This is a list of songs that were either recorded or written by Swedish pop group ABBA, but which – for various reasons – were never released during the band's active years (1972–1982; 2016–2021). Some of the songs were later released in their entirety or in parts on the track "ABBA Undeleted" (included in the 1994 box set Thank You for the Music), while other songs were released as part of solo projects.

Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid era

1972

ABBA era

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

2016–2021

ABBA recorded 12 songs for their reunion album Voyage, but only ten were finished and released on the final tracklist, with Anderson stating they decided to "work on the ones we think we should keep on the album". There are no plan to release the unfinished songs. Benny Anderson did talk about them in an interview with German WDR 4 from November 2021, saying "we had actually 12 ... They're sort of good stuff, but not really finished. It takes more work, for me, at least, in the studio."

Other complete songs

"Just Like That"

"Just Like That" was recorded in May 1982. It has yet to be officially released in its entirety, though a complete bootleg version is featured on the album ABBA - We Owed You One on the Mistrial Music label. Benny and Björn have stated that the song sounded 'wrong': the verse and chorus did not fit together, and that is why it was scrapped. The two men admit this happens regularly in their way of writing music: a mediocre song can become a bridge or a riff for another song, and a good melody line can lie around for many years until it surfaces in a composition. Benny and Björn nevertheless allowed for a 'snippet' of "Just Like That" to be released in a 'medley' track on the box set Thank You for the Music in 1994. Although this snippet only revealed the chorus of the track, it is notable for featuring a saxophone solo by Raphael Ravenscroft, perhaps best known for his famous saxophone riff on Gerry Rafferty's 1978 hit "Baker Street". This was one of the very few times that ABBA used a musician outside the usual ABBA circle. Other recordings of "Just Like That" exist; a version features a guitar riff that eventually made its way into the verse melody of the song "Under Attack" ("Don't know how to take it/don't know where to go/my resistance running low..."), while another interpretation has come to be known as the 'na na na' (or 'la la la') version, where Agnetha is heard singing 'na na na na's on top of the instrumental melody. In 1994, Agnetha had discussed the song: "I haven't heard it in several years, but I remember it as a very good song and recording. It is one of my big favourites, and I hope it's going to be released one day". The solution to "Just Like That" came in separating the song parts Benny and Björn felt didn't belong together, and in slowing down the tempo considerably. The song first re-emerged as a demo for "Chess", only a year or two after the discarded ABBA version, rearranged as a dramatic instrumental ballad and discarding the original chorus melody. The song, now titled "When the Waves Roll Out to Sea", didn't progress further in the production, however. In 1985, a new version of "Just Like That", which this time kept the original chorus but discarded the original verses, was released by Swedish duo Gemini, on their eponymous album, produced by Björn, Benny and Anders Glenmark (one half of Gemini). "Just Like That" was later released as a single. Gemini also performed the song live in the UK (with Benny playing the synthesizer) on Terry Wogan's chat show. Finally, the discarded verse melody found its home in "Glöm Mig Om Du Kan", released on the Swedish version of the "Chess" musical in 2002, "Chess på Svenska". "Just Like That" was originally intended to be featured in the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia!, sung as a love duet between Sophie and Sky, but was removed during rehearsals, as it apparently did not advance the story.

"From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel"

Released on April 23, 2012, the special "Deluxe Edition" of the album The Visitors includes the previously unreleased "From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel", which is a medley of various versions of the Visitors closing track, "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". It marks the first release of previously unreleased material since 1994.

Previously unreleased songs

1978

1979

1980

1982