The number one song of all-time on the Eurovision Top 100 list is “Waterloo,” Sweden’s 1974 winner, performed by ABBA.
When Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in the mid-1970s, it was a long-time coming for this Nordic country. They joined the contest in 1958, and only one occasion had they come even close to actually winning it. That all changed in 1974, when a group composed of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad got together and won Sweden’s song contest, Melodifestivalen. When they went on to Eurovision, the world of music was never the same thereafter.
Vital Information: “Waterloo”
| Song | Waterloo |
| Performed By | ABBA |
| Written By | Stig Anderson, Benny Andersson, & Björn Ulvaeus |
| Country | Sweden |
| Year | 1974 |
| Language(s) Performed In | English |
| How It Fared | Won (24 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Yes |
What I Liked
When thinking of this song and the impact it had on the Eurovision Song Contest, the word that comes to mind is “transformational.” In 1974, there had never been a song like this before, and ABBA’s victory helped alter the trajectory of the contest, not to mention pop music around the world. They even sent their conductor out in a Napoleon outfit, paying attention to the sorts of deal that other acts to this point did not. Sweden’s act had a lot of fun while performing, and it showed.
Sure, the vocals were fine, but this was one of those performances where you have to look at the complete package. They sang, they shook, they harmonized, they entertained. This song had a happy and infectious energy that has stood the test of time over decades, because it gave us everything.
Other Facts
- When “Waterloo” won Melfest in 1974, it was performed in Swedish. They redid the song in English for Eurovision. The “native language” rule was lifted for a brief time in the 1970s. The following year’s winner, “Ding-a-Dong,” was also translated from its native Dutch into English for Eurovision. Those were the only two winners during that time period where an English rewrite came into play.
- You knew this, but ABBA went on to become global superstars as a result of winning Eurovision. They remain popular in 2025, though they no longer tour.
- Sweden performed eighth in the 1974 contest, which also featured prior winner Gigliola Cinquetti, future famous actress Olivia Newton-John, and another Top 100 entry, “I See a Star.”
Your Fate Is to Watch “Waterloo”
How can you ever refuse? That video is on YouTube for your pleasure.
