As ABBA release new album Voyage and a tour, what are other 70s and 80s pop bands up to in 2021?

AFTER 40 years apart, Abba are getting the band back together again. 

We told how the Swedish pop quartet are creating digital avatars of themselves in the 70s and 80s to tour virtually. 

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ABBA are reforming virtually and releasing a new album, 40 years after splitting up

The Sun revealed “Abba-tars” of Agnetha Fältskog, 71, Björn Ulvaeus, 76, Benny Andersson, 74, and Frida Lyngstad, 75, will perform in a 90-min concert in East London next year. 

The band have also released two tracks of upcoming album Voyage.

After winning Eurovision in 1974 and selling 380 million albums, the band split amicably in 1982. 

Agnetha and Frida attempted solo careers in the aftermath of Abba, while Benny and Björn started to write music for theatre.

Their musical Mamma Mia! First appeared in the West End’s Prince Edward theatre in 1999, before going to Broadway two years later.

The hit musical was turned into a film starring Meryl Streep in 2008, and a sequel was released in 2018.

But Abba aren’t the only band who’ve been busy since their hey-day. 

From Slade to Bay City Rollers, we take a look at their pop legacies. 

Roxy Music

First formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry, the group was known for hits Love is the Drug and More Than This. 

After the band split in 1984, Ferry, now 75, went solo successfully – selling 30 million singles solo and in Roxy Music in total worldwide. 

Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019

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Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019

After a reunion tour, they finally put the band to bed in 2011 after recording a final unreleased album. 

Guitarist Phil Manzanera, 70, said: “We all listened to it and thought, ‘We can’t do this. It’s not going to be any good. Let’s just bin it.”

The band were inducted into the Rock in Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, seven years after bassist Graham Wilson passed away.

Bay City Rollers

Scottish seventies heartthrobs the Rollers saw hit Bye Bye Baby stay at number 1 in the UK charts for six weeks in 1975. 

The band’s core line up consisted of guitarists Eric Faulkner, 67, and Stuart Wood, 64, bassist Alan Longmuir, 70, drummer Derek Longmuir, 70 and the late singer Les McKeown.

Heartthrobs Bay City Rollers lost singer Les McKeown this April to a suspected heart attack

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Heartthrobs Bay City Rollers lost singer Les McKeown this April to a suspected heart attack

In 2007, the band took label Arista records to court for unpaid royalties and after a series of legal wrangles the case was settled out of court. 

This April, Les McKeown died of a suspected heart attack at his Edinburgh home aged 65. 

Slade

Wolverhampton glam rock band Slade were the biggest selling band of the seventies with six number one singles. 

Original band members Noddy Holder, 75, and bassist Jim Lea, 72, left in the early Nineties.

Slade's Noddy Holder is still earning royalties while Dave Hill call it quits last year

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Slade’s Noddy Holder is still earning royalties while Dave Hill call it quits last year

But they still earn £250,000 a year from writing credits on hits Merry Xmas Everybody and Cum On Feel The Noize.

The band officially split last year – with remaining members Dave Hill, 75, and Don Powell, 74, playing Butlins to make ends meet. 

The Carpenters

Siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter released Burt Bacharach tune Close to You in 1970 becoming an instant hit. 

Karen struggled with anorexia throughout the height of her fame and tragically died aged just 32 from complications in 1983. 

Richard Carpenter went on to beat a drug addiction while Karen died in 1983

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Richard Carpenter went on to beat a drug addiction while Karen died in 1983

While Richard, now 74, struggled with Quaalude addiction but went on to produce a documentary on The Carpenters Only You in 2007. 

Richard – who lives in California – is also a keen car collector, owning an original Chrysler Plymouth Barracuda, worth £2.3million

Fleetwood Mac

Their second 1977 album Rumours led to worldwide success – selling 40 million copies. 

The band’s line up was slightly fluid with John McVie and Stevie Nicks joining after the group’s inception in 1967. 

Mick Fleetwood this year hinted at a band farewell tour

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Mick Fleetwood this year hinted at a band farewell tour

In 2018, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham left Fleetwood Mac after falling out over reunion touring plans. 

