547 fans
Benny Andersson, born 1946 in Stockholm, Sweden, is a Swedish composer and musician best known as the keyboardist and accordionist of ABBA. After the group split in 1982, he focused on songwriting with Björn Ulvaeus and co‑founded the folk ensemble Orsa Spelmän in 1987. In 2001 he launched Benny Anderssons Orkester, a 16‑member band that blends traditional Swedish folk with dansband style, and released its self‑titled debut album on 28 June 2001, which entered the Swedish charts at Number 1 and remained there for more than a year before achieving platinum status. The follow‑up BAO! (25 June 2004) replicated that success. The third studio effort, BAO 3 (24 October 2007), featured more vocal tracks but did not match the commercial impact of its predecessors. In 2009 the band issued the international album Story of a Heart, re‑recording earlier material in English and charting in Norway and the United Kingdom. In 2011 O Klang Och Jubeltid returned to the top of the Swedish charts, earning a third platinum certification and a Grammis award for Dansband of the Year. The 2012 live release BAO På Turné also received a Grammis. Subsequent releases include the 2012 Christmas album Tomten Har Åkt Hem, the 2016 studio album Mitt Hjärta Klappar För Dig, and a boxed set of earlier work, all of which entered the Swedish Top 5. The group continued to perform and record, maintaining a prominent position in Swedish popular music.
