"In your hands, the birth of a new day... " (Limahl)

2 February 2018

#ABBAWorldCup: Format, Results and FAQ

Hi and Welcome to my #ABBAWorldCup information page!

Introduction

I set up #ABBAWorldCup in January 2018. That's the name of this game, which places all of ABBA's singles into a series of Twitter Polls, in a format similar to a sporting World Cup. 

I will be using the tournament to fundraise for the Disability Law Service, which provides advice and support for disabled people in pursuing their everyday legal rights. 

#ABBAWorldCup has taken a lot of time to prepare and run.  If you are enjoying it...

PLEASE DONATE HERE!!!!

You may read more about the DLS and its work at their official website.

Please scroll down for full rules and format.

Results and Fixtures

ROUND 1

(Q = qualified to round 2, where they will join ABBA's 26 UK Top 40 hits which have already been given a bye). 

(Songs in Red = the four highest third-placed songs shall enter a play-off, of which two of these will go through to round 2).

Group A

That’s Me                            18% (Q)

I’m a Marionette                  10%

Crazy World                        18% (3rd)

The Visitors                        54% (Q)



(Group A Tie-breaker: That’s Me (59%) beat Crazy World (41%))



Group B



People Need Love 9% (3rd)

Slipping Through My Fingers 43% (Q)

Move On 7%

Eagle 41% (Q)



Group C



Suzy-Hang-Around 6% (Jt 3rd)

Lovelight 50% (Q)

Me and I 38% (Q)

Elaine 6% (Jt 3rd)



Group D



The Way Old Friends Do 31% (Q)

Dream World 6%

Bang-a-Boomerang 49% (Q)

Dance While the Music Goes On 14% (3rd)



Group E



I Saw it in The Mirror 9%

Rock ‘n Roll Band 18% (3rd)

Man in the Middle 36% (Q)

I Wonder (Departure) 37% (Q)



Group F



Happy New Year 51% (Q)

Why did it Have to be Me 24% (Q)

King Kong Song 3%

I’ve Been Waiting for You 22% (3rd)





Group G



Happy Hawaii 10%

Soldiers           13% (Q)

On and On and On 65% (Q)

The King has Lost his Crown 12% (3rd)



Group H



You Owe Me One 15% (3rd)

Dum Dum Diddle 19% (Q)

Hole in Your Soul  58% (Q)

From a Twinkling Star 8%



Group I

Re-run due to admin error


Watch Out

Honey Honey

Lovers Live a Little Longer

Should I Laugh or Cry



Group J



Nina Pretty Ballerina 14% (3rd)

I am Just a Girl           11%

Tiger                           38% (Q)

My Mama Said         37%  (Q)



Group K



If it Wasn’t for the Nights

Two for the Price of One

Tropical Loveland

Bale of Cotton / Old Smokey



Group L



I am the City

She’s My Kind of Girl

One Man, One Woman

Our Last Summer



Group M



Put on a White Sombrero

Let the Music Speak

Hasta Manana

Rock Me



Group N



He is Your Brother

Another Town Another Train

As Good as New

When All is Said and Done



Group O



The Piper

Disillusion

So Long

Like an Angel Passing



Group P



Love isn’t Easy

Kisses of Fire

Intermezzo No. 1

Sitting in the Palm Tree



Group Q



Cassandra

When I Kissed the Teacher

My Love, My Life

What about Livingstone



Group R



Me and Bobby

Gonna Sing You My Love Song

Hey Hey Helen

Andante Adante


Rules and Format


  • #ABBAWorldCup is an informal, fun Twitter event. It carries no official endorsement. It is not intended to be a factual or authoritative guide to the music of ABBA in any way. I apologise if this makes you feel sad. 
  • The event comprises the list of 99 songs recorded by ABBA, according to this source. No correspondence or debate will be entered into on this point. Don't go wasting your emotion.
  • Unfortunately, I couldn't source any gods to roll the dice, so the draw for each round is conducted by the "Random" app on my iphone, which is a random number generator. No correspondence or debate will be entered into on this matter. 
  • The polls for each round shall usually start at around 9pm, and will last for 24 hours. However, due to my busy life (I have two children and I don't want any of their childhood slipping through my fingers), I'm afraid I can't guarantee when these will happen. However I shall try my best to publicise forthcoming polls in advance as best I can. 
  • On January 9th, 2018, I conducted a Twitter poll to gauge opinion as to whether #ABBAWorldCup should be seeded. It was agreed by a majority of 57% - 43% that this should be the case (423 votes in total).
  • After due consideration, I decided to apply the following format (see below). No correspondence shall be entered into on this point. 

Exempt to Round 2: 26 UK Top 40 Singles according to this source will be exempt from the first round of competition. For clarification: the double A-side "Angeleyes" and "Voulez Vous" is separated into two songs. There is only one "Dancing Queen" in the draw despite the song charting on two separate occasions. 

Preliminary Round: On January 10th, 2018, two of the remaining 73 songs were drawn at random, in order to eliminate one song. In this Preliminary Round, "The Way Old Friends Do" beat "Arrival" by 56%-44% (178 Votes).

Round 1: The Remaining 72 Songs shall be drawn into 18 groups of 4. The First Two songs in each group (a total of 36 songs), shall proceed to Round 2. 

In order to round up the numbers in Round 2 to 64 Songs, there shall be a special Round 1 play-off between the four highest third-placed teams in Round 1 (By percentage vote). Two of these songs shall then go through to Round 2.

Round 2: The 64 Remaining songs shall be drawn into 16 Groups of 4. There shall be at least one seeded team in each group. Ten of the groups will contain two seeded teams. 

Round 3: The 32 remaining songs shall be drawn randomly into 8 Groups of 4. This round shall be unseeded.

Round 4: The remaining 16 songs shall be randomly drawn into 8 pairings. This round shall be unseeded.

Quarter Finals: The Remaining 8 songs shall be drawn randomly into 4 pairings (unseeded)

Semi Finals: The Remaining 4 songs shall be drawn randomly into 2 pairings (unseeded).

Final: The Final shall be played between the two remaining songs (Unseeded).