The Swedish band ABBA won Eurovision on April 6, 1974, with the song „Waterloo“.
The contest took place in Brighton, United Kingdom. ABBA „Waterloo“ Eurovision 1974 (High Quality)
On April 6, 1974, the Swedish band ABBA won the 19th Eurovision Song Contest, held in Brighton, United Kingdom, at the „The Dome“ concert hall. ABBA performed the song „Waterloo,“ which scored 24 points, surpassing other countries and becoming Sweden’s first Eurovision victory. This win marked ABBA’s path to global fame. Participating countries and artists
The 1974 Eurovision featured 17 countries. France initially planned to participate but withdrew due to the death of President Georges Pompidou. Turkey also declined to debut, while Greece participated in the contest for the first time. The participating countries and their representatives were as follows:

• Finland – Carita Holmström, „Keep Me Warm“
• United Kingdom – Olivia Newton-John, „Long Live Love“
• Spain – Peret, „Canta y sé feliz“
• Norway – Anne-Karine Strøm, „The First Day of Love“
• Greece – Marinella, „Krasi, kanela kai menta“
• Israel – Poogy, „Natati La Khayai“
• Yugoslavia – Korni Grupa, „Generacija 42“
• Sweden – ABBA, „Waterloo“ (winners)
• Luxembourg – Ireen Sheer, „Bye Bye I Love You“
• Monaco – Romuald, „Celui qui reste et celui qui s’en va“
• Belgium – Jacques Hustin, „Fleur de liberté“
• Netherlands – Mouth & MacNeal, „I See a Star“ (3rd place)
• Ireland – Tina Reynolds, „Cross Your Heart“
• Germany – Cindy & Bert, „Die Sommermelodie“
• Switzerland – Piera Martell, „Mein Ruf nach dir“
• Portugal – Paulo de Carvalho, „E depois do adeus“
• Italy – Gigliola Cinquetti, „Sì“ (2nd place)

Interesting facts

• Greece debuted in the contest but received a low score.
• Italy’s representative, Gigliola Cinquetti, who won in 1964, returned and took 2nd place.
• Scoring system: Each country awarded points (1 to 5) to the three best songs, with votes tallied by jury groups.
• „Waterloo“ stood out with its catchy melody, vibrant costumes, and dynamic performance, captivating the audience.
• Olivia Newton-John from the United Kingdom (actually from Australia) was considered the favorite to win.
• ABBA’s victory was a surprise in socialist-leaning Sweden, where the band was viewed as a mercenary commercial project that didn’t align with the country’s solidarity principles. Swedish public media also engaged in a campaign against the successful musicians.

ABBA’s full lineup in 1974:

• Agnetha Fältskog – vocals
• Anni-Frid Lyngstad – vocals
• Benny Andersson – keyboards, vocals, songwriter
• Björn Ulvaeus – guitar, vocals, songwriter

At the time, Eurovision rules allowed live backing bands, and ABBA’s performance included additional musicians who provided instrumental support. The exact lineup of backing musicians for the „Waterloo“ performance is not as extensively documented as the core quartet, but based on information about ABBA’s early concerts and recordings, the backing lineup included:

• Rutger Gunnarsson – bass guitar (frequently accompanied ABBA in concerts and recordings)
• Ola Brunkert – drums (regular ABBA session musician)
• Jan Kling or another session musician – brass instruments („Waterloo“ featured brass, which may have been played live or pre-recorded)

Backing musicians in ABBA’s career
ABBA were known for their perfectionism in the studio and collaborated with several session musicians who participated in both album recordings and concert tours. Below is a list of the main backing musicians who worked regularly with ABBA from 1972 to 1982, along with their roles and periods of involvement. Main backing musicians:

