ABBA mania continues to grip the UK as MAMMA MIA! The Movie Soundtrack Featuring The Songs Of ABBA has become the UK’s biggest-selling music release. As well as outselling its nearest compilation chart rivals by three to one, the star-studded soundtrack also outsold leading artist albums by Basshunter, Sharleen Spiteri and Coldplay to become the week’s biggest seller, according to Official Charts Company figures. Mamma Mia! – which sold 60% more copies last week than Basshunter - is the first soundtrack to top the charts since the Bridget Jones OST was released seven years ago in 2001.
MAMMA MIA! also debuted at #7 in the US Billboard album chart last week, giving ABBA their first ever US top ten album. After just two weeks on sale, the album has shipped 865,000 copies worldwide and is already Top 10 in seven countries.
Today also sees Gold – ABBA’s Greatest Hits shoot back into the top five of the UK albums chart. ABBA Gold is the fourth biggest-selling album of all time in the UK, trailing only Queen's Greatest Hits, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Oasis' What's The Story Morning Glory.
Mixed, mastered and produced by ABBA’s original musical geniuses Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack features songs sung by the superstar cast of the film; whether it’s Meryl Streep and Julie Walters making their mark on Dancing Queen, Pierce Brosnan and Meryl’s upbeat rendition of SOS, or the dazzling cast ensemble song and dance numbers such as Voulez-Vous, the Mamma Mia! soundtrack has it all.
HMV’s Gennaro Castaldo comments: "The music featured in a film is increasingly a key component of its success, so it's no surprise that more and more people are buying soundtrack albums for the great songs they often feature. Throw in the iconic music of Abba, who probably has the widest appeal of any group, and you have a major hit on your hands - The Mamma Mia soundtrack has been HMV's biggest selling album of the past week."