Abstract
Dansband music, a genre exclusive to Scandinavia and having a profound influence on the success of Swedish music, has post 1960 accounted for a significant part of music sales - the most successful bands have sold more albums than ABBA - and live performances in Sweden.
The genre has particular features: Musicians are pro or semi-pro and often have their own companies; songs are not foremost for listening, but to supply live dance music. This gives the music a strong commercial potential, and a specific business model where gigs account for much of revenue, while music sales often utilize channels (petrol stations, grocery stores and mail order) outside the traditional record trade.
We link the development in the industry to socio-demographic and institutional factors. We find that adaptation to the audience's taste, a standardization of products, and control over production and distribution channels have contributed to the industry's longevity.