One of Us (ABBA song)
Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who also produced it, the song has lead vocals by Agnetha Fältskog and is about a woman trying to revive a relationship she had ended.[2] "One of Us"—which had the working titles "Number 1" and "Mio Amore"—was one of the last songs recorded for ABBA's 1981 album The Visitors, and features a lead vocal by Agnetha Fältskog.It was one of a number of tracks that explored the darker territory of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's songwriting, as the two men's divorces were beginning to influence their musical output.Despite misgivings on the part of manager Stig Anderson, and its somewhat depressing lyric, "One of Us" was released as the first single from The Visitors, coupled with the non-album track "Should I Laugh or Cry".Ulvaeus had favoured releasing it as the first single from the new album, and the majority of the record companies agreed with him; it proved a wise move, as it would become ABBA's final No.American magazine Cash Box reviewed the single, saying that "a strong but subtle orchestration provides the backdrop for Agnetha Faltskog’s vocals, with a cadre of mandolins adding a romantic flourish".[3] In 2017, Billboard named "One of Us" the fifth best ABBA song in their list of "The 15 Best ABBA Songs", writing, "The single marked a darker shift in the group's later material, while blending uplifting harmonies on the heartbreaking chorus ("One of us is crying / One of us is only / Waiting for a call… / Wishing she had never left at all") to encapsulate the emotional depth baked into the group's history that makes them sound so good.[8] "One of Us" was not released as a single in the United States until February 1983, and proved to be ABBA's worst-ever performing charting song in that territory, reaching a high of No.As an attempt to promote the A-Teens a bit more, Universal Music Group released a one-track promo single of "One of Us" on radio in late 1999.Writing for Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos felt that ""One of Us" in particular sees the biggest musical shift of any of the songs; the original is a breezy, tropical, mid-tempo pop moment that almost disguises the sadness of the lyrics.The vinyl represents the Dancing Queen album while the B-side contains the songs "Mamma Mia", "Chiquitita", "Fernando", "The Winner Takes It All" and "One of Us".
SingleThe VisitorsB-sideShould I Laugh or CryStudioAtlanticSongwriter(s)Benny AnderssonBjörn UlvaeusProducer(s)Lay All Your Love on MeWhen All Is Said and DoneYouTubePolar MusicAgnetha FältskogBillboardBubbling Under the Hot 100Adult ContemporaryLasse HallströmPandoraA-TeensStig AndersonEpic RecordsUniversal MusicThe Complete Studio RecordingsCash BoxEurochartsingles chartAnni-Frid LyngstadLasse WellanderRutger GunnarssonOla BrunkertKent Music ReportÖ3 Austria Top 40Ultratop 50HitlistenEurochart Hot 100 SinglesSuomen virallinen listaDutch Top 40Single Top 100Recorded Music NZVG-listaSpringbok RadioSverigetopplistanSchweizer HitparadeUK SinglesTell the WorldEurodanceVirgin RecordsThe Naked SunA Little BitEurochart Hot 100Finnish Singles ChartList of number-one singles of 1995 (Finland)The ABBA GenerationUniversal Music GroupScandinaviaStockholm RecordsMamma Mia! Here We Go AgainCapitolPolydor RecordsAmanda SeyfriedDominic CooperScotlandCertified unitsPromotional singleDancing QueenWarner Bros.Mark TaylorEntertainment WeeklyBelieveRolling StoneHere We Go Again TourAllMusicschlagerMarianne RosenbergWest GermanyTime Crisis with Ezra KoenigBeats 1British Phonographic IndustryWhitburn, JoelKent, DavidIrish Singles ChartTop 40 SinglesSingles Top 100Swiss Singles ChartOfficial Charts CompanyGfK Entertainment chartsGfK EntertainmentDiscographyUnreleased songsRing RingPeople Need LoveHe Is Your BrotherAnother Town, Another TrainLove Isn't Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough)Rock'n Roll BandNina, Pretty BallerinaDisillusionI Saw It in the MirrorMe and Bobby and Bobby's BrotherShe's My Kind of GirlWaterlooKing Kong SongHasta MañanaMy Mama SaidHoney, HoneyWhat About Livingstone?Mamma MiaHey, Hey HelenBang-A-BoomerangI Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I DoRock MeIntermezzo No. 1I've Been Waiting for YouSo LongGreatest HitsFernandoArrivalWhen I Kissed the TeacherMy Love, My LifeDum Dum DiddleKnowing Me, Knowing YouMoney, Money, MoneyThat's Me