Agnetha was in one of the most famous bands in history. Then she retreated from the spotlight.

For 50 years now, generations have been creating memories alongside the soundtrack of ABBA.

From 'Waterloo' to 'Dancing Queen' (and how could we forget 'Mamma Mia'), the Swedish pop group has plenty of classic hits — and even a newer album, Voyage. 

But after the group disbanded in 1982, the four members went their separate ways. It was worlds away from the early days, when Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson were married, and so too were Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus.

But as Eurovision kicks off, fans are also speculating ABBA may celebrate 50 years since 'Waterloo' with a performance. It's the song that changed the course of their lives and the face of pop music forever.

Watch: For the first time in decades, ABBA have reunited. Post continues below.

Rumours have been raging on for years that ABBA would eventually make a return. But no rumour has had as much steam as their return to Eurovision. 

This is because 2024 marks 50 years since ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest. As fate would have it, the competition is also taking place in Sweden this year.

While the idea of a comeback has been informally brushed off, Agnetha alluded to it being a possibility in 2023. 

"You never know anything about ABBA and when we're going to..." she told The Sun, before trailing off and saying, "Well, I won't say anything about that. I'd rather be quiet."

Despite what Agnetha said, the answer is a firm no according to Benny Andersson. 

"I don't want to," he told the BBC in 2023. "And if I don't want to, the others won't. It's the same for all four of us – someone says, 'no', it's a no."

Bjorn Ulvaeus added: "We can celebrate 50 years of ABBA without us being on stage."

50 years on from when ABBA first took the stage at Eurovision, here's what their lives looked like in 2024.

Agnetha Fältskog.

Agnetha Fältskog was born in Sweden on April 5, 1950 and her first marriage was to fellow ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus. However, the couple divorced in 1980.

Björn once said of the songwriting process during that time: "I think I wrote 'Knowing Me Knowing You' before the divorce. In many ways, Agnetha and my divorce was an amicable one, we just grew apart and decided, 'Let's split up.'"

After the collapse of their marriage, Björn also wrote the hit song 'The Winner Takes It All'.

Despite the deeply personal subject matter and lyrics, Agnetha told The Mail on You Magazine: "Björn wrote it about us after the breakdown of our marriage. The fact he wrote it exactly when we divorced is touching, really. I didn't mind. 

"It was fantastic to do that song because I could put in such feeling," she added. 

"I didn't mind sharing it with the public. It didn't feel wrong. There is so much in that song. It was a mixture of what I felt and what Björn felt but also what Benny and Frida went through."

The couple when they were together. Image: Getty.

The couple had two children together. Linda Ulvaeus was born in 1973, and Peter was born in 1977. Their daughter Linda is a singer-songwriter and stage actress, while Peter enjoys a more private life.

During the height of ABBA's success, there were rumours that Agnetha and Anni-Frid didn't get along. Agnetha later clarified to SwedishTV4 that this wasn't the full truth.

"Most of the time we agreed on most things. But being two different personalities it happens that we are irritated over the other one's qualities and we were different. We also had different lives," she said.

After the band split, Agnetha went on to become a solo artist and produced three hit albums. In her private life, Agnetha married Tomas Sonnenfeld in 1990, however, the couple divorced three years later.

After a series of personal tragedies, including her mum's suicide in 1994, her father's death in 1995 and a series of stalking episodes, Agnetha retreated from the spotlight.

"I'm more of a studio and home girl. I did go through some hard times. And I felt I had to withdraw a bit," she said in 2014. "I'm anxious, worried — a bit too much."

She also told the BBC: "I was the black sheep. The others were more social. I didn't like to go out or party. I was very tired after the whole ABBA period. 

"I needed a break from it as it had been so consuming. There were a couple of years when I did not listen to ABBA music at all — I simply couldn't."

The band members of ABBA in 2022. Image: Getty.

It wasn't until the premiere of Mamma Mia! in 2008 that she slowly starting making a return to public life.

Reflecting on her life now, she said in an interview on Swedish free-to-air television: "Well, these days are very quiet. I have fun being in fresh air. I take many walks. I spend a lot of time with my kids and I also have a grandchild and that's an incredible experience. That's an incredible happiness, really. Then I read a bit and watch TV."

In conversation with The Guardian, she confessed she is happy with how quiet her life is today. 

"If I have a lot of makeup on or if I'm dressed very nicely, more people recognise me, but in everyday life, it's not so bad," she said. 

"Swedish people are very reserved, but now and then one person comes up and says, 'Thank you for the music', and that’s very nice."

