The Swedish music sensation ABBA shot to fame in 1974 after they won the Eurovision song contest marking a career defining performance by the band famously known as the ‘Waterloo.’

ABBA gained a cult status ruling the 1970s and the 80s, and have remained relevant even today with their music often played in movies, clubs, and appearing on the Spotify charts.

The band made headlines again on Wednesday when its lead singer, Agnetha Faltskog announced the launch of her solo career at the age of 73. She is set to release her new single on Thursday.

Faltskog’s announcement brings back fond memories for ABBA fans, who are eagerly waiting to hear their favorite artist’s voice again.

Reigniting fans’ love for ABBA, Al Arabiya English has compiled a list of surprising yet little known facts about the band , from music blogsites thisdailyinmusic, Discover Music, People magazine, Daily Mail, and Discover Walks.

1.ABBA’s outlandish outfits were tax deductible

Under Swedish law, clothes were tax deductible as long as their owners could prove they were not used for daily wear. This encouraged the group to express their creativity to the fullest and dress in the outrageous costumes that went on to become an iconic symbol of the band, and saved tons of money in tax bill.

2. The band had to obtain permission to use the name ABBA

There was a seafood company with the name ABBA. After deciding to call their band ABBA, the group had to obtain permission from the company.
They agreed on the name ABBA – the initial letters of the four members names – after a competition was held to find a suitable name for the group in a Gothenburg newspaper. Other names in contention were ‘Alibaba,’ ‘FABB,’ and ‘Baba.’

3. ABBA’s first single together as ABBA was called ‘People Need Love.’

4. The most commonly mistaken ABBA lyric is from Dancing Queen.

People often sang ‘Chicken the Dancing Queen’ instead of ‘Digging the Dancing Queen.’ The second most misheard lyric according to many music websites is ‘Dancing queen, feel the meat on the tangerine.’

5. ABBA were paid in oil by Russia to perform

During the Cold War when the band was on tour in the Soviet Union, they made an unusual agreement to be paid in oil instead of Rubles, which were at the time subject to an embargo, according to multiple music blog sites.

6. Anni-Frid is a Royal

After her breakup with Abba member Benny, Anni-Frid began dating Heinrich Ruzzo, Prince Reuss of Plauen, a Swedish royalty. She married him in 1992, and became a princess.

7. ABBA was made up of two happy couples

The foursome consisted of Agnetha Faltskog who was married to Bjorn Ulvaeus and the other couple, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
During the band’s active years, the four were happily married, however, at the peak of the ABBA’s popularity, both relationships were suffering. Ulvaeus-Faltskog marriage ended in 1979 followed by Andersson and Lyngstad’s in 1981.

8. 3.5 million people applied for tickets for two dates to see ABBA at London’s Royal Albert Hall enough to fill the venue an astonishing 580 times.

9. Madonna begged to use ABBA’s music

According to several music blogs, in 2005 Madonna revealed that she wrote a letter to ABBA members, begging to use their music in one of her tracks.
The music sensation wanted permission to use ABBA’s 1979 disco hit ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme,’ for her single ‘Hung Up.’ Abba gave her the green light.

10. ABBA or Festfolk?

Before the band was called ABBA, they went by the name Festfolk, meaning party people in Swedish.