As of July 2, ABBA's definitive compilation album ABBA Gold has become the first to spend 1,000 weeks in the UK chart. Released in September 1992, the album has not left the chart since and is the second biggest-selling record of all time. Its UK sales of 5.61 million is eclipsed only by Queen's Greatest Hits.

Charts boss Martin Talbot praised the Swedish pop group to the BBC. "A solid 20 years of chart presence is quite remarkable," he said, noting ABBA's unique cross-generational appeal.

Whilst ABBA's popularity has never diminished, the release of ABBA Gold spurred on the formation of the stage show Mamma Mia! and its subsequent movie musicals Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Each of these new projects has seen ABBA Gold spike in the UK chart, where it currently resides at number 17. Rising to this position from last week's number 23, the record has not dipped below the top 100 since July 2017.

“Not bad for four old turnips,” ABBA’s Benny Andersson joked in the press statement responding to the news.

Pitchfork recently praised the album, calling it the blueprint for the greatest hits format. It identified how the album managed to "[round] up all of the Swedish pop band's international smashes into a refined package with surprising emotional range".

Despite championing the golden oldies, ABBA has promised new music. Speaking with The Herald Sun this year, Björn Ulvaeus said, “there will be new music this year, that is definite. It’s not a case anymore of it might happen, it will happen.”

However, a line was drawn at the suggestion of an ABBA biopic. “I certainly know myself I wouldn’t want an actor – not while I’m alive – to play me on the big screen and I don’t think the others would like that either,” Ulvaeus says.

listen to ABBA's The Winner Takes It All below