Entertainment
‘They knocked everyone’s socks off’ – How ABBA’s Eurovision win 50 years ago changed the course of pop music-Kat Romero-Entertainment – Metro
We simply can’t imagine the world of music without ABBA.
![‘They knocked everyone’s socks off’ – How ABBA’s Eurovision win 50 years ago changed the course of pop music-Kat Romero-Entertainment – Metro](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GettyImages-951902272.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024)
We simply can’t imagine the world of music without ABBA (Picture: Olle LINDEBORG/TT News Agency/AFP)
There’s no doubt that ABBA has cemented their status as true icons of the music world, with their impressive back catalogue of smash hits adored from generation to generation and fans turning out in their millions to see the band’s ABBA Voyage show.
And this weekend marks 50 years since the band’s infamous breakthrough at the Eurovision Song Contest when they won for Sweden with Waterloo.
The foursome – consisting of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – have since become synonymous with Eurovision glory. But when they took to the stage at the Brighton Dome in England on April 6 1974, they were virtual unknowns to the British audience and worldwide viewers watching from home.
‘No one had heard of them outside of Sweden but from the moment they came on stage, people sat forward in their seats,’ Jan Iles-Kaluza tells Metro, who was working as a music journalist for Record Mirror at the time and has since released the book ‘The Magazine Girls book’. ‘It was a pretty bland show before they came on. But their song was instantly catchy and it just caught everyone’s attention. It was their competition from that moment. They knocked everyone’s socks off and had that energy that fans still love to this date.’
Another thing about the group that immediately drew attention was the flamboyant stage costumes. The foursome were resplendent in shiny satin suits, bold metallic boots and bell bottoms.
‘They just had that look about them,’ Jan recalls. ‘They looked incredible and encapsulated the magic and the style of the 70s.’
The band won Eurovision with their classic track Waterloo (Picture: Olle Lindeborg/AFP via Getty Images)
Though the band has since admitted that the fitted attire was not the most comfortable to spot.
‘I remember funnily enough the shuttle bus from the hotel to the actual arena where my outfit was so tight, I couldn’t sit down…I was slightly overweight,’ Björn recalled of the night in an interview last year.
ABBA stormed to victory on the night and were awarded 24 points, with Italy’s Gigliola Cinquetti coming second with 18.
‘I remember going into work on Monday and people were talking about the performance,’ Jan says. ‘There were still a few music snobs who turned their noses up to Eurovision but so many agreed Waterloo was simply a great pop song.’
The quartet became a global phenomenon (Picture: RB/Redferns/Getty Images)
ABBA’s victory at Eurovision was a long time coming as Benny had already tried to enter his song ‘Hej Clown’ for the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest. Though he lost out, he met fellow hopeful Anni-Frid Lyngstad and the pair soon became a couple.
Coincidentally around the same time, Björn Ulvaeus met another singer-songwriter Agnetha Fältskog whilst filming a television special. Björn and Benny already knew each other through the music scene and had already collaborated on a few songs. The foursome came together and officially formed ABBA in 1972. They first tried to enter Eurovision in 1973 but placed third at Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s annual event to decide the Eurovision entry. Yet they remained determined.
‘We knew that the Eurovision Song Contest was the only route for a Swedish group to make it outside Sweden,’ Björn insisted in a recent interview.
Winning at Eurovision was only the beginning for ABBA. Waterloo, which they had translated into English for the competition, went on to top the charts all over the world, including the UK, and reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Overnight, they became household names.
ABBA’s music remains utterly iconic – as do their striking ouftits Picture: Bob Grant/Fotos International/Getty Images)
‘As a music journalist, I became the unofficial ABBA correspondent and started reaching out to interview them shortly after their win,’ Jan says. ‘A lot of people were intrigued by their dynamic as they were both couples. But every time I interviewed them, they stayed professional and only wanted to discuss the music. They were all kind and funny but they were focused. The men especially were ambitious and sought success. They had exceptional talent as songwriters.’
The group achieved UK number one singles with Fernando (1976), Dancing Queen (1976), Knowing Me, Knowing You (1977), The Name of the Game (1977), Take a Chance On Me (1978), The Winner Takes it All (1980), and Super Trouper (1980).
Yet when they returned to the studio in 1982, both couples had since split and they decided to take a break.
Still, the love for their music refused to die down. In 1992 they released their greatest hits record ABBA Gold, which has gone platinum 20 times. In 1999, their music was turned into the stage musical Mamma Mia! and in 2008, a film adaptation was made starring Meryl Streep.
The band continues to astound audiences to this day, mesmerising fans with their incredible ABBA Voyage show (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Then in 2021, the band released their album Voyage ahead of their virtual reality concert of the same name. The show, which uses virtual avatars (dubbed ‘ABBAtars’) to depict the group as they appeared in 1979, has sold more than 1.5 million tickets. In recent weeks, there have been reports that the group could be set to sign a multi-million dollar deal to take the show to Vegas.
With this year’s Eurovision taking place in ABBA’s homeland of Sweden, many hoped the band would reunite on stage to mark the momentous anniversary. But sadly for fans, it seems unlikely.
Asked about the chance of a surprise reunion, Benny insisted last year: ‘I don’t want to, and if I don’t want to, the others won’t. It’s the same for all four of us – someone says, ‘no’ – it’s a no.’
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