Björn Ulvaeus. 

Björn was born on April 25, 1945. After he and Agnetha divorced in 1980 and the breakdown of ABBA in 1982, Björn maintained a career in music.

Along with producing some solo work, both Björn and Benny created West End and Broadway musicals, Chess, and Mamma Mia!.

Bjorn has four children — Linda and Peter Ulvaeus with ex-wife Agnetha, and Anna and Emma Ulvaeus with former wife, music journalist Lena Kallersjö.

He and Kallersjö split in 2022, but "vowed to remain close friends".

After living in the UK, Björn has since returned to Stockholm.

He told Bloomberg Talk "it was kind of strange" to be back together with all the ABBA band members to create the Voyage album last year.

"We looked at each other and went 'wow what is this?' It's emotional," he said. 

"It was an extremely joyful experience to be back in the studio together. They [the women] might have been a little hesitant, but they were [up for it] and it's bloody great."

Björn Ulvaeus and Lena Kallersjö. Image: Getty.

Anni-Frid 'Frida' Lyngstad.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad — also known as Frida — was born on November 15, 1945 in Narvik, Norway. 

Before her ABBA days, Anni-Frid married Ragnar Fredriksson in 1964, before they divorced in 1970. 

The couple had two children — Hans and Ann Lise-Lotte. 

In 1998, Ann tragically died at the age of 30 following a car accident in New York. Hans followed his mother into the music business and is now a songwriter and producer. 

After the break-up of her first marriage, Anni-Frid was engaged to ABBA pianist Benny Andersson. They married in 1978, before divorcing in 1981.

"Marriage is important to me, but love is more important. We simply grew out of each other. It came down to our different goals in life," she said. 

"We have always been honest and talked about everything. We talked and talked and finally we agreed that a divorce would be the best solution."

After the end of ABBA, she continued her singing career. Her first solo album, called Something's Going On was produced by Phil Collins in 1982.

Frida and Benny. Image: Getty.

In 1992, Anni-Frid married Prince Heinrich Ruzzo of Reuss, making her the Princess of Reus. 

But sadly, Anni-Frid's life later took another difficult turn after Heinrich passed away with lymphoma in October 1999.

"He was an absolutely amazing, wonderful, spiritual, funny human being and I loved him more than anything. So it was obviously a huge sorrow that this happened to us, that he got cancer at 49 years old," she said in an interview. 

"Ruzzo changed my life enormously. And he brought joy and love and two new children, my stepdaughters." 

Reflecting on the loss of her husband, and her daughter, Anni-Frid told Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan it had been a period of "great loneliness which gradually became natural to me."

"It took a very long time. It took very many years and incomprehensible grief."

Anni-Frid currently lives in Zermatt, Switzerland with her British partner, Henry Smith.

Anni-Frid said to BBC Radio 2 in 2021 that she wants ABBA to be remembered as if "we've made people see something in their hearts".

She explained: "I want to be remembered as a member of the band who helped give people confidence and happiness. I'm so happy that people are so touched about what we did. We did it for them [the fans] and for ourselves as well."

Benny Andersson.

Göran Bror Benny Andersson was born on December 16, 1946. Benny met Björn Ulvaeus in 1966 and the pair started writing songs together, before teaming up with Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog.

Post-ABBA, Benny continued writing music with Björn – most notably for musicals such as Chess and Mamma Mia!. He's also written music for several films and released a number of solo albums.

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Image: Getty.

After his divorce from Anni-Frid in 1981, Benny married Swedish TV presenter Mona Nörklit, and they've been together ever since. 

Together, Mona and Benny have a son, Ludvig.

Benny also has a son named Peter and a daughter named Heléne who are both from a previous engagement to Christina Grönvall.

In 2021, he told The Guardian that although he is aware of ABBA's massive fan base, he doesn't get too overwhelmed by it. And he said it's likely because of where he lives.

"I think living in Sweden helped; being Swedish helped. No fuss here. People recognised us, they still do, everybody does, but they never bothered us – no hysteria, nothing like that. It's cool. We've been able to work here," Benny said.

And if they are still friends and in contact, Benny had this to say.

"We've been seeing each other through the years, meeting for this and that: we are friends. I mean, Björn and Agnetha have kids and grandkids together, so they have to be on speaking terms! I'm friends with Frida, too, so no problems there."

This article was originally published on April 20, 2023 and has since been updated with new information.

Are you an ABBA fan? What's your favourite song of theirs? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Getty.