50 years of 'Waterloo', the perfect song that catapulted ABBA

It was on April 6, 1974 when this song swept the Eurovision Song Contest and made ABBA one of the most recognized groups worldwide. But despite the fact that today he celebrates half a century of life, even the youngest recognize and, why not, dance to 'Waterloo'. On YouTube the original video has more than 230 million views while on Spotify it has more than 313 million. Data that, although it varies taking into account the validity of the song, allows us to measure the effect produced by what experts call “a perfect song.”

No one, according to musical expert Julian Ruiz, has yet managed to make a song “as powerful” as 'Waterloo' and that despite the years, notes musical artist Judith Mateo, does not age because it is better than a good wine. “The industry did not put in money but rather exploded because the topic is very well done and the viewing it got in Europe bounced back to the American continent,” she warns.

But as they say, just barely. Written by Stig Anderson, far from being lyrics thought out for months, how 'Waterloo' came about could not lead one to think that it would end up becoming one of the most influential and successful songs of all time.

And David Bowie said that there is nothing to learn from success, that everything is learned from failure. It could be the phrase to describe the story of ABBA, or at least their journey towards stardom, because this, like few others in life, gave them a ticket of up to ten years in the clouds. Until 1982 when they announced their “temporary stop.” They won Eurovision in 1974, but the truth is that a year before they had entered the Melodifestivalen to represent Sweden in Eurovision.

On February 10, 1973, they came third with their 'Ring ring' bet. A defeat that did not prevent them from releasing their first album in March 1973 and deciding to speak under the same name: ABBA, an acronym formed by the first letters of each of their names. Thus, Agnetha Fältskog, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid embarked on a first tour of the parks of Sweden during that summer. And although they began working on their second album, Björn, Benny and Stig were clear about one thing: the Eurovision Song Contest was the sure way to achieve success.

No sooner said than done. They were aware that they had to have a catchy proposal to succeed beyond Sweden, also taking into account the title. And 'Waterloo' was originally going to be called 'Honey Pie', a name that Frida was not convinced about. She was leafing through a magazine when she came across what today bears the title of an “eternal” song. It was risky, however, considering that never before had a country won Eurovision in a language other than its own. In part, due to the restrictions of the contest. Only between 1973 and 1977 was it allowed not to use the mother tongue, a ban that was in force until 1998.

A song that opened the doors to all international markets. Thus, they have reached the figure of almost 400 million records sold worldwide, being the first European pop group to experience success in English-speaking countries outside of Europe.

A superficial analysis of Waterloo's lyrics yields two impressions, one of form and the other of content. We could call the most striking one as follows: repetition until exhaustion.

They already say it in the lyrics, “the history book on the shelf always ends up repeating itself.”

And this is pop, let's not go overboard with being intellectual either.

“At Waterloo, Napoleon surrendered,” he says.

Well, it seems that the surrender itself came a little later, since his stubbornness was legendary. He lost the battle—against a coalition of seven or so countries—and since then the French have hated the Duke of Wellington and have not tried the delicious sirloin that bears his name.

“And I have found my destiny in a very similar way.”

As? Are you OK? Oh no, ABBA does not act like a history professor, but rather uses this battle, in which tens of thousands of soldiers perished in unspeakable ways, to compare it to a sentimental disappointment. And why not! What's the problem! Same thing, come on…

Here is a recipe. A 'musical soufflé' if you will, a breakdown by ingredients. And the fact is that some roadmap will have to be followed if what we want is to create the perfect pop song. The song that, a bit like Benjamin Button, seems to miraculously rejuvenate year after year. For this we will need:

Here the flourishes are conspicuous by their absence. What we need is a strong foundation. A manual 4/4. Good bones for broth. A firm skeleton on which to build the rest of the house is essential if what we want is for people to let themselves be carried away by the rhythm. Boom, boom, boom, boom! And to let yourself go.

