Artist : Abba
song : The Winner Takes It All
Album : Super Trouper – 1980
Style – Tempo – Signature – Length : Disco – 126 – 4/4 – 4:57
Musician : Ola Brunkert
pages : 2
Version : Album
Level : Intermediate
The Winner Takes It All by ABBA is one of the band’s most emotionally charged and beautifully crafted songs, featuring a deeply personal narrative and a strikingly elegant drum arrangement. Released in 1980 as the lead single from their album Super Trouper, the song became a worldwide hit, resonating with listeners due to its poignant lyrics and soaring melody.
The song was primarily written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with Agnetha Fältskog delivering a heartfelt vocal performance. While Ulvaeus has stated that the song is not directly autobiographical, it was written in the aftermath of his divorce from Agnetha, making its themes of heartbreak and loss feel incredibly real. The lyrics paint a picture of a painful breakup, where one person walks away victorious while the other is left to cope with the emotional devastation.
Musically, The Winner Takes It All begins with a delicate piano introduction, setting a melancholic tone that gradually builds into a sweeping ballad. The drumming, performed by Ola Brunkert, plays a crucial yet understated role in shaping the song’s dynamics. In the verses, the percussion is minimal, allowing Agnetha’s vocals and the piano to take center stage. As the song progresses, the drums subtly build, adding gentle cymbal swells and soft snare accents that heighten the emotional weight. By the time the chorus arrives, the drums contribute a steady yet unobtrusive pulse, reinforcing the grandeur of the melody without overpowering its raw vulnerability.
One of the most notable aspects of the drumming in The Winner Takes It All is its restraint. Unlike ABBA’s more rhythmically driven tracks, this song relies on a measured, almost orchestral approach. The fills are sparse but perfectly placed, particularly in the final chorus, where the gradual build of the percussion mirrors the song’s emotional climax.
ABBA performed The Winner Takes It All extensively during their final years as a touring act, and it remains one of their most iconic live songs. Even after the group disbanded, the song continued to be a staple in tribute performances and stage productions like Mamma Mia!. For fans of the drums in this track, it’s a masterclass in subtlety—showing how percussion can elevate a song’s emotional depth without dominating the arrangement.
This pack brings together two essential tools to help you learn, practice, and play the song in conditions close to a real performance: the complete drum sheet music and the drumless audio track, meaning the song without the drums.
The drum sheet music provides a precise transcription of the track, including grooves, fills, breaks, rhythmic cues, full song structure, and form markers. It helps you clearly understand the arrangement of the song, work on the important sections, and play with a reliable chart, whether in rehearsal or on stage.
The drumless version then allows you to put your work into practice by playing directly with the music, but without the original drums. You take the drummer’s place: you have to hold the groove, stay in tempo, place your fills at the right moments, manage transitions, and support the energy of the song from beginning to end.
This bundle is ideal for moving from reading to real playing practice. You can first study the song with the sheet music, then train with the drumless track to strengthen your precision, endurance, listening skills, and musicality.
This file is created from the original track: the drum part is removed in order to provide a working version without drums. Depending on the original mix, the audio quality may therefore be slightly affected, and some drum elements may sometimes remain audible.
Ideal for: learning a song efficiently, rehearsing in real playing conditions, working on groove and fills, preparing for a concert, audition, lesson, or recording yourself with a real backing track.
| Artist | Abba |
|---|---|
| Song | The Winner Takes It All |
| Album | Super Trouper |
| Année | 1980 |
| Tempo | 126 |
| Signature Rythmique | 4/4 |
| Longueur | 4:57 |
| Video URL | |
| Musician | Ola Brunkert |
| Page(s) | 2 |
| Version | Album |
| Transcription | Sebastien POITEVIN |
| Style | Disco |
| Niveau | Intermediaire |
| Product format | Bundle drum sheet & drumless music |
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