• Rutger Gunnarsson – bass guitar, string arrangements
  • Period: 1972–1982
  • One of ABBA’s most frequently used bassists. Participated in all ABBA album recordings and became the primary string arranger from 1976. Toured with the band in 1977, 1979, and 1980.
  • Contributed to the lesser-known ABBA song „Åh, vilka tider“ (1972) and is visible in 1978 studio session photos.
  • Died: 2015
• Ola Brunkert – drums
  • Period: 1972–1982
  • One of ABBA’s main drummers, participated in nearly all album recordings, starting with the first single „People Need Love“ (1972). Toured with ABBA in 1977, 1979, and 1980.
  • Alongside Rutger Gunnarsson, one of the few musicians who contributed to all ABBA album recordings.
• Janne Schaffer – guitar
  • Period: 1972–1980 (with interruptions)
  • One of the primary session guitarists, contributed to several ABBA album recordings, including songs like „Waterloo,“ „SOS,“ and „Super Trouper.“ Also played on Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s solo albums.
  • Did not participate in the album „The Visitors“ (1981). Schaffer is one of Sweden’s most acclaimed guitarists, and his 1973 debut album reached number one on the Swedish charts.
• Mike Watson – bass guitar
  • Period: 1972–1980 (with interruptions)
  • Played bass guitar on several ABBA songs, including the first single „People Need Love.“ He is also depicted as Napoleon on the „Waterloo“ album cover.
  • Although Rutger Gunnarsson was the primary bassist, Watson contributed to several significant recordings.
• Ulf Andersson – saxophone
  • Period: 1974–1980
  • One of the most sought-after saxophonists in Stockholm in the 1970s. Contributed to ABBA songs, including the famous „I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.“ Toured with the band on world tours.
  • His saxophone solos are iconic in ABBA’s early songs. Andersson also collaborated with other renowned artists, such as Frank Sinatra Jr.
• Lasse Wellander – guitar
  • Period: 1974–1982
  • Regularly played guitar on ABBA recordings and concerts. Visible in 1978 studio session photos alongside Rutger Gunnarsson and Ola Brunkert.
  • Contributed to several ABBA hits and was a significant part of the band’s sound.
• Roger Palm – drums
  • Period: 1972–1980
  • Played drums on several ABBA songs, including „Mamma Mia,“ „Dancing Queen,“ and „Thank You for the Music.“ Participated in 4,182 registered recordings related to ABBA.
  • His first session with ABBA was the song „Rock'n Roll Band“ (1972).
• Finn Sjöberg – guitar
  • Period: 1974–1977
  • Initially played as an additional guitarist in the band Beatmakers, which accompanied ABBA on tours. Later participated in ABBA concerts as a regular session musician.
  • His involvement was limited to the early years and concerts.

Other notable backing musicians:
ABBA collaborated with many other session musicians who contributed to individual songs or albums. Some of them include:

• Rolf Alex – drums (in individual songs)
• Göran Arnberg – keyboards (in individual sessions)
• Jan Bandel – guitar (in individual songs)
• Anders Eljas – keyboards, arrangements (in later years)
• Lars O. Carlsson – saxophone, brass instruments (in individual songs)

Additionally, ABBA recordings often featured an orchestra and choirs, but these musicians are typically not considered regular backing musicians, as their role was secondary.

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"Waterloo" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA, with music composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics written by Stikkan Anderson. It is first single of the group's second album of the same name, and their first under the Atlantic label in the United States. This was also the first single to be credited to the group performing under the name ABBA. The title and lyrics reference the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, and use it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship. The Swedish version of the single was backed with the Swedish version of "Honey, Honey", while the English version featured "Watch Out" on the B-side.

In 1974, after winning the 14th edition of the Melodifestivalen, "Waterloo" represented Sweden in the 19th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Brighton, winning the contest and beginning ABBA's path to worldwide fame. It topped the charts in several countries, and reached the top 10 in the United States.

In 2005, at Eurovision fiftieth anniversary competition Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, "Waterloo" was chosen as the best song in the contest's history.

History

Writing, recording, and meaning

On 10 February 1973, ABBA as "Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Björn and Benny" competed with "Ring Ring" in the 13th edition of the Melodifestivalen, placing third. After this good position, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus composed the music, and Stikkan Anderson wrote the lyrics, of "Waterloo" specifically for the group to enter in the 14th edition of the Melodifestivalen.

Recording of the song commenced in 1973, with instrumental backing from Janne Schaffer (who came up with the main guitar and bass parts), Rutger Gunnarsson and Ola Brunkert. The song's production style was influenced by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound": prior to recording "Ring Ring", engineer Michael B. Tretow had read Richard Williams's book Out of His Head: The Sound of Phil Spector, which inspired him to layer multiple instrumental overdubs on the band's recordings, becoming an integral part of ABBA's sound. Furthermore, ABBA had also originally cited the song "See My Baby Jive", by English glam rock band Wizzard, as a major influence (it was produced in the same style and has a similar structure); in the wake of their Eurovision victory, they were quoted as saying that it would not surprise them if artists such as Wizzard would consider entering the Eurovision in the future.

Waterloo as a metaphor

The song's lyrics begin with: "My, my, at Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender. Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way.... Waterloo, I was defeated, you won the war, Waterloo, promise to love you forevermore", using the metaphor of Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo for a famous failure and major turning point in history. The fighting took place about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from the town of Waterloo, Belgium where the British had set up quarters, naming the events after it, literally writing history. French forces and Napoleon never reached Waterloo itself, and Napoleon did not surrender personally to become a prisoner of war, but he had to surrender control over the battlefield, and chased by Prussian cavalry, the remaining forces under his command retreated in disarray back towards Paris where he abdicated, surrendering aspirations and putting an end to his Hundred Days. Failing to escape to America, he finally surrendered in person to the British Royal Navy at the French Atlantic coast, about 700 km away from Waterloo, and four weeks later.

Melodifestivalen 1974

In 1974, the group considered submitting "Hasta Mañana" to the 14th edition of the Melodifestivalen, but decided on "Waterloo" since it gave equal weight to both lead vocalists Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, while "Hasta Mañana" was sung only by Fältskog.