Saying pop and saying melody is saying the same thing. Be like ABBA, never throw away the opportunity to make your bass lines sing-song. Maybe they will be lucky and some clueless person will discover themselves humming the picture that this instrument paints. But, and perhaps most importantly, don't let it be intrusive. We have come to press the pleasure button to the fullest. There is no worse torture than making the night dancer wake up from his trance.

Here, without complexes. Without moderation or modesty. What we want is an impeccable, seamless melody, like a plan by Hannibal and his A-Team. We want a surgical operation. We want short and footnotes. The voice, of course, polished and slender. A great personality is not essential, at the end of the day this is about people empathizing with us and for that we have to make it easy for them.

And do you remember that thing about repetition until exhaustion? If you can fit four choruses, much better than three. Please, if what you want is to try to create another 'Waterloo', don't skimp on choruses.

Someone will have already noticed. This piano must have looked familiar to you. It's not so different from other great hits that the Swedes have been sowing throughout their more than prolific career (and if not, look what the piano does, for example, in 'Dancing Queen'). And if the formula works, why change it?

Hello! That's it. We already have our main ingredients. Remember to shake to the rhythm of Saturday night and prepare to create a legendary song that will continue to be hummed by generations to come…

Oh! If it were so easy…

Abba knew how to bring to Eurovision everything that had never been put on stage at the European festival par excellence. A festival that celebrated its 19th edition with 17 countries and its sober and classic staging. But this group of friends, who never announced their definitive termination, broke the mold at a time when light and folk music proposals predominated. A performance that, according to musical artist Judith Mateo, was “groundbreaking” in terms of the “very attractive show they put on, showing that this could be done in Europe and you could wear whatever clothes you wanted.”

Thus, it turned the festival into the gateway to the music industry for many European artists. All despite the topic. She compares Napoleon's surrender to the surrender of a love story. And how much weight do the lyrics have when it comes to a song's success? In this case, says radio host Julián Ruiz, none. It is an “absurd” comparison that allowed Sweden to take its first crystal microphone where for Mateo “the music is more important than the lyrics.”

The catchy melody, the simple lyrics and its own sound made its time at Eurovision an energetic performance, becoming the best song of the Festival since 2005. The visually striking staging, “groundbreaking” for the time, also played an essential role in the victory. “Pay attention to this one,” said the presenter of the live broadcast on the BBC. The conductor appeared on stage dressed as Napoleon and on the stage the exaggerated platforms, sequins and very flared trousers predominated. A “tacky”, unique, indelible and “extravagant” wardrobe designed by Inger Svenneke. In addition, a star-shaped guitar predominated. Ahead, the close-up of the two girls in the group, with a movement of their hips and knowing glances that managed to attract the European audience with a defeat in love. Without knowing it, the same love that ten years later ended the quartet due to the separation of both couples.

It did not start as the favorite of a celebrated rebound edition in the United Kingdom. It must also be taken into account that at that time the technology was not like today, so the performance reached a large part of the public for the first time on April 6. Furthermore, voting was not like today. There was a jury in each country made up of ten people and a total of ten points per jury that was distributed differently.

Thus, Sweden received up to five points (half of all that the jury could give) on up to two occasions (for Finland and Switzerland). In total they got 24 points, six points more than Italy. But despite it being an English song, the host, United Kingdom, did not give it any points. Perhaps because her representative Olivia Newton-John was among the possible winners and they saw ABBA as a clear rival. Although theories aside, Spain, despite ABBA's subsequent success – they translated some of their songs into Spanish – only gave it one point.

There are few better ways to measure success than with incredibly diverse versions like these from

either

or, to top it off, his appearance in

, the series that enshrines everything that is important in the world of pop culture. A song, and why not, a “tacky” performance for their dresses that, although it seemed like a pure strategy, they only wore so they could deduct it from the taxes they had to pay in Sweden and thus spend less. And that night they stepped on stage dressed as great strangers and came out putting on the costumes of music stars.