Editing ABBA (section)

==== Eurovision Song Contest 1974 ====
[[File:ABBA - TopPop 1974 1.png|thumb|right|ABBA on Dutch TV in April 1974; clockwise from top left: [[Benny Andersson]], [[Björn Ulvaeus]], [[Agnetha Fältskog]] and [[Anni-Frid Lyngstad]]]]
ABBA entered the Melodifestivalen with "[[Ring Ring (ABBA song)|Ring Ring]]" but did not qualify as the 1973 Swedish entry. Stig Anderson started planning for the 1974 contest. Ulvaeus, Andersson and Stig Anderson saw possibilities in using the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] to make the music business aware of them as songwriters, as well as to publicise the band. In late 1973 they were invited by Swedish television to contribute a song for the [[Melodifestivalen 1974]], and the upbeat song "[[Waterloo (ABBA song)|Waterloo]]" was chosen. The group were now inspired by the growing [[glam rock]] scene in England.

With this third attempt, ABBA were more experienced and better prepared for the Eurovision Song Contest, and they won the nation's hearts on Swedish television on 9 February 1974. Winning the [[Eurovision Song Contest 1974|1974 Eurovision Song Contest]] on 6 April 1974, and singing "Waterloo" in English instead of their native language, gave them the chance to tour Europe and perform on major television shows, as a result of which the "Waterloo" single charted in many European countries. After winning the contest, ABBA spent an evening of glory partying in the appropriately named first-floor Napoleon suite of [[Grand Brighton Hotel|The Grand Brighton Hotel]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Gilson |first=Edwin |date=16 December 2017 |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15776822.relive-abbas-eurovision-night-of-glory-from-1974/ |title=Relive Abba's Eurovision night of glory from 1974 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724204039/https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15776822.relive-abbas-eurovision-night-of-glory-from-1974/ |archive-date=24 July 2020 }}</ref>

"Waterloo" was ABBA's first major hit and their first number-one single in nine western and northern European countries, including the major markets of the UK and West Germany, and in South Africa. It made the top ten in other countries, rising to number three in Spain, number four in Australia and France, and number seven in Canada. In the United States, the song peaked at number six on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart, paving the way for their first album and their first trip to the US as a group. Although only a short promotional visit, this included their first performance on American television, on ''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]''. The ''[[Waterloo (album)|Waterloo]]'' album peaked at only number 145 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart, but received unanimous praise from US critics. {{failed verification span|text=The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' said the album was a "compelling and fascinating debut album" that captured the spirit of mainstream pop, and described it as "immensely enjoyable and pleasant",|date=April 2025}} while ''[[Creem]]'' said it was "a perfect blend of exceptional, lovable compositions".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/abba/chart-history/tlp/| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211020/https://www.billboard.com/music/abba/chart-history/TLP| archive-date=20 October 2021|title=ABBA| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://latimes.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/170982423/ |title=Pop Album Briefs |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=1 September 1974 |access-date=9 November 2021 |page=415 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=}}</ref>

ABBA's follow-up single, "[[Honey, Honey]]", peaked at number 27 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], reached the top twenty in several other countries, and was a number-two hit in West Germany, although it only reached the top 30 in Australia and the US. In the UK, ABBA's British record label, Epic, decided to re-release a remixed version of "Ring Ring" instead of "Honey, Honey". A cover version of "Honey, Honey" by [[Sweet Dreams (1970s band)|Sweet Dreams]] peaked at number 10, and both records debuted on the UK chart within a week of each other. "Ring Ring" failed to reach the Top 30 in the UK, increasing growing speculation that the group were simply a Eurovision [[one-hit wonder]].