ABBA record takes it all, 16 years later

Swedish pop icons ABBA, who last performed together in 1986, made British chart history this weekend as their compilation release became the oldest album to reach No. 1.

Gold Greatest Hits was first released in 1992, and the Official U.K. Charts Company on Sunday saidit has topped the charts this week.

It marked the first time an album has reached top spotso longafter itsrelease.

The foursome whose cavalcade of hits includes The Winner Takes It All, Voulez-Vous, Take a Chance on Me, Dancing Queen and I Havea Dream has sold more than 350 million albums worldwide.

Gold Greatest Hits is considered one of the Top 40 best-selling albums of all time.

The group'sresurgent popularitycomes in the wake of therelease of the film version of Mamma Mia!,a musical based on 22 of their songs.

The musical was first staged in 1999. The film version, which opened in mid-July, stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth.