@@LoveLightLiberty6868 but where he definitely didn't surrender. He just ... ran away and was hunted by some Prussians. Which is an interesting thought in relation to the song.
The statue was of Napoleon Buonaparte (bone-a-part), who was defeated finally and irrevocably at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, by a coalition of European forces led by the British commander Sir Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of Wellington. To meet one's "Waterloo" is to finally give in, give up...or accept defeat, like Napoleon had to. This song was the winner of the Eurovision contest in 1974 and launched ABBA on their huge success!
@@BobSoltis1 Who said anything about semitic peoples? European Jews aren't semites, but that's beside the point. I don't assume the Rothschilds are Jews. Do you?
@@brushstroke3733 Thats RICH....the Rothschild's are apart of the deepstate, a banking family who have run this world since.the 1500's .....its not a conspiracy theory either. Just do some research, the info. is out there.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
In 1974 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with this song, I was living in Waterloo Belgium where the battle took place. A couple of weeks after the contest, ABBA came and visited the town, to say thank you for inspiring their huge hit.
What a short yet amazing comment. A tidbit of their history I never knew. That they came to say thank you is so adorable. Its as innocent and cute as their songs. Love ABBA. Thanks for that. Amazing.
Someone once wrote that it seemed inevitable that a European song contest would be won by four Swedes (one of them Norwegian-born) singing in English about the defeat of a French military leader (of Italian origin) at a battle in Belgium - it kinda covers a lot of ground...
@@lena-mariag.louis-charles3579 "Tyskunge" as "we" called them back then. Kids born from German occupation of Norway. Kids that struggled majorly in Norway, that's why many moved to Sweden. Just to be bullied here.
The song is about a woman surrendering to the pursuits of a man, for life. Waterloo is a metaphor of a Napoleon like surrender but to love. "Couldn't escape you if I wanted to...."
This song was ABBA’s great breakthrough to the mass market when they won The Eurovision Song Contest with it and mad e them superstars. What followed was a string of highly catchy pop songs capturing the hearts of millions along the way. They were terrific live too. Great reaction Jamel.
Success after a difficult period of being ignored everywhere because winning Eurovision was a Kiss of death. Took success in Australia after their music videos were played on TV to finally spread to other countries. ABBA interviews confirm this problem they had.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision nearly strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
One of the breakthrough songs for ABBA that help launch their careers WorldWide!!! Such a catchy tune when it played over the radio. Everyone just joined in and sang and were happy!!
Historical reference to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. Here a female "surrendering" to a male. Loved this song in the 70s, really too young at the time to understand the historical significance used as a metaphor for a relationship. I just thought it was catchy as hell.
Funnily enough Napoleon never actually "surrendered" at Waterloo, he just lost and fled. ABBA playing around with history, but still a brilliant song 😂😂😂
Australians caught onto ABBA very quickly. They came to Australia very early in their career and enjoyed their fame here. Their music was presented in "Muriel's Wedding", a quirky Australian arthouse movie .Their music is more sophisticated than many people realise.
A band worth deep-diving their catalog. "SOS" one of my favorites, as a bonus, it's done in the key of D minor, the saddest key of all. Benny and Bjorn (the husbands) collaborated after the break-up. THey did the score for the musical "Chess", best known for the song "One Night in Bangkok".
B&B knew how to write a good song. Then they got A&A to add tje sublime vocals. There are two volunes of albums out of Sweden which a e e basically metal covers of ABBA songs and it is glorious.
Being a kid in the 70's I'll never forget my mother playing the radio in the car and hearing all these great 70's hits including this song from ABBA. GREAT times!
Thank you a lot for covering this one. My great late wife look just like Agneta. She sadmly passed away 5 hours of her 61 st birthday. It going for 7 years now and i missed more and more every. We were married for 41 years. She was my one and only.
The guys are such brilliant song writers. They wrote a Swedish and English version of this, The Swedish one got them to Eurovision for Sweden, The English one started their world conquering. We love ABBA down here in Australia. There is even a concert tour movie they made here.
SOS is another no. 1 hit by them. Loved waterloo. Memories and feel good songs. the blonde from Abba married a prince. Thats when the band ended the music. They were so popular and im sure it crushed alot of fans.
Hi, you mentioned their clothes? Most of the early video's had them in outlandish cloths, the reason being was that at that time in Sweden performers could claim the cost of their clothes against their income tax, but they had to be clothes you'd never wear in public. So if they were wearing suit and 70's dresses, no tax deduction.
Probably my favorite ABBA song. Actresses Toni Collette and Rachel Griffith did this song for their talent show entry in the movie, Muriel's Wedding. It was awesome!
Not my favourite. Their other songs were deeper. This was written for the Eurovision song context, it had to be catchy one one listen. And it is, they played the Eurovision game superbly.
I just love how you love music. It’s a joy to watch you…you often react to my genre growing up and it’s comforting when I see the next generation appreciating our generation’s style. Keep on man!
I don’t remember knowing about ABBA until I heard this song back in ‘ 74, I was In middle school about 13 years old , even then I probably didn’t become a big fan until later in the late 70’s . I’ve heard that they didn’t have another hit after this song until around 76- or 77 when they began there almost non stop sting of worldwide hits . I was overseas in Okinawa Japan with my family for two years as my father was in his last years in the Air Force, this was a huge hit then, I’m sure people thought they would be a one hit wonder, but the rest is platinum ABBA history!
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records. Took a while depending on the country.
The saying "to meet your Waterloo" means you've come to a cataclysmic defeat. The two men, Benny and Bjorn, wrote the music, and were hands-on in production, and the girls sang really well together. They had their own soap opera, reflected in their music. The Fleetwood Mac of Sweden! They appeared on Eurovision, swept the board and in Europe, they went boom. For the next 10 years there was always an ABBA song in the charts.
BTW, Benny and Bjorn wrote some very successful musicals after the band split up. Chess, for instance, and of course Mamma Mia, the first juke box musical, used their songs.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Thank you for another first reaction🌷🌷🌷🌷They won Eurovision 1974 with this song but the international breakthrough came a year later, all thanks to Australia - ABBA Nation No.1✌ Lot's of love from Sweden to you and all your subscribers 🇸🇪❤
Yes, Australia really saved them from being one hit wonders like most Eurovision winners. Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
ABBA’s first hit. They won the Eurovision contest with this in ‘74. They only became a household name a year later when they toured Australia and the fans and media there really took to them, giving the band extensive coverage. Found this out only recently in a TH-cam documentary.
Living in Sweden at the time, I can still remember it like it was yesterday, watching the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1974, as a fresh faced 13 year old, sitting on the couch with my parents and younger brother, keeping my fingers crossed that "our" ABBA and their song "WATERLOO" would win... and they did!💙💛💙💛 ABBA is a DEEP rabbit hole - check out their track "MY MAMA SAID" - You won't regret it!
"My Mama Said", "Gonna Sing You My Lovesong", "Honey Honey", "Hasta Mañana", "Watch Out" and "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) and "Suzy-Hang-Around"....excellent album besides the title track with lots of variety
This was ABBA's first big hit in America. The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the early summer of 1974. Who knew that ABBA was one the biggest music acts of the 1970s!!!
This was my first memory of ABBA, but in retrospect, a cool one. My father loved this song and we disagreed on a lot of things, but we loved this song! He was homophobic, and I think he knew about me (he wanted a football player, but that didn't happen! He died when I was 18, just before I came out). But I know we connected on at least one level.
These early ABBA videos are so fun and cheesy. Directed by Lasse Hallström who would go on to direct What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Something to Talk About, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, The Shipping News
Well, thank you, Jamel, for correcting me after all these years. I've been singing, "Knowing my baby would be with you." Totally different Jolene-style vibe. Thanks for straightening me out! 😁
That was the song that got me into Music completely when I was a child. One of my first First Records was Abbas greatest hits volume two which had all the great stuff like dancing Queen and knowing me knowing you
Napoleon's forces seemed unstoppable, and if he hadn't been defeated at the battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington then he may have gone on to conquer the whole continent of Europe. At Waterloo, Napoleon surrendered and thusly Waterloo is now synonymous with the act of surrender. In the context of this song that surrender is to love.
i have a feeling that the late arrival of the prussians might have given the final push. Leading to an C19th build up by the Germans mainly of military arms to protect against another French Invasion, which led in part to WW1. Actually a united europe under bonaparte's semi- socialistic state of individual freedoms might have been better
@@highpath4776 there is also the theory that it was the weather that muddied the fields thus slowing Napoleon's forces and not allowing him to use his heavy weapons effectively that lead to his downfall. Then again, several scientists believe the weather was affected by a large volcanic eruption (Tambora) in Indonesia in April.
Napoleon did not lose by a lot at Waterloo. There was some communication problems before the Battle and his calvarly commander (Grouchy) basically ran his forces so far away from the main body that they couldn't help. However I believe that even had he won its likely there would have been a 7th coalition and they would eventually be defeated.
As a teenager, ABBA was one of my favourite bands and I just heard this as a lovely song with a nice bouncy beat. It wasn’t until I was in my 30s, that I got the relationship metaphor. And you picked that out first listen!! Amazing!!
With the win of 1974 Eurovision, with Waterloo, ABBA established themselves as what would become one of the very top bands for almost a decade. Eurovision winners typically don't realize success beyond the contest...ABBA shattered the stereotype,.obviously!!! Sooo much magic of ABBA, it's an endless treat to dive deep with analysis of their music... Arrangements and new techniques developed by ABBA we're iconic and incredible!!! Much more than a catchy tune and good, talented, fun music!!! 💜💜💜
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
This song started their international career when they won the Eurovision Song Contest. Björn and Benny had made beautiful songs in Swedish earlier. As a Swede I am happy and so surprised that they are making a comeback. The song is about the battle Waterloo in Belgium where Napoleon was defeated.
Fernando was no 1 in Australia for a record 13 weeks . thats from now , sep 24, to Christmas Chiquitita song of the year in Portugal, the only song of the year not performed by a non Portoguese.
This song put ABBA on the map. They basically won a talent contest with this one. 1974 EUROVISION grand prize. And they deserved it; it’s a cute reference between love and Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Great song.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Well I watched the whole song no probs. Yea Abba are so cute innocent but wild and fun-- talented graceful and sophisticated at the same time. Love em!
The story behind this song is incredible.... makes this song even more impressive sounding.... Basically as a Sweden band and new they thought in taking part in a Contest that only favored British musicians and frowned on "Outsiders" .... As a new band they thought they'd try their luck but lost....angered they worked al year on their next attempt and this was the result.....Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) they won and the rest is history.
The Eurovision Song Contest did not 'favour' British musicians lol. You need to check how many times we actually won! Waterloo was ABBA's winning song and they exploded onto the music scene worldwide. The rest is history.
They lost the Swedish Song for Europe with Ring Ring (later released after Waterloo world wide with added Sax track) , and recorded a more Swedish Folk Song as a potential entry to eurovision ,but in the end went with Waterloo. The good version is the live Winners reprise, from Eurovision at Brighton. (I dont recall seeing a YT of the competitive performance. - though I remember it live when first broadcast)
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
This song won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden. The ESC is a competition held between the countries of Europe every year since the late 50's, except for the 2020 one because of Corona. It is a huge event with over 200 million television viewers for the grand finale in recent years. When ABBA won there was no internet or streaming but the huge exposure of the televised contest meant that winning songs were often huge hits throughout the world. Celine Dion also won the contest in the 80's representing Switzerland. Anyhow, as big as the hits it created it could also be the kiss of death afterwards as it was difficult to get the same coverage for the following songs so that even ABBA had a year or two of (commercial) failure before they became the international sensation we all know today.
I was nine years old when I watched ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest with this song! I've been a life-long fan ever since. It's catchy, it's fun, it's intelligent. It should feature as one of Rick Beato's "What Makes This Song Great?" series!
This was the song that finally launched ABBA to worldwide success when they won the Eurovision song contest in 1974 .... (having lost in 1973 with "Ring Ring")
They had released 7 songs before this one, 2 of which did okay in certain Charts. ABBA cited the song "See My Baby Jive", by English glam rock band Wizzard a year before in 1973 as a major influence for this song. You'll know what i mean when you hear it.
If you have Netflix, you should watch a show called This Is Pop, Episode #3 entitled "Stockholm Syndrome." It talks about how surprisingly important the Swedish recording scene has been in rock and pop music. ABBA is a part of that situation; Really, really interesting.
The costumes they are wearing remind me of the group Slade. Slade was a group from the early 70$ with great songs and their stage show and outfits were crazy!
I suggest any if these four from ABBA: -The Visitor (very cool sound) -On And On And On (fun, gives you a big adrenaline rush) -If It Wasn't For The Nights (my favorite :D) -Move On (inspirational, calming, makes me cry every time)
The song title refers to the 1815 defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French army near "Waterloo" (obviously) in Belgium by a British-led coalition headed up by the Duke of Wellington. ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision contest performing this song, which was used as a metaphor for a romantic relationship.
Hi jamel this was their winning song in the Eurovision song contest, biggest Europrs biggest singing contest which which is watched by over 300 million people every year , each participating country allocates votes for the best song, 50 % of votes come from national judging committee and 50% comes from phone in votes, winning country hosts the competition following year , ABBA has sold 100s of millions of records, they have just released a new album and details of a new tour even though they are in the 70s , most anticipated reunion in over 40 years, fun fact they couldn't speak English and learned to sing phoneticly, every one has heard an ABBA song ,also the film musical mama Mia is based on their songs ,great reaction as usual, shout out from Ireland
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored. Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ; th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
They hit the air waves and never looked back! I still have the 45 I bought oh so many years ago! And it still plays! Yep, I'm that old! And still have a stereo that works! lol
‘KEEP GREAT MUSIC ALIVE’ Shirts and More, Enter Promo Code ‘Jamel’ jamel-aka-jamal-youtube-store.creator-spring.com
It's about a couple who has finally surrendered to love. Waterloo was a famous battle that Napoleon lost .
Btw... you are amazing as always
@@LoveLightLiberty6868 but where he definitely didn't surrender. He just ... ran away and was hunted by some Prussians.
Which is an interesting thought in relation to the song.
@@Thisandthat8908 hahaha
Do ABBA.....visitors...🎀
The statue was of Napoleon Buonaparte (bone-a-part), who was defeated finally and irrevocably at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, by a coalition of European forces led by the British commander Sir Arthur Wellesley, The Duke of Wellington. To meet one's "Waterloo" is to finally give in, give up...or accept defeat, like Napoleon had to.
This song was the winner of the Eurovision contest in 1974 and launched ABBA on their huge success!
@@brushstroke3733 - Please don't fall for anti-sematic conspiracy theory nonsense.
@@BobSoltis1 Who said anything about semitic peoples? European Jews aren't semites, but that's beside the point. I don't assume the Rothschilds are Jews. Do you?
@@BobSoltis1 Rothschild said it himself. Don't fall for authoritarian propaganda.
@@brushstroke3733 Thats RICH....the Rothschild's are apart of the deepstate, a banking family who have run this world since.the 1500's .....its not a conspiracy theory either. Just do some research, the info. is out there.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
In 1974 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with this song, I was living in Waterloo Belgium where the battle took place. A couple of weeks after the contest, ABBA came and visited the town, to say thank you for inspiring their huge hit.
very cool!
What a short yet amazing comment. A tidbit of their history I never knew. That they came to say thank you is so adorable. Its as innocent and cute as their songs. Love ABBA. Thanks for that. Amazing.
I suffer from Depression, and these classic Songs are the best medication I can have!
I really like watching you enjoy the Music!
Yes, that's Napoleon. Waterloo was the location of his big defeat. They're singing about I couldn't escape if I wanted to, you are my Waterloo.
They're also singing that he did surrender. Which he didn't.
I mean who doesn't like the song but don't use it to learn (non-music) history.
It’s a love song
Someone once wrote that it seemed inevitable that a European song contest would be won by four Swedes (one of them Norwegian-born) singing in English about the defeat of a French military leader (of Italian origin) at a battle in Belgium - it kinda covers a lot of ground...
..... just like covid
Yes, Frida (Anni-Frid...) was born (in Norway...) to a Norwegian mother, and a German father.
It was in Swedish in the Swedish contest.
Hmm..interesting take on this song and the contest. I never suspected European politics played a part in it.
@@lena-mariag.louis-charles3579 "Tyskunge" as "we" called them back then. Kids born from German occupation of Norway. Kids that struggled majorly in Norway, that's why many moved to Sweden. Just to be bullied here.
This band was a hit making machine in the 70’s. Backed by the top session musicians in Sweden. Tight grooves and chunky bass lines always.
So many hits from this band...."The winner takes it all" is my favorite!!
mine too!
Anything Abba is awesome!
The song is about a woman surrendering to the pursuits of a man, for life. Waterloo is a metaphor of a Napoleon like surrender but to love. "Couldn't escape you if I wanted to...."
This song was ABBA’s great breakthrough to the mass market when they won
The Eurovision Song Contest with it and mad e them superstars. What followed was a string of highly catchy pop songs capturing the hearts of millions along the way. They were terrific live too. Great reaction Jamel.
1974. th-cam.com/video/3FsVeMz1F5c/w-d-xo.html the contest,
First song that I ever heard by ABBA.
Success after a difficult period of being ignored everywhere because winning Eurovision was a Kiss of death.
Took success in Australia after their music videos were played on TV to finally spread to other countries.
ABBA interviews confirm this problem they had.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision nearly strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
One of the breakthrough songs for ABBA that help launch their careers WorldWide!!! Such a catchy tune when it played over the radio. Everyone just joined in and sang and were happy!!
Historical reference to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. Here a female "surrendering" to a male. Loved this song in the 70s, really too young at the time to understand the historical significance used as a metaphor for a relationship. I just thought it was catchy as hell.
Funnily enough Napoleon never actually "surrendered" at Waterloo, he just lost and fled. ABBA playing around with history, but still a brilliant song 😂😂😂
Great film by the way!
"To meet (his/her/your/my, etc.) Waterloo" was an idiom before Benny and Bjorn used it, but yeah, their use of it is bloody brilliant 😀
@@josephmalinsky5282 he didn't admit defeat, but he sure as hell knew he was defeated.... :)
Oh, Jesus. It's about a person surrendering to love.....NOT a woman surrendering to a man.
Who can ever forget Dancing Queen!😄
My absolute FAVORITE song of theirs!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a common reference, if someone "meets their Waterloo" they've been defeated.
Dozens of great ABBA songs.
Australians caught onto ABBA very quickly. They came to Australia very early in their career and enjoyed their fame here. Their music was presented in "Muriel's Wedding", a quirky Australian arthouse movie .Their music is more sophisticated than many people realise.
Thank you for playing this song, my favorite Abba song! Great job also the reference is to Napoleon.
I don't think it's humanly possible to listen to ABBA without a smile on your face.
A band worth deep-diving their catalog. "SOS" one of my favorites, as a bonus, it's done in the key of D minor, the saddest key of all.
Benny and Bjorn (the husbands) collaborated after the break-up. THey did the score for the musical "Chess", best known for the song "One Night in Bangkok".
Is that where and who the song "One Night in Bangkok" came from? Now that solves a mystery!!
Thanks for the trivia . Love finding out fun facts like that 😊
@@brushstroke3733 Sang by Murray Head, written by Benny & Bjorn. Seems so obvious afterwards.
B&B knew how to write a good song. Then they got A&A to add tje sublime vocals. There are two volunes of albums out of Sweden which a e e basically metal covers of ABBA songs and it is glorious.
Thanks for the subtle Spinal Tap reference. Made me smile when I think of the song title...
Being a kid in the 70's I'll never forget my mother playing the radio in the car and hearing all these great 70's hits including this song from ABBA. GREAT times!
Thank you a lot for covering this one. My great late wife look just like Agneta. She sadmly passed away 5 hours of her 61 st birthday. It going for 7 years now and i missed more and more every. We were married for 41 years. She was my one and only.
Fernando-my favorite ABBA song
The guys are such brilliant song writers. They wrote a Swedish and English version of this, The Swedish one got them to Eurovision for Sweden, The English one started their world conquering. We love ABBA down here in Australia. There is even a concert tour movie they made here.
They won Eurovision with Waterloo which helped launch them into the stratosphere.
Jamel, thanks for playing that. I love Abba. Have a great day.
Thank you Jamel! Really like your ABBA-reactions. Greatings from Sweden. Soon we have a new ABBA-album
SOS is another no. 1 hit by them. Loved waterloo. Memories and feel good songs. the blonde from Abba married a prince. Thats when the band ended the music. They were so popular and im sure it crushed alot of fans.
Hi, you mentioned their clothes? Most of the early video's had them in outlandish cloths, the reason being was that at that time in Sweden performers could claim the cost of their clothes against their income tax, but they had to be clothes you'd never wear in public. So if they were wearing suit and 70's dresses, no tax deduction.
Probably my favorite ABBA song. Actresses Toni Collette and Rachel Griffith did this song for their talent show entry in the movie, Muriel's Wedding. It was awesome!
Not my favourite. Their other songs were deeper. This was written for the Eurovision song context, it had to be catchy one one listen. And it is, they played the Eurovision game superbly.
Still up, brother. Very infectious dance tune. I'm a prog/rock, etc guy. ABBA works. Love n peace, all
Fun fact: in the same year that ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, Olivia Newton-John represented the UK and placed fourth.
No one can resist the power of ABBA!!!!
Good to see you doing some Abba now my Rush brother!
I just love how you love music. It’s a joy to watch you…you often react to my genre growing up and it’s comforting when I see the next generation appreciating our generation’s style. Keep on man!
I love this song. Jamel you Rock!!!
Be good to yourself and others. 🤘
This takes me back to my childhood. I was born in 67 and Abba had a lot of hit songs during the 70s
I don’t remember knowing about ABBA until I heard this song back in ‘ 74, I was In middle school about 13 years old , even then I probably didn’t become a big fan until later in the late 70’s . I’ve heard that they didn’t have another hit after this song until around 76- or 77 when they began there almost non stop sting of worldwide hits . I was overseas in Okinawa Japan with my family for two years as my father was in his last years in the Air Force, this was a huge hit then, I’m sure people thought they would be a one hit wonder, but the rest is platinum ABBA history!
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Took a while depending on the country.
The saying "to meet your Waterloo" means you've come to a cataclysmic defeat. The two men, Benny and Bjorn, wrote the music, and were hands-on in production, and the girls sang really well together. They had their own soap opera, reflected in their music. The Fleetwood Mac of Sweden! They appeared on Eurovision, swept the board and in Europe, they went boom. For the next 10 years there was always an ABBA song in the charts.
BTW, Benny and Bjorn wrote some very successful musicals after the band split up. Chess, for instance, and of course Mamma Mia, the first juke box musical, used their songs.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Will Ferrell used this song a couple times in his brilliant comedy Eurovision Song Contest, the Story of Fire Saga. It's on Netflix now!
Thank you for another first reaction🌷🌷🌷🌷They won Eurovision 1974 with this song but the international breakthrough came a year later, all thanks to Australia - ABBA Nation No.1✌
Lot's of love from Sweden to you and all your subscribers 🇸🇪❤
Yes, Australia really saved them from being one hit wonders like most Eurovision winners.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
ABBA’s first hit. They won the Eurovision contest with this in ‘74. They only became a household name a year later when they toured Australia and the fans and media there really took to them, giving the band extensive coverage. Found this out only recently in a TH-cam documentary.
Living in Sweden at the time, I can still remember it like it was yesterday, watching the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1974, as a fresh faced 13 year old, sitting on the couch with my parents and younger brother, keeping my fingers crossed that "our" ABBA and their song "WATERLOO" would win... and they did!💙💛💙💛
ABBA is a DEEP rabbit hole - check out their track "MY MAMA SAID" - You won't regret it!
"My Mama Said", "Gonna Sing You My Lovesong", "Honey Honey", "Hasta Mañana", "Watch Out" and "Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) and "Suzy-Hang-Around"....excellent album besides the title track with lots of variety
Love this song! Great use of it in the movie “Muriel’s Wedding” and the tv show “The Simpsons Season 7, episode 8”. 😀
Love the movie, haven’t watched it in years, thanks for mentioning it!
The Waterloo sequence in “Muriel’s Wedding” was epic!
Another great song is "does your mother know" give that one a listen too!!
Yes!
Loved the happy music of the 70's and especially ABBA.
I grew up with ABBA. ALWAYS love ❤ this 🎵 song
This was ABBA's first big hit in America. The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the early summer of 1974. Who knew that ABBA was one the biggest music acts of the 1970s!!!
This was my first memory of ABBA, but in retrospect, a cool one. My father loved this song and we disagreed on a lot of things, but we loved this song! He was homophobic, and I think he knew about me (he wanted a football player, but that didn't happen! He died when I was 18, just before I came out). But I know we connected on at least one level.
A fun sounding song that helped learn history! If Abba could sing about the battle place, I was interested!
"I feel like I win when I lose!" :)
This was the first ABBA song I ever heard. Back in ‘74 I believe when it came out. It turned me into a big fan.
These early ABBA videos are so fun and cheesy. Directed by Lasse Hallström who would go on to direct What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Something to Talk About, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, The Shipping News
Well, thank you, Jamel, for correcting me after all these years. I've been singing, "Knowing my baby would be with you." Totally different Jolene-style vibe. Thanks for straightening me out! 😁
That was the song that got me into Music completely when I was a child. One of my first First Records was Abbas greatest hits volume two which had all the great stuff like dancing Queen and knowing me knowing you
They were awesome in the day,,,,,lotta hits and catchy songs
Napoleon's forces seemed unstoppable, and if he hadn't been defeated at the battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington then he may have gone on to conquer the whole continent of Europe.
At Waterloo, Napoleon surrendered and thusly Waterloo is now synonymous with the act of surrender. In the context of this song that surrender is to love.
