ABBA's song “Happy New Year,” released in 1980, is widely associated with New Year's Eve despite its bittersweet lyrics.
The song was written and recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA for the album Super Trouper. Unlike a purely celebratory party song, its lyrics imagine the uncertainty of the future and question whether people will find hope in the coming year. That reflective tone helped make it a seasonal favorite as well as a festive track.
“Happy New Year” was issued as a single in several markets and became especially enduring in countries where New Year's music is commonly revisited each December. ABBA recorded the original in English, and versions in other languages were also released or performed.
It is often confused with “Auld Lang Syne,” the traditional song frequently sung at midnight. ABBA's recording is a modern pop composition, whereas “Auld Lang Syne” has eighteenth-century Scottish words and a traditional melody.