Sweden’s Biggest Export: Reunited After 40 Years! (EP28)

The Derringer Brothers - Alton, Dave, and Paul - welcome a new member to the team: Laura Derringer.  They are now The Derringers (or Team Derringer).

The Derringers usually don’t talk about Money, Money, Money, which happens to be a hit song by ABBA, the world-renowned pop rock band featured in this episode.  However, since ABBA is from Stockholm, Sweden, the same place that is home to Spotify, the Derringers have been vigorously debating which entity is the bigger Swedish export: ABBA or Spotify!

Going against Spotify is the fact that, in FY2020, they posted a €581 million loss and FY2021 is not yet public.  In ABBA’s corner, the following factors give them a financial edge:

• The four members of ABBA - Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny, and Frida are each reportedly worth about €150 million.
• When ABBA does absolutely nothing, they still manage to generate around €2.5 million in royalties every year and have done so for the past 40 years.
• ABBA recently reunited after a 40-year break and their presence on the world stage is about to explode, starting in late-May 2022.

To celebrate the return of ABBA, the Derringers will undertake the following five tasks: (1) Reveal ABBA's Top Seven songs, as selected by ABBA-superfan Vivian and the four members of ABBA, as well as listener streams on Spotify; (2) Review the album Voyage, ABBA's first new collection in 40 years, and their upcoming ABBA-tar tour, scheduled to start in May 2022; (3) Consider whether Agnetha or Frida is the better singer; (4) Answer whether or not ABBA Jumped the Shark; and (5) Did they Cross the Rubicon?

The Derringers will relay interesting trivia, such as: (1) Why did Saturday Night Live (SNL) post a disclaimer on the TV screen during ABBA's performance in 1975? (2) What song sparked ABBA-mania in Australia? (3) Why did three of the members of ABBA sue their manager Stig Anderson? (4) Why didn't Frida join them in the lawsuit?

In addition, Derringer Discoveries will introduce you to a fantastic Swedish recording artist named Mats Dernánd.  Plus, the Post-Episode Bonus will feature Monique Angele, an up & coming singer-songwriter from Canada who now calls ABBA-mania Australia home.

And at the very end, Derringer Discoveries will reveal the #1 song on The Turnip Music Radio (TMR) Top 25 for the month of January 2022.

All of the songs discussed in this episode are included on Sweden's Biggest Export: Reunited After 40 Years! playlist.

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Your Sister's Room by Ho Jo Fro is the theme song for Derringer Discoveries.