ABBA Discography Tube Map Art Print

Why this ABBA discography tube map art makes a gift fans keep

A gift for ABBA fans who know every song and not one of the musicians who played on them, because this draws all nine albums with every credited player as their own line. They already own the records, and most ABBA presents arrive covered in sequins. This one takes the records seriously.

The stations run chronologically from Ring Ring in 1973 to Voyage in 2021, with branch lines for the one-off players.

ABBA never changed line-up. All four run the full width of the map, which is rare enough on its own, and it means the interest sits in the players around them.

Not an algorithm - every connection on this map was made by hand, by an obsessive fan. I worked from the sleeve credits, which is how an uncredited session keyboardist ended up on there.

Contributing musicians on the map

Agnetha Fältskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson are credited on all nine albums. Björn Ulvaeus plays on the first eight and is credited on Voyage as associate producer rather than as a player, so his line changes character at the final station.

The longest sideman line belongs to Lasse Wellander. He first plays guitar on the 1975 album and is still there on Voyage, forty-six years later, making it the second-longest continuous line on the whole print.

Ola Brunkert on drums and Rutger Gunnarsson on bass each hold eight albums, from Ring Ring through to The Visitors. Janne Schaffer plays guitar across the first seven, and Roger Palm drums on Dancing Queen.

Voulez-Vous in 1979 is the busiest station, because part of it was cut in Miami. George Terry, Ish Ledesma, Joe Galdo, Arnold Paseiro and Paul Harris all appear there and nowhere else.

The oddest credit on the map is on Waterloo. John "Rabbit" Bundrick plays keyboards on one track and is not credited on the album sleeve at all, which is the sort of thing that only shows up when you go through the sessions one by one.

Voyage brings in the Children's Choir of Stockholm International School and Margareta Bengtson on harp, forty-eight years after the first station.

How do I make each print?

Each one is a Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper with a textured matte finish, archival and acid-free, so the colours hold for years. Choose A2 or A1, unframed or framed, ready to hang in a hallway, living room or studio.

FAQ

How many albums are on the map?
Nine studio albums, from Ring Ring in 1973 to Voyage in 2021.

Did ABBA ever change line-up?
No. All four are credited across the catalogue, which is why their lines run the full width of the print.

Who is the longest-serving musician outside the four?
Lasse Wellander, on guitar, from the 1975 album through to Voyage.

Why is a musician on the map who is not on the sleeve?
Because the sessions say he played. John "Rabbit" Bundrick's keyboard part on "Waterloo" is uncredited on the album.

Which album has the most guest musicians?
Voulez-Vous in 1979, partly recorded in Miami with a group of American session players.

What are the framing options?
Unframed, or supplied framed and ready to hang.

Related Music Maps

Browse the full range of gifts for music fans at the Gifts for Music Fans collection and the Music Icons collection at mikebellmaps.com.

John "Rabbit" Bundrick connects this map to two others, so the Who Discography Map Art Print and the Bob Marley Discography Map Art Print are unexpected companion pieces.