Björn Ulvaeus hails Beatles influence

Rex Features

Björn Ulvaeus has said that The Beatles were the group that most influenced Abba when they were starting out.

The songwriter told Metro that The Beatles were "absolutely by far the most influential and most important band" for himself and Benny Andersson.

Ulvaeus said: "It was the idea that two people in a group could write their own songs and we thought, if they can do it, why can't we?

"That changed everything for us. Before the Beatles, songwriters were very anonymous people and nobody paid any attention to them."

He also confirmed that Abba would never reunite, adding: "I'd like us to be the group who said they'd never make a comeback and never did. We'd be the only ones, I think."

Kylie Minogue was recently added to the bill of a one-off Abba tribute show at London's Hyde Park on September 13.