Composer guide

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote the songs of ABBA, then took their talent for melody to the stage. Our library includes both of their Broadway shows: Chess and Mamma Mia!.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus musicals in our library

Chess (1988)
Their first musical, written with Tim Rice; a 1984 concept album that became a London hit but a short-lived 1988 Broadway show.
Mamma Mia! (2001)
Their biggest stage success, a 2001 Broadway jukebox hit built from ABBA songs that ran 5,773 performances.

Who are Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus?

Benny Andersson (born 1946) and Björn Ulvaeus (born 1945) met in Sweden in 1966 and began writing songs together. With Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad they formed ABBA, which won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo" and became one of the best-selling pop groups ever.

Their music combines catchy pop hooks with rich harmonies, Swedish folk melody, and a love of big, dramatic chord changes. On stage they have worked with lyricist Tim Rice on Chess and with playwright Catherine Johnson, who built Mamma Mia! around their ABBA catalog.

Their stage musicals in order

Chess began as a 1984 concept album written with Tim Rice, which produced the hits "One Night in Bangkok" and "I Know Him So Well." It opened in London's West End in 1986. The 1988 Broadway version, with a new book by Richard Nelson, closed after 68 performances, but a 2025 Broadway revival with a book by Danny Strong gave the score a new hearing.

Kristina från Duvemåla (1995), a Swedish-language epic based on Vilhelm Moberg's novels about emigrants to America, was a major success in Sweden. Mamma Mia! opened in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, where it ran 5,773 performances, then returned to Broadway in 2025. A 2008 film became a worldwide hit, and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, drew on even more of their songs.

Legacy, awards, and where to start

Mamma Mia! closed in 2015 as the ninth-longest-running show in Broadway history, and the London production is still running. Its success helped turn the jukebox musical into a major Broadway genre. ABBA was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, and the pair later created ABBA Voyage, a digital concert show that opened in London in 2022.

Start with Mamma Mia!, on stage or through the 2008 film with Meryl Streep. Then listen to the Chess concept album to hear their most ambitious theatre writing, including "Anthem."

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus: frequently asked questions

Who wrote the songs in Mamma Mia!?

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote the songs for ABBA, and the musical reuses more than 20 of those hits. Catherine Johnson wrote the book that ties the songs into a story.

Did ABBA write Chess?

Two members did. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus wrote the music for Chess with lyricist Tim Rice, but it is not an ABBA project and does not use ABBA songs.

How long did Mamma Mia! run on Broadway?

The original production ran at the Winter Garden Theatre from October 2001 to September 2015, a total of 5,773 performances. It returned to the same theatre for a limited engagement beginning in August 2025.

What musicals did Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus write?

Their stage musicals are Chess (1984 album, 1986 London), Kristina från Duvemåla (1995), and Mamma Mia! (1999 London, 2001 Broadway).

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