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How ABBA’s Iconic ‘Waterloo’ Performance Won Eurovision

The ABBA Eurovision performance of ‘Waterloo’ has gone down in history as the competition’s most iconic moment.

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ABBA - Photo: Courtesy of the artists
Photo courtesy of the artist

The 19th Eurovision Song Contest appeared jinxed from the outset, but it ultimately proved to be one of the institution’s greatest moments, thanks to a career-defining ABBA Eurovision performance.

ABBA Waterloo Eurovision 1974 (High Quality)

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But the 1974 ceremony was initially plagued with setbacks. First, Luxembourg had bailed on the chance to host, claiming it was beyond the state’s modest budgets, leading to a hasty reschedule to Brighton, England. Italy then refused to broadcast the show over concerns about the song “Sì” on the eve of a sensitive election. There was a problem with host Katie Boyle’s outfit (an almost early example of the now-infamous “wardrobe malfunction”); then the French President died and the clash with his funeral date led to France pulling out at the 11th hour. Even the UK’s performer, Olivia Newton-John, expressed disappointment at the choice of her song entry – the perky “Long Live Love,” picked by a TV ballot ahead of a more obvious ballad.

Order the Waterloo 50th Anniversary Reissue.

For Sweden’s entrant, these distractions were the last thing they needed. A lot was riding on ABBA’s Eurovision performance. The previous year, the Swedish quartet’s bid to be picked for the prestigious competition, which they knew could break them in Europe, had been thwarted in the national heats. “Ring Ring” had come third (while the 1973 Swedish entry ended up fifth in the main competition). 1974 saw them finally selected and, while bookies had initially favored their song “Waterloo” as the year’s winner, the odds were slipping. Come the day itself, April 6, either Britain or Holland were expected to win. Of course, no one had seen ABBA’s performance when those predictions were made.

The performance

Everything changed as Agnetha and Frida bounced down the stage in their gloriously of-the-moment synthetic outfits and glittery make-up. They’d been picked to play eighth, almost precisely halfway through the night’s running order, and conductor Sven-Olof Walldoff’s decision to dress as Napoleon for his three-minute appearance raised eyebrows and heightened expectation from the off. Reworking the song’s Swedish lyrics into English was another master-stroke, broadening the glam-pop stomper’s appeal far further than if it had remained in its native language.

None of that would likely have mattered, though, if “Waterloo” hadn’t been such a strong song, and the ABBA Eurovision performance so assured. Its knowing lyric – would it have worked so well if it had been built around its original title, “Honey Pie”? – and bouncy hooks made light work of the audience inside Brighton’s Dome. It remains one of the classic Eurovision records, illustrated by its subsequent hike up the charts; ABBA’s decision to showcase their sound with a frothy, upbeat number (instead of the planned ballad, “Hasta Mañana”) was clearly vindicated.

ABBA - Waterloo (Official Music Video)

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As The Wombles performed in the interval, the votes started piling in and, though ABBA ultimately scored a clear six places ahead of Italy’s Gigliola Cinquetti (with the aforesaid controversial “Sì”), voting was tense until the final couple of ballot results were called. Racing to the stage to collect their award, Benny and Björn were almost stopped by security guards who failed to recognize them!

In a year or so, no one would have had any doubt about who ABBA were. “Waterloo” topped charts across Europe – and even made No.6 in the US – and ABBA were soon unstoppable. On that night in Brighton, the ABBA Eurovision performance won the first major battle in the group’s bid to conquer the world.

Listen to the best of ABBA on Apple Music and Spotify.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Dan Jill

    April 17, 2020 at 4:34 pm

    Love Abba!

  2. Ⓜ️ Facebook Martin von Wendt

    April 6, 2021 at 7:28 pm

    ️️️️ = ABBF
    Agnetha Fältskog
    Björn Ulvaeus
    Benny Andersson
    Anni-Frid Lyngstad ~ Frida

  3. Zakochany w ABBIE

    May 12, 2021 at 9:24 pm

    ABBA dla mnie i milionów z mojego pokolenia była wymarzoną muzą naszej muzyki l. 70 tych.
    Ja mam osobiste relacje – także pozytywne związane z ich karierą, z ich wygraną na EUROWIZJI 1974R.
    Po zgłoszeniu telefonicznym do teleturnieju MILIONERZY otrzymałem pytanie związane z ICH wygraną. Odpowiedziałęm bezbłędnie- gdzie ; kiedy i tytuł rzecz jasna. Na koniec dodałem- gdzie słuchałęm I szy raz tamtego przekazu; w Ciechocinku. Po ok. godziny zadzwnił telefon z MILIONERÓW potwierdzających, że zostałem zakwalifikowany do finału w TVP…

  4. Daved Riviere

    April 7, 2022 at 4:03 pm

    ABBA: Sweden’s # 1 export back in the 70’s Thx to the powerhouse voices of Aggie and Frida who in my opinion are the most dynamic female duo singers of all time.

  5. Yes No Wheel

    November 10, 2022 at 7:57 am

    I remember watching the ABBA Eurovision performance and being so impressed! They were so talented and their voices were so beautiful. I’m so glad they became stars after that performance.

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