As a ten year old American Air Force brat living in England and watching this on the Telly, it was obvious Abba blew everyone else away.

Amazing video absolute 10/10!

Great, thank you!

I always thought the Waterloo reference was a metaphor for the state of the singers love life. Abba had great rhythms that make you want to get up and dance. Found your channel yesterday and I’m really enjoying your content. 🌈🦘

Thanks for your entertaining as well as erudite videos. I'd love a break-down of Bohemian Rhapsody or other unusual Queen song.

👌🏼 My instantaneous thought when you mentioned how few others took such a stylistic approach as ABBA was in fact Queen, and within seconds you named them. What a joy to find your channel and your appreciation of digging into the ever so slightly hidden elements of popular music.

🤩😍🥰😘💕Thank You For The Mus♪c.......ABBA 💗

Gotta love Eurovision

It is very interesting to analyze the historic victory of ABBA in Eurovision 1974 with their iconic song "Waterloo" There are musical, historical, geographical contexts and even psychological the previous year ABBA (then called Björn Benny Agnetha and Frida) came third in the Swedish Melodiefestivalen and could not represent their country in Eurovision Stig Anderson (ABBA's manager) thought that the only way to expand beyond the Scandinavian market was to have a striking and different performance at Eurovision, taking advantage of its international broadcast and television Stig studied the last Eurovision and analyzed that the six previous editions were won by female singers performing classical ballads with orchestras. Stig thinks of presenting a song that has a very identifiable title for all of Europe (thinking about marketing) That is why the name "Waterloo" arises. (the most famous battle in Europe) Stig also evaluated that Eurovision needed a change in trend, so ABBA goes with a very disruptive song, in glam rock style. (the trend in England) In addition, there were details that made everything about ABBA different from the rest. the Conductor dressed as Napoleon Björn's guitar in the shape of a star their outfits with sparkles and sequins Agnetha and Frida's run from the back of the stage to the stage and their constant dancing to the rhythm of the song and ABBA chose to sing in English, taking advantage of the modification in the regulations that allowed all to choose to sing in their own language or another All these details served so that ABBA's presentation definitely did not go unnoticed. even the BBC announcer laughed, almost mockingly (in addition to making a previous sexist comment) But that would not have been enough, besides "Waterloo" in my opinion is a small musical masterpiece and one of the five best songs in the history of ABBA "Waterloo" was a fair winner, and ABBA's first worldwide hit. and in 2005, for the 50th anniversary of Eurovision, was voted as the best song in the history of the contest And just this weekend, in Eurovision 2023 at UK, Sweden won, so next year 2024 Eurovision will have the extraordinary opportunity to pay tribute to ABBA in their homeland for the 50th anniversary of their victory with "Waterloo", the most emblematic song of Eurovision and I think to the most important act in the 70s decade Congratulatios for your video ABBA have a lot of greatest songs to analysis my favourite is "S.O.S," their second worldwide hit I wish you a great week My best regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina South America

Just back from the pub where I had been drinking with my friend who I often speak to about 1974 Eurovision as he was a member of the audience in the Brighton Dome on that famous night. In response to my question as to whether he realised that Abba would win his response is that it was obvious. Abba🧡

I must be older than the professor because I clearly remember watching it on the telly and thinking, well this is obviously the best song. I loved that "cadenza" bit on the piano. May have been influenced by the girls as well.

Superb video; I'm hooked. I wish there were someone as knowledgeable, eloquent and live-spirited who could illustrate Louis Armstrong's contributions to music, still standing as the only artist in Western popular music to significantly influence both instrumentalists and singers alike. As a jazz saxophonist said of Pops, "Anybody could learn what Louis Armstrong knows about music in a few weeks. Nobody could learn to play like him in a thousand years."

I really like your deep introspection into the meaning of the song. I always thought it's just a metaphor for falling in love (surrendering) with someone who has been in love with you for a longer time (the "battle").

vocab of the day: foot-tappingly

Personally I had hooked onto Abba the year before when they did not win the swedish contest (3rd if I remember right). Ring ring made me an Abba fan. Waterloo was good but not one of their best. Björn, who often is the one bringing the first suggestions concerning the lyrics, is an avid reader as I understand so your suggestions abt refs might very well be true... If you look at Abbas latest (and last) songs, have a look at "Little Things" that very much sounds like an old traditional canon "Dona nobis pacem"... A song I believe was sung at the end of a Christmas episode of M*A*S*H - if it's hard to find...

‘History books always remember them selves’ could refer to the fact that the “history” never changes within the books it is written. In my mind, not that ‘History is doomed to repeat itself’, but rather that history will repeat for those that don’t take lesson from it/them.

This is not a reference to Marx. It just a pop love song about someone who is surrendering to love. The Napoleon is just a reference to another famous surrender that would resonate and appeal to Europeans. Maybe not the French but they're just happy to get an indirect mention.

the literal first time i ever heard of eurovision was someone talking about how Israel was one of the best several years in a row. that's always stuck in my mind. what are your thoughts

facing/meeting your waterloo is an english saying, is it not? I think you're overanalyzing it with the Marx reference. Björn is quite well-read though, and might very well have known about the Marx quote.

Boycott eurovision 🇵🇸

All over now bar the shouting (quite a lot of it I hear) as we came second to last and to save our blushes with the ultimate 'nul points' 'no points' 'keine punkte' yes thankyou Katie, being awarded to the Germans. What I propose is that next year to redeem their reputation Germany's veteran helden tenor Walther von Stolzing enters a prize song .