Consolation (song)

"Consolation" is a song by Swedish pop band the Hep Stars, written by their keyboardist Benny Andersson. Andersson composed the song during the summer of 1966 and was initially reluctant over its qualities. He was persuaded to record it by his bandmates during the sessions for the band's second studio album in August 1966 at the Philips Studio in Stockholm. The song was produced by the band themselves, with Gert Palmcrantz engineering. Musically, "Consolation" is a pop song that prominently features an echo effect alongside a "mystical" keyboard sound akin to the music of the Doors.

Olga Records released "Consolation" as a single in Sweden on 15 October 1966, with "Don't" as the B-side. The release was prompted by response to their Swedish language- single "I Natt Jag Drömde" which had alieniated fans. The single was a commercial success in Sweden, reaching number two on Tio i Topp and topped the sales chart Kvällstoppen for ten non-consecutive weeks between November 1966 and January 1967. It was also successful outside of Sweden, reaching number seven in Finland.

In April 1967, "Consolation" was awarded a gold disc for the sales of 100,000 copies in Sweden, shortly after its inclusion on their second album The Hep Stars in December 1966. An alternative take of "Consolation" was issued in Britain by accident. Upon release, "Consolation" received mixed reviews, with some critics praising Andersson's keyboard performance and others dismissing it as subpar material. Retrospectively, Andersson was continuously dismissive of it, considering it his worst composition. It nonetheless reflected a musical thread to his later work in ABBA, and other critics cite it as a highlight of late 1960s Swedish pop.