(If you think this next bit looks familiar, it's because I've adapted it from what I wrote for Chig's 50 Number Ones Project (see left sidebar), where this track ended up at #3. No point reinventing the wheel is there? It's surprising how this song has only ended up 8th in this survey though. But, like I said, this isn't scientific.)

'The Name Of The Game’ entered the chart at #20 on the same day the Sex Pistols’ ‘Holidays In The Sun’ spat its way into the Top 40 at #15. This was shortly after the heady Summer of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and Virginia Wade winning Wimbledon at the height of punk. At the time, it was practically impossible to admit you liked ABBA AND the Sex Pistols – it was very much one or the other, a supposed battle of good against evil (although which was which depended on your allegiances).

ABBA climbed to #5 in their second week, then made #1 in only their third week on the chart. This was on the 25th anniversary of the singles chart, so it seemed only right that it was up there in our top three another 25 years on, for the singles chart's 50th anniversary.

This was the sixth of ABBA’s nine number ones. Taken from the album simply called ‘ABBA - The Album’, at 4’52” it’s quite a long number one as well. It was the middle song in their second hat-trick of #1s, coming after ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ and ‘Take A Chance On Me’. It made #12 in the States.

Six number ones brought the Swedes level at the time with Slade and behind only Elvis (17), Beatles (17), Cliff (then 9) and the Rolling Stones (8), who they would soon overtake. (See yesterday's write-up for 'Super Trouper')

‘The Name Of The Game’ deposed Baccara’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ from the top after only one week. ABBA were deposed by the single that then became the biggest-selling of all time (for a good few years) and the Christmas #1, Wings’ ‘Mull Of Kintyre/Girls’ School’.

After many years near the top of the pile, Abba are now being pushed down the list of all time #1 hitmakers, where they are equal with the Spice Girls on nine. Madonna overtook them both in 2000, when ‘Music’ became her tenth, before Westlife overtook both her and ABBA.
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