Head over Heels (ABBA song): Difference between revisions

For other songs of the same name, see Head Over Heels.

"Head over Heels"
Song

"Head over Heels" is a 1981 song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA, released as a single in early 1982. It was extracted from their final studio album, The Visitors, and coupled with the title track of that album as the B-side.

History

"Head over Heels" was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The lead vocal was sung by Agnetha Fältskog, singing about her "very good friend," played in the music video by Anni-Frid Lyngstad, an overactive high-society woman who rushes through the shops, with her hapless and exhausted husband (played by Ulvaeus) following behind. The song begins with a catchy fairground-style rhythm, with Andersson on piano, and is a very upbeat tune, considering that by this time, ABBA's single and album releases had become more and more sombre and depressing in the wake of the breakup of both marriages in the group.

Reception

"Head over Heels" was not by any means a successful chart hit by ABBA's standards. The release came as the group's popularity was declining, and only managed to chart as high as No.25 in the UK, breaking a run of eighteen consecutive Top 10 hits (from "SOS" in October 1975 to "One of Us" in December 1981). This eighteen-hit run had equalled that of The Beatles, who had consecutive Top 10 hits from 1964 (with "A Hard Day's Night") to 1976 (with "Yesterday"), broken by "Back in the U.S.S.R.". Although "Head over Heels" did experience Top 10 success in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and France, by this time, ABBA's chart domination was all but over, and the group effectively disbanded a year later.

Chart positions

Chart (1982)	Position
Belgian Singles Chart	2
Dutch Singles Chart	4
Austrian Singles Chart	8
French Singles Chart	10
Swiss Singles Chart	18
UK Singles Chart	25
Mexican Singles Chart	45