Japan is a very closed marked for so called "western" artists, and if an overseas act can get into the top 100 in Japan, they can say they had great success there. ABBA was one of the few who succeeded - a large part due to their 1978 promotional tour and 1980 live tour.
National chart positions for singles and albums from Oricon sent to me by Masanori Chiba. Some updates courtesy of Johnnyboy on UK Mix Forums, and via Tino Benson. Thank you very much indeed!
To see chart positions for the radio charts and a large Japanese discography, go to Murakami Chifumi's Oriental ABBALAND page, which I highly recommend.
Key to Abbreviations:
Date: This is the release date for the single or album - chart entry was usually within two to five weeks after this date.
Title: The title of the single or album. All singles are written with their B-sides listed - there were no double A-sides as far as I know.
HP(1): Highest position reached on the National Sales Chart - both Japanese and Foreign artists together, and if a number 1, the amount of weeks at that position.
Catalogue: This is the catalogue number assigned by the record company for the item.
Sales: Sales figures of some items, I suspect sales reported by record stores to the chart organisation.
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/1973 | Another Town, Another Train/People Need Love | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFL1796 | -- |
| 16/09/1973 | I Am Just A Girl/Ring Ring | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFL1809 | -- |
| 16/06/1974 | Waterloo/Watch Out | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFL1851 | -- |
| 27/10/1974 | Hasta Manana/Honey, Honey | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFL2011 | -- |
| 04/1975 | So Long/I've Been Waiting For You | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFL1809 | -- |
| 25/01/1976 | SOS/I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-1 | -- |
| 25/06/1976 | Mamma Mia/People Need Love | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-102 | -- |
| 25/09/1976 | Fernando/Tropical Loveland | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-107 | -- |
| 25/04/1977 | Dancing Queen/Tiger | 19 | 55 | Discomate DSP-112 | 350,000 |
| 25/07/1977 | That's Me/Money, Money, Money | 75 | 15 | Discomate DSP-115 | 40,000 |
| 25/11/1977 | The Name Of The Game/I Wonder (Departure) | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-116 | -- |
| 25/01/1978 | Take A Chance On Me/I'm A Marionette | 67 | 13 | Discomate DSP-118 | 38,000 |
| 25/07/1978 | Eagle/Thank You For The Music | 62 | 08 | Discomate DSP-121 | 24,000 |
| 05/10/1978 | Summer Night City/Medley | 24 | 26 | Discomate DSP-122 | 162,000 |
| 25/01/1979 | Chiquitita/Lovelight | 19 | 21 | Discomate DSP-126 | 135,000 |
| 05/07/1979 | Voulez-Vous/Kisses Of Fire | 18 | 20 | Discomate DSP-129 | 124,000 |
| 25/11/1979 | Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!/The King Has Lost His Crown | 17 | 26 | Discomate DSP-131 | 235,000 |
| 05/08/1980 | The Winner Takes It All/Elaine | 33 | 11 | Discomate DSP-205 | 64,000 |
| 05/12/1980 | On And On And On/The Piper | 52 | 11 | Discomate DSP-208 | 48,000 |
| 21/03/1981 | Super Trouper/If It Wasn't For The Nights | 93 | 02 | Discomate DSP-212 | 5,000 |
| 06/1981 | Slipping Through My Fingers | -- | -- | Discomate PD-105 | Promo |
| 20/12/1981 | One Of Us/Should I Laugh Or Cry | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-216 | -- |
| 21/03/1982 | Head Over Heels/Lay All Your Love On Me | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-218 | -- |
| 21/11/1982 | The Day Before You Came/Cassandra | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-222 | -- |
| 21/03/1983 | Under Attack/You Owe Me One | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-224 | -- |
| 25/01/2001 | SOS/Chiquitita | 15 | 11 | Universal UICY-5001 (CD) | 130,800 |
| 23/05/2001 | Dancing Queen/Eagle | -- | -- | Universal UICY-5005 (CD) | -- |
| Date | Title | HP(1) | TI | Catalogue | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ??/12/1973 | Ring Ring | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFX-5091 | -- |
| 25/08/1974 | Waterloo | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFX-5128 | -- |
| 25/10/1974 | The Best of ABBA | -- | -- | Phonogram Japan SFX-6008 | -- |
| 25/01/1976 | ABBA | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-4001 | -- |
| 25/05/1976 | All About ABBA | 66 | 09 | Discomate DSP-4002 | 20,580 |
| 25/05/1977 | Arrival | 03 | 123 | Discomate DSP-5102 | 644,680 |
| 25/10/1977 | Greatest Hits 24 | 04 | 72 | Discomate DSP-3012-13 | 321,130 |
