Head over Heels (ABBA song)

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

"Head over Heels"
Song

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

"Head over Heels" was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, recorded in 1981. The lead vocals were 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 Björn Ulvaeus) following behind. The song begins with a catchy fairground-style rhythm, played by Benny Andersson on piano, and is very upbeat, considering that by this time, ABBA's singles and album releases had become more and more sombre and depressing in the wake of the breakup of both marriages in the group.

Chart success

"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 United Kingdom, breaking a run of eighteen consecutive top-ten hits (from "S.O.S." in October 1975 to "One of Us" in December 1981). This eighteen-hit run had equaled that of The Beatles, who had consecutive top-ten hits from 1964 (with "A Hard Day's Night") to 1976 (with "Yesterday"), broken by "Back in the U.S.S.R." "Head over Heels" did experience Top 10 success in Belgium (No.2), the Netherlands (No.4), Austria (No.8), and France (No.10). However, by this time, ABBA's chart domination was all but over, and the group effectively disbanded a year later.