Christine McVie appeared to hint the band had split which she later denied while this year, Mick Fleetwood hinted he would be open to doing a farewell tour.

In 2007, actress Lindsay Lohan reportedly tried to buy the rights to Stevie Nicks’ life story to which the singer replied: “Over my dead body. She needs to stop doing drugs and get a grip. Then maybe we’ll talk.”

One of the founding members Peter Green died last year.

Bananarama

Childhood friends Sara Dallin, 59, and Keren Woodward, 60, formed Bananarama in 1981 while at college in London with pal Siobhan Fahey, 62. 

Together they released 11 studio albums, including hits Venus, Cruel Summer and Love in The First Degree.  

Bananarama reformed briefly in 2017 after the death of their friend George Michael

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Bananarama reformed briefly in 2017 after the death of their friend George Michael

The trio parted ways after Siobhan married The Eurythmics Dave Stewart and joined Shakespeare’s Sister in 1988 – with Sara and Keren attempting a career as a duo.

Siobhan rejoined the band in 2017 for a reunion tour after the death of their friend George Michael.

Bucks Fizz

Formed especially for the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, Bucks Fizz outstripped the competition with Making Your Mind Up.

Members Bobby G, 68, Cheryl Baker, 67, Mike Nolan, 66, and Jay Aston, 60, went on to have a series of hits. 

Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston now perform as The Fizz

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Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston now perform as The Fizz

Cheryl went on to present Record Breakers with Roy Castle but the singer last year exclusively told The Sun how she had been left “totally broke”. 

She now performs with past members Mike and Jay under the legally sound name The Fizz.  

Boney M

German-based disco group Boney M had hits with Daddy Cool and Rasputin throughout the seventies.

Members Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell covered Rivers of Babylon which spent six months in the UK top 40. 

Boney M - whose singer Bobby Farrell died in 2010 - had repeated success with a remix of their hit Rasputin this year

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Boney M – whose singer Bobby Farrell died in 2010 – had repeated success with a remix of their hit Rasputin this year

Farrell left the group in 1981, who continued until they eventually retired in 1986. 

In 2016, Liz Mitchell’s Muslim convert brother Khalid Rashad was jailed for hiring a hitman to kill a rival preacher.

But Boney M’s hit Rasputin was remixed this year by Majestic, reaching number 11 in the UK charts. 

Bobby died aged 61 on December 30, 2010, in St Petersburg, Russia – ironically on the same day and in the same city as the subject of his song Grigori Rasputin. 

The Pointer Sisters

June, Ruth and Anita Pointer had hits with I’m So Excited, Slow Hand and Jump (For My Love) in the eighties. 

In 2016, Billboard named them the 32nd most successful female artists of all time, releasing 16 studio albums. 

Ruth and Anita Pointer performed with Ruth's granddaughter Sadako Johnson in 2013

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Ruth and Anita Pointer performed with Ruth’s granddaughter Sadako Johnson in 2013

Youngest sister June struggled with cocaine addiction for much of her career, and died from cancer in April 2006, aged 52.

Sister Bonnie – who was in the group until 1977 – died from a heart attack last year aged 69.

Anita left her singing career in 2015 after battling cancer, suffering from high blood pressure and losing her daughter Jada to pancreatic cancer in 2003. 

Ruth, now 75, reformed the group with her daughter Issa, 43, and granddaughter Sadako, 37. 

A-Ha 

Norwegian one hit wonders A-Ha sold more than 50 million singles with track Take On Me – and this year the hit passed more than one billion streams on Spotify. 

Guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, 59, who lives in Los Angeles recently bought a £3.7million mansion on Venice beach with wife Lauren Savoy, 50. 

A-Ha toured in 2017 while Morten Harket took part in The Masked Singer on ITV

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A-Ha toured in 2017 while Morten Harket took part in The Masked Singer on ITV

Keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, 58, recorded music with Coldplay’s Guy Berryman for BBC series Amazon although he primarily works as an artist now. 

This year, Morten Harket took part in ITV competition The Masked Singer. 

The band reunited in 2015 and even toured in 2017. 

ABBA confirm comeback as they release new song I Still Have Faith In You

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