Brilliant deduction!
i have a feeling that the late arrival of the prussians might have given the final push. Leading to an C19th build up by the Germans mainly of military arms to protect against another French Invasion, which led in part to WW1. Actually a united europe under bonaparte's semi- socialistic state of individual freedoms might have been better
@@highpath4776 there is also the theory that it was the weather that muddied the fields thus slowing Napoleon's forces and not allowing him to use his heavy weapons effectively that lead to his downfall. Then again, several scientists believe the weather was affected by a large volcanic eruption (Tambora) in Indonesia in April.
Napoleon did not lose by a lot at Waterloo. There was some communication problems before the Battle and his calvarly commander (Grouchy) basically ran his forces so far away from the main body that they couldn't help.
However I believe that even had he won its likely there would have been a 7th coalition and they would eventually be defeated.
@@jaythompson5102 it doesn't matter if it was by a little or a lot, Napoleon took the 'L' at Waterloo.
As a teenager, ABBA was one of my favourite bands and I just heard this as a lovely song with a nice bouncy beat. It wasn’t until I was in my 30s, that I got the relationship metaphor. And you picked that out first listen!! Amazing!!
Watching Jamel’s shoulder shake kick in with chorus was awesome!! Always imagined this would make a great E.L.O. song
E.L.O could cover a number of Abba songs and sound great doing so.
With the win of 1974 Eurovision, with Waterloo, ABBA established themselves as what would become one of the very top bands for almost a decade. Eurovision winners typically don't realize success beyond the contest...ABBA shattered the stereotype,.obviously!!!
Sooo much magic of ABBA, it's an endless treat to dive deep with analysis of their music... Arrangements and new techniques developed by ABBA we're iconic and incredible!!! Much more than a catchy tune and good, talented, fun music!!!
💜💜💜
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Watch the movie, Muriel's Wedding. Full of ABBA music and a great watch.
This song started their international career when they won the Eurovision Song Contest. Björn and Benny had made beautiful songs in Swedish earlier.
As a Swede I am happy and so surprised that they are making a comeback.
The song is about the battle Waterloo in Belgium where Napoleon was defeated.
Agnetha was a pretty famous singer in Sweden before ABBA, I believe...
@@george217 Yes she was.
One of the coolest bands from the 70s. I still have a crush on Agnetha, the blond one in the band.
And she still looks good at 71 years old!
Everyone did and we still do!
Benny for me..
@@dawnjensen5615 We all have our favourites.
Me too. 47 years on and counting ... and my wife knows all about it!!!
They had a lot of pop hits in the 1970s but Waterloo and Dancing Queen are probably their biggest and most well-known songs.
Fernando was no 1 in Australia for a record 13 weeks . thats from now , sep 24, to Christmas
Chiquitita song of the year in Portugal, the only song of the year not performed by a non Portoguese.
Also, "Take A Chance on Me". It reached #3 in the US.
This song put ABBA on the map. They basically won a talent contest with this one. 1974 EUROVISION grand prize. And they deserved it; it’s a cute reference between love and Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Great song.
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Well I watched the whole song no probs.
Yea Abba are so cute innocent but wild and fun-- talented graceful and sophisticated at the same time.
Love em!
I remember me and my Dad dancing -jitterbug- around the kitchen. A sweet memory Thanks
We had some of the best songs 🎵 in the 70s, im happy to have been A young teen then 😊 ❤
My favorite ABBA song is Take A Chance On Me.
So many great ABBA songs
I saw only the title of the video and immediatly the song is stuck in my head (every fking time it happens when I see the name)
The story behind this song is incredible.... makes this song even more impressive sounding....
Basically as a Sweden band and new they thought in taking part in a Contest that only favored British musicians and frowned on "Outsiders" .... As a new band they thought they'd try their luck but lost....angered they worked al year on their next attempt and this was the result.....Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) they won and the rest is history.
The Eurovision Song Contest did not 'favour' British musicians lol. You need to check how many times we actually won! Waterloo was ABBA's winning song and they exploded onto the music scene worldwide. The rest is history.
They lost the Swedish Song for Europe with Ring Ring (later released after Waterloo world wide with added Sax track) , and recorded a more Swedish Folk Song as a potential entry to eurovision ,but in the end went with Waterloo. The good version is the live Winners reprise, from Eurovision at Brighton. (I dont recall seeing a YT of the competitive performance. - though I remember it live when first broadcast)
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
Britain hardly ever won it. Before or after Waterloo.
This song won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden. The ESC is a competition held between the countries of Europe every year since the late 50's, except for the 2020 one because of Corona. It is a huge event with over 200 million television viewers for the grand finale in recent years. When ABBA won there was no internet or streaming but the huge exposure of the televised contest meant that winning songs were often huge hits throughout the world. Celine Dion also won the contest in the 80's representing Switzerland. Anyhow, as big as the hits it created it could also be the kiss of death afterwards as it was difficult to get the same coverage for the following songs so that even ABBA had a year or two of (commercial) failure before they became the international sensation we all know today.
I was nine years old when I watched ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest with this song! I've been a life-long fan ever since. It's catchy, it's fun, it's intelligent. It should feature as one of Rick Beato's "What Makes This Song Great?" series!
The first ever 45 rpm I bought was Abba's S.O.S.
This was the song that finally launched ABBA to worldwide success when they won the Eurovision song contest in 1974 .... (having lost in 1973 with "Ring Ring")
Pure pop perfection. ABBA is, was and always will be the stuff! Too cool for its own good.
Thanks Jamal for keeping great music alive. Waterloo. Napolean's classic defeat..a play on a classic historical incident.
You are right. Music is sooo therapeutic
ABBA won the Eurovision song contest with this in 1974. There was an homage to it in the 2020 romantic comedy film of the same name.
They had released 7 songs before this one, 2 of which did okay in certain Charts. ABBA cited the song "See My Baby Jive", by English glam rock band Wizzard a year before in 1973 as a major influence for this song. You'll know what i mean when you hear it.
Thanks Jamal for your extra effort to bring the music in a shared format 🥰
If you have Netflix, you should watch a show called This Is Pop, Episode #3 entitled "Stockholm Syndrome." It talks about how surprisingly important the Swedish recording scene has been in rock and pop music. ABBA is a part of that situation; Really, really interesting.
If you're not dancing to this💃 ya ain't got no soul!
I have the soul, just not the outfit!! 😂
The first time I heard this song I was over in England. I believe it was just released I was so blown away by it. It is a catchy tune. Great memories.
The costumes they are wearing remind me of the group Slade. Slade was a group from the early 70$ with great songs and their stage show and outfits were crazy!
I suggest any if these four from ABBA:
-The Visitor (very cool sound)
-On And On And On (fun, gives you a big adrenaline rush)
-If It Wasn't For The Nights (my favorite :D)
-Move On (inspirational, calming, makes me cry every time)
The song title refers to the 1815 defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French army near "Waterloo" (obviously) in Belgium by a British-led coalition headed up by the Duke of Wellington. ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision contest performing this song, which was used as a metaphor for a romantic relationship.
Anna were, and remain, a guilty pleasure for many people. I believe that Stephen Fry is a fan.
I just wanted to reach out and say I love your channel dude. Good vibes, open-minded, honest, and funny as hell. Thanks for the fantastic content!
Hi jamel this was their winning song in the Eurovision song contest, biggest Europrs biggest singing contest which which is watched by over 300 million people every year , each participating country allocates votes for the best song, 50 % of votes come from national judging committee and 50% comes from phone in votes, winning country hosts the competition following year , ABBA has sold 100s of millions of records, they have just released a new album and details of a new tour even though they are in the 70s , most anticipated reunion in over 40 years, fun fact they couldn't speak English and learned to sing phoneticly, every one has heard an ABBA song ,also the film musical mama Mia is based on their songs ,great reaction as usual, shout out from Ireland
Although Waterloo won Eurovision and sold well as a record, Eurovision winners were classed as one hit wonders to be ignored.
Bjorn of ABBA saying that Eurovision strangled them until they broke through in Australia by Countdown promoting them ;
th-cam.com/video/AkJ5RWZdT54/w-d-xo.html
After a huge string of being number one for weeks in Australia, record companies around the world then gave them the respect they deserved by releasing their records.
They hit the air waves and never looked back! I still have the 45 I bought oh so many years ago! And it still plays! Yep, I'm that old! And still have a stereo that works! lol
Showing my age, but as a young child I bought this .45 with my birthday money and wore it out.
What cotton candy "sounds" like! I love it!
The Waterloo vid at the end of Mamma Mia is just plain fun. Bjorn (?!) plays the piano.
Such great songs. I remember them from when I was a kid
My favorite of theirs. Thanks Jamel for keeping great and fun music alive!
They won the 1974 Eurovision song contest with this song. There is a video from that day..Great hit!
You can't go wrong with REACTING to anything ABBA Jamel, thanks for the reaction!