On 9 February 1974, ABBA competed with the Swedish-language version of "Waterloo" in the Melodifestivalen final. The song won the competition with 302 points, beating the 211 points of the runner-up. As that Melodifestivalen was organised by Sveriges Radio (SR) to select its song and performer for the 19th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, the song became the Swedish entrant, and ABBA the performers, for Eurovision.

Subsequently, the group recorded the German and French versions of the song in March and April 1974, respectively: the French version was adapted by Alain Boublil, who would later go on to co-write the 1980 musical Les Misérables, and the German version was adapted by Gerd Müller-Schwanke. During ABBA's promotional visit to Spain, in May 1974, newspaper reports said that the group would be recording a Spanish version of the song while in the country. Because it was never released, it is not certain whether the recording for this version ever existed or if it remains unreleased.

Eurovision

On 6 April 1974, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at The Dome in Brighton hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and broadcast live throughout the continent. ABBA performed the English-language version of "Waterloo" eighth on the evening, following "Generacija '42" by Korni Grupa from Yugoslavia and preceding "Bye Bye I Love You" by Ireen Sheer from Luxembourg. Sven-Olof Walldoff, dressed as Napoleon, conducted the event's live orchestra in the performances of the Swedish entry.

At the end of voting, the song scored 24 points placing first and winning the contest, beating runner-up "Sì" by Gigliola Cinquetti from Italy by six points.

The song differed from the standard "dramatic ballad" tradition at the contest by its flavour and rhythm, as well as by its performance. ABBA gave the audience something that had rarely been seen before in Eurovision: flashy costumes (including silver platform boots), a catchy uptempo song and simple choreography. It was the first winning entry in a language other than that of their home country; prior to 1973, all Eurovision singers had been required to sing in their country's native tongue, a restriction that was lifted briefly for the contests between 1973 and 1976 (thus allowing "Waterloo" to be sung in English), then reinstated before ultimately being removed again in 1999. Compared to later ABBA releases, the singers' Swedish accents are decidedly more pronounced in "Waterloo".

Aftermath

"Waterloo" was re-released in 2004 (with the same B-side), to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ABBA's Eurovision win, reaching No. 20 on the UK charts.

"Waterloo" was one of fourteen songs chosen by Eurovision fans and a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reference group, from among the 992 songs that had ever participated in the contest, to participate in the fiftieth anniversary competition Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest held on 22 October 2005 in Copenhagen. It won the competition ranking as the best song in the contest's history. It received the same honour in a 14-country open vote in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, placing first above Sweden's winning songs in 2012 and 2015, "Euphoria" by Loreen and "Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw, respectively.

On 11 July 2023, at the celebrations for the 175th anniversary of London Waterloo station, where ABBA were photographed following their win at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, a choir performed Waterloo as part of a selection of songs.

Critical reception

Cashbox advertisement, 9 March 1974

Cash Box said that this "is not a brash rocker, it's just solid rock with a very competent lady up front." Record World said that "Napoleon's downfall shall be this act's victory."

Harry Witchel, physiologist and music expert at the University of Bristol, named "Waterloo" the quintessential Eurovision song.

In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number 9 on their list of the 15 greatest ABBA songs, and in 2021, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 10 on their list of the 25 greatest ABBA songs.

Commercial performance

The song shot to No. 1 in the UK and stayed there for two weeks, becoming the first of the band's nine UK No. 1's, and the 16th biggest selling single of the year in the UK. It also topped the charts in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, West Germany, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, and Switzerland, while reaching the Top 3 in Austria, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and ABBA's native Sweden. (The song was immensely popular in Sweden, but did not reach No. 1 there due to Sweden having a combined Album and Singles Chart at the time: at the peak of the song's popularity, its Swedish and English versions reached No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, while the No. 1 spot was held by the album Waterloo.) The song also spent 11 weeks on Svensktoppen (24 March – 2 June 1974), including 7 weeks at No. 1.

As of September 2021, it is ABBA's eleventh-biggest song in the UK, including both pure sales and digital streams.

Atlantic Records had acquired the rights to release "Waterloo" which involved a rush-release in May 1974 and a heavy promotional campaign in the USA and Canada.

Unlike other Eurovision-winning tunes, the song's appeal transcended Europe: "Waterloo" also reached the Top 10 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Rhodesia, and the United States (peaking at No. 6, their third-highest-charting US hit after No. 1 "Dancing Queen" and No. 3 "Take a Chance on Me"). The Waterloo album performed similarly well in Europe, although in the US it failed to match the success of the single.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

"Waterloo" is featured in the 2018 film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again performed by Hugh Skinner, as Young Harry, and Lily James, as Young Donna. This version was released on 1 June 2018 as the second single from the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: The Movie Soundtrack album, by Capitol and Polydor Records. It was produced by Benny Andersson.