstad, who was also the main vocalist on the song, were going through their divorce. Soon afterward, Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus were writing the music for the play Chess and Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog were both recording solo records. While ABBA never officially called it quits, they never recorded another album together.

As it turned out, "When All is Said and Done" would be their final Top 40 hit in the U.S. The title is fitting, even though it wasn't the plan to have it that way.