| 25/02/1978 | ABBA - The Album | 09 | 66 | Discomate DSP-5105 | 236,810 |
| 25/08/1978 | Abba - The Movie | -- | -- | Discomate DCP-4002 | 77,960 |
| ??/09/1978 | Greatest Hits 20 | -- | -- | Discomate DCP-4003 | 234,000 |
| 01/05/1979 | Voulez-Vous | 01 (02) | 37 | Discomate DSP-5110 | 622,890 |
| 05/11/1979 | Greatest Hits Vol.2 | 02 | 51 | Discomate DSP-5113 | 935,190 |
| 21/07/1980 | Gracias Por La Musica | 26 | 13 | Discomate DSP-8002 | 33,660 |
| 05/12/1980 | Super Trouper | 08 | 23 | Discomate DSP-8004 | 218,510 |
| 05/07/1981 | The Very Best Of ABBA | 44 | 12 | Discomate DSP-3015-6 | 34,680 |
| 20/12/1981 | The Visitors | 12 | 18 | Discomate DSP-8006 | 228,320 |
| 21/06/1982 | Disco Special 1 | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-3024 | -- |
| 21/06/1982 | Disco Special 2 | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-3025 | -- |
| 21/06/1982 | Dancing Special | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-3026 | -- |
| 21/06/1982 | Love Sounds Special | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-3027 | -- |
| 25/10/1986 | ABBA Live | -- | -- | Polydor 28MM-0537 | -- |
| 08/11/1992 | ABBA Gold | 13 | 14 | Polydor Japan POCP-1246 | 107,180 |
| 07/07/1993 | More ABBA Gold | -- | -- | Polydor Japan POCP-1339 | -- |
| 01/12/1994 | Thank You For The Music | -- | -- | Polydor Japan POCP-9501/4 | -- |
| 07/01/1998 | Forever Gold | -- | -- | Polydor Japan POCP-9614/6 | -- |
| 26/11/1998 | Love Stories | -- | -- | Polydor Japan POCP-7340 | -- |
| ??/??/?? | Abba Gold (10th Anniversary Edition) | 160 | 10 | Polydor Japan | 10,731 |
| 01/05/2000 | Classic ABBA | -- | -- | Polydor Japan POCY-2001 | -- |
| 21/03/2001 | SOS - The Best of ABBA | 03 | 21 | Universal UICY-1040 | 566,090 |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/04/1983 | Never Again/Just For The Fun | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-225 |
| 21/07/1983 | Can't Shake Loose/Man | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-227 |
| 25/03/1988 | I Wasn't The One/If You Need Somebody Tonight | -- | -- | Warner-Pioneer P-2373 |
| ??/05/1988 | I'm So I'm So I'm So (I'm So In Love With You)/The Way You Are | -- | -- | Alfa ALI-203 |
| 21/07/1988 | Let It Shine/Maybe It Was Magic | -- | -- | Warner-Pioneer P-2415 |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ??/07/1983 | Wrap Your Arms Around Me | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-5119 | -- |
| 25/03/1988 | I Stand Alone | 93 | 01 | Warner-Pioneer P-13631 | 800 |
| ??/07/1998 | That's Me - Greatest Hits | -- | -- | Polydor Japan POCP-7307 | -- |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25/09/1982 | I Know There's Something Going On/Threnody | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-219 |
| 21/01/1983 | Tell Me It's Over/I Got Something | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-223 |
| 21/06/1983 | Here We'll Stay/Strangers | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-226 |
| 21/10/1984 | Shine/That's Tough | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-229 |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25/10/1982 | Something's Going On | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-5116 |
| 21/10/1984 | Shine | -- | -- | Discomate DSP-5122 |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ??/01/1966 | Cadillac/Mashed Potatoes | -- | -- | King HIT 1280 |
| ??/05/1966 | No Response/So Mystifying | -- | -- | Grammophon Japan DP1472 |
| ??/11/1966 | Sunny Girl/Hawaii | -- | -- | Grammophon Japan DP1505 |
| ??/04/1967 | Bald Headed Woman/Lonesome Town | -- | -- | Grammophon Japan DP1518 |
| ??/04/1968 | Cadillac/Mashed Potatoes | -- | -- | King HIT 1504 |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/02/1972 | She's My Kind Of Girl/Inga Theme | 07 | 22 | CBS/Sony Epic 83025 | 188,000 |
| ??/06/1972 | En Carousel/Tank Om Jorden Vore Ung | -- | -- | CBS/Sony ECPA16 | -- |
| ??/09/1972 | Bjorn & Benny Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (4 track 7" of 1st 2 singles) | -- | -- | CBS/Sony ECPE7 | -- |
| 11/12/1972 | Love Has Its Ways/Rock'N Roll Band | -- | -- | CBS/Sony EPCA49 | -- |
| Date | Title | HP | TI | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/03/1985 | Chess | -- | -- | RCA RPL-3044-5 |
| 21/03/1985 | One Night In Bangkok/Merano | -- | -- | RCA RPS-164 |
| 21/03/1985 | One Night In Bangkok/Merano (12 inch) | -- | -- | RCA RPS-1010 |
| 21/04/1985 | I Know Him So Well/Chess | -- | -- | RCA RPS-170 |
| 21/01/1986 | Pity The Child/The Deal (No Deal) | -- | -- | RCA RPS-189 |
| 21/02/1986 | Chess Pieces | -- | -- | RCA RPL-8327 |
Maintained by Trent Nickson.
Last updated: 13 March 2007.