ABBA // Gold (Greatest Hits) CD, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered, 30th Anniversary Edition (UK, 2004)

Issued in the UK in 2004 as a remastered 30th anniversary edition, Gold (Greatest Hits) reflects the remarkable longevity of ABBA’s catalogue and the continued international demand for their recordings decades after their original release period. By the time of this edition, the compilation had already become one of the defining retrospective releases in modern pop music, functioning not simply as a greatest hits package but as a condensed overview of the group’s cultural impact.

What gives Gold its unusual durability is the consistency of the material itself. Across the compilation, ABBA’s recordings reveal a level of melodic precision and studio control that helped distinguish them from many contemporaries in 1970s and early-1980s pop music. Multi-layered harmonies, highly structured arrangements, and carefully balanced production create recordings that remain immediately recognisable while still rewarding close listening.

The remastered 2004 edition revisits these recordings with updated audio presentation intended to preserve the clarity and depth of the original studio productions. Rather than altering the character of the material, the release emphasises the polished craftsmanship that became central to ABBA’s identity, from rhythm-driven singles to more orchestral and emotionally restrained compositions.

As a compilation, Gold also demonstrates how ABBA’s music moved beyond its original chart context to become part of a wider shared pop vocabulary across multiple generations. The collection remains closely associated with the group’s enduring global visibility, preserving recordings that continue to circulate far beyond the era in which they were first produced.

Label: Polar - 9819297, Universal - 9819297
Format: CD, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered, 30th Anniversary
Country: UK
Released: 2004

Tracklist

1 Dancing Queen 3:51
2 Knowing Me, Knowing You 4:01
3 Take A Chance On Me 4:04
4 Mamma Mia 3:32
5 Lay All Your Love On Me 4:34
6 Super Trouper 4:12
7 I Have A Dream 4:42
8 The Winner Takes It All 4:54
9 Money, Money, Money 3:06
10 S.O.S 3:20
11 Chiquitita 5:24
12 Fernando 4:13
13 Voulez-Vous 5:09
14 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) 4:50
15 Does Your Mother Know 3:13
16 One Of Us 3:55
17 The Name Of The Game 4:51
18 Thank You For The Music 3:49
19 Waterloo 2:48

Companies, etc.

Licensed To - Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Polar Music International AB
Copyright (c) - Polar Music International AB
Manufactured By - Sony DADC

Credits

Artwork [30th Anniversary Artwork Update] - Fold 7
Compiled By - Chris Griffin (4), George McManus, Ingemar Bergman, Jackie Stansfield, John Tobler, John Waller
Design – Icon (21)
Liner Notes - Carl Magnus Palm
Producer - B. Andersson, B. Ulvaeus
Remastered By [Digitally] - Jon Astley, Michael B. Tretow
Written-By - B. Andersson, B. Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 10, 12, 17, 19)

Notes

This version was pressed by Sony DADC and is otherwise identical to another UK version pressed by Universal M & L in the UK.

Re-issued in 2004 with gold coloured artwork to coincide with the 30th Anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision Song Contest.

A limited edition version with bonus DVD was also available.

Digitally remastered in 24 bit from the original master tracks (same master as on the 1999 release).

Standard Jewel Case.

Insert includes biography essay by Carl Magnus Palm, with thanks to Ian Cole.

All songs c 1974-1981 Polar Music International AB, published by Universal/Union Songs AB, except 11 published by Music For Unicef.

This compilation:
p 1992 Polar Music International AB.
c 2004 Polar Music International AB.
Exclusively licensed to Polydor Ltd (UK).
Made in the EU.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Barcode (Printed): 6 02498 19297 9
Barcode (Scanned): 602498192979
Rights Society: BIEM / MCPS
Label Code: LC00309
Matrix / Runout (Variant 1, 2): Sony DADC 9819297 01
Mastering SID Code (Variant 1, 2): IFPI LY33
Mould SID Code (Variant 1): IFPI AEW36
Mould SID Code (Variant 2): IFPI AEW40
Mould SID Code (Variant 3): IFPI AEW39