10 ABBA Songs - #7

Tweet

Originally titled as "Honey Pie", "Waterloo" was released in 1974 and was ABBA's first single. It was the song that was used in Sweden's 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. ABBA won this contest with this song; and it paved the way for their international success. They brought something new to the contest: flashy costumes, a catchy upbeat song and simple choreography. The requirements for singing in their native language were lifted between 1973-1976; so audiences were able to hear the song in English. At the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision contest, "Waterloo" was chosen as the best song in the contest's history. The premise of the song is that a woman "surrenders" to a man in a romantic relationship and promises to love him - which mirrors Napoleon's 1815 defeat at Waterloo. "Waterloo" hit #1 in several countries. In the US it was #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the US Cashbox Top 100. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons