AN ABBA ROCK SONG?! First Time Hearing ABBA - Waterloo Reaction!
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Welcome back, everyone! Today's musical adventure brings us to a surprising corner of ABBA's diverse discography with our first-time reaction to "Waterloo." Best known for their catchy pop melodies and groundbreaking contributions to music, ABBA shows off their versatility with this rock-infused Eurovision-winning hit. Join us as we dive into "Waterloo," exploring its infectious energy, historical references, and the unique place it holds in ABBA's catalog and music history.
⭐️ WHAT WE DISCOVER IN THIS VIDEO:
Our live reactions to the high-energy performance and catchy chorus of "Waterloo" by ABBA.
Discussing the song's significance as ABBA's breakthrough on the international stage, winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974.
Reflecting on how "Waterloo" blends elements of rock with ABBA's signature pop sound.
Sharing our thoughts on ABBA's legacy and how "Waterloo" contributed to their enduring popularity.
🎵 ABOUT ABBA & "WATERLOO":
ABBA, the Swedish pop sensation, took the world by storm in the 1970s and '80s, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry with hits like "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," and of course, "Waterloo." This track not only secured their win at Eurovision but also launched them into global stardom, celebrating its catchy melody and historical lyrics that compare a romantic conquest to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
👫 WHO WE ARE:
We're a couple who believes in the power of music to bring joy and unity. Our channel is all about exploring new tunes and old classics, sharing our first impressions and deep dives into the music that moves us.
💬 COMMENT BELOW:
How does "Waterloo" by ABBA stand out to you among their other hits?
Are there other ABBA songs or perhaps more rock-infused pop songs you'd recommend for our next reaction?
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#abba #waterloo #abbareaction
50 years ago the ABBA train started and whoa it doesn't stop!
Abba won the eurovison song contest in 1974 with this song.
@andycapp Didn't the UK award this song null points?!
They sure did, as Björn of ABBA likes to remind them of... 😉 Luckily the people of the UK didn't agree with the jury... Voyage and 50 years later, it's for sure a love affair ABBA + UK ❤ No hard feelings.
@@chatham43so we did. Only Switzerland and Norway gave it the full 5. U.K. gave its 5 to Italy with Gigliola Cinquetti singing "Si". No offence to Gigliola but listening to that track now, what were we thinking?!
But - was 1974 when it wasn’t the public deciding the vote but a panel of “experts” for the country? I can’t remember when that changed.
What I do remember is it felt like everyone loved ABBA the day after the show and wanted to get the single :)
Wow - just seen that the U.K. had Olivia Newton John singing “long live love” - and only came 4th.
Also just reminded after listening to the performance from Eurovision - that year was from Brighton Dome in Brighton - which is also where the Big Push with Ren played their last actual gig!
Yes they did - and they only scored 24 points!!!
@@chatham43tes but us British love the song il give u one guess why hahaha
For someone my age, you weren’t supposed to listen to ABBA because it wasn’t cool but it’s so damn good you couldn’t help but listen to it. Love, ABBA. (I’m 55 years old)
I was born in 1955...and I can say good music, contrary to men and women, never gets old !
Same here…farm boys in the ‘70s didn’t listen to ABBA…we were closet ABBA fans😂
Frank, you young pup you. You were around 6 when Waterloo came out. You had no fear at that age of being uncool. But those of us in our twenties at that time did.
I have the original 45 of Waterloo that I bought way back then. The flip side was Watch Out.
@@timcarr6401 love 'Watch out'!The hardest they've done.Guitar riff is a killer.
@@alexioverdo5225 It is hard --like Glam Rock. They were trying to find their groove. Waterloo is identifiably more representative of the group's sound. Although they were quite versatile in their domain.
The song that started it all for ABBA.
Yep. Received a lot of airplay on the radio in 1974.
Started it for them outside Scandinavia.
But it would have ended it if they hadn't put the classics of SOS and Mamma Mia on their 1975 album
Waterloo was the last battle of the commander and ruler of Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte, where he was finally defeated. They use it as a metaphor for love as a kind of war, where she finally gives up, defeated by his (the lover) advances and courting.
Also, at least in Europe, 'Waterloo' was another word for one's nemesis!
To face your Waterloo, means to be defeated. It derives its meaning from the battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon was defeated, and has been used as a figure of speech since then. ”This exam will be my Waterloo” or whatever.
Now that's soldiering
"ruler of Europe"
Nah, don't think so. There's a reason he lost.
@@birchleaf It doesn't mean to be defeated, it means to face the distinct possibility of defeat.
I am from 70s Scotland but never denied my love for Abba.
I thank 70s Sweden for ABBA, and I thank 80s Scotland for “Gregory’s Girl”.
There's a phrase: "facing your waterloo," which means coming up against a situating that you cannot resolve.
your defeat realy
I'm 64 this is my youth Agnetha Åse Fältskog super vocals hello everyone from Russia
There was so many styles of rock music in the 70’s.
It was a great time to be a teenager
ABBA is the ultimate guilty pleasure band.....everyone listens to them, but nobody admits it.
Not everyone. Anyone who knows me knows ABBA is my favorite group. I said it when they weren't "cool" and I've said it since and I say it now. No guilt at all.
@@michelemercier2286 Yes, I realize there are true blue ABBA fans; I was exaggerating to make a point.
Dan you are correct I was in the bath listening to Abba's greatest when my girlfriend came home early from work... she opens the bathroom door with "so this is what you get up to when I am not around"
@@johnavery3941 hahahaha yeah that is funny love your comment
😂 Exactly
Growing up in the 70’s was great with songs like this on the radio.
ABBA has a ton of great songs.
The good thing about ABBA, their albums are virtually all greatest hits any song could've been a single hit.
ABBA is the best Eurovision song contest winner, ever👏🥳👽
A Swede here, I agree. But the best song didn't make it to the top. "Nel blu dipinto di blu", better known as "Volare". Dominico Modungo. Italy.Third place in 1958.
My mom (RIP) loved this group!
The best pop group ever to grace this world. Absolute genius songwriting and fantastic vocals. What’s not to like!
I'm 67 and I can't believe it's been 50 years since that song came out... I considered myself a lover of all types of music and then abba came along and just blew my mind totally... They were and still are my favorite group of any genre...Benny and Bjorn were very smart to put the ladies in the forefront singing the lead... Normally it would have been the other way around but that proved to work much better for this group... Before this group was formed the ladies were individually well known singers in their own right... This song is where it all started... Great reaction guys... Keep Being Awesome !!!...
Waterloo is a town a few miles south of Brussels, Belgium, where Napoleon's Imperial Army was defeated in June of 1815. It took place south of the town in a valley of farmland but the Duke of Wellington wanted it referred to as the Battle of Waterloo because he spent the night before and after the battle in the town. It was Napoleon’s final defeat.
Waterloo, NY too. Maybe that's it.
@@jeffreybennett8893 There’s also a Waterloo, Ontario.
"Waterloo" (1974)
is one of my favorites, and is in my Top 5 of all ABBA songs
(with S.O.S. , Dancing Queen, The winner takes it all & Don't shut me down)
and I think that is the song that change history,
not only for ABBA, for Sweden and Eurovision too
"Waterloo" was the song that ABBA wrote especially to participate in the annual Eurovision Song Contest
By the rules of the competition the songs could not exceed 3 minutes (that its 2:46)
and ABBA made a masterpiece!
ABBA sing it in Swedish, for the local selection in Sweden (February 1974)
and finally ABBA sing it in English in the final held in England (April 6,1974, exactly 50 years ago)
before 16 interpreters and songs from all over Europe.
"Waterloo" and ABBA win Eurovision for the first time for Sweden
It will be Their first big worldwide hit: #1 in UK and half Europe (also South Africa),
and Top 10 in U.S., Canada, Australia , New Zealand and the rest of Europe
ABBA recording "Waterloo" in
swedish, english, german and french
Several years later, in 2005, to the 50th Eurovision anniversary,
"Waterloo" was chosen as the Best Song in all the history of Eurovisión
i hope you have a nice week
Kind regards from
Buenos Aires Argentina 🇦🇷
South América
ABBA back,that means that I watch here again...ABBA is the surest way to get me to watch reaction videos here in the channel and Im think it goes for quite a number of other people too,so keep the ABBA reactions going...its pure class...
Oh yes The waterloo hook is one of the greatest hooks in all music.
The song that made them famous.
2 minutes/46 seconds that instantly captured the masses and impacted the global music culture.
♥ ABBA!
"Does your mother know" next? Thanks for the upload!
Big tune in the summer of 74.
This song's chorus certainly is infections. Gets in your head and just doesn't leave. There have been over 130 artists that have covered this song.
This song uses the battle of Waterloo as a metaphor for a woman who gives in and falls in love with a man.
A fantabulous song.
I lived in Sussex, as an Aussie expat, and turned on the TV one night and the Eurovision Song Contest was on.
Never heard of ABBA ,nor, the European Song Contest before, but Waterloo won, deservedly. Incidently, the contest, that year (1974), was held in Brighton, down the the road from where Iived (Nutley). Great memories.
I was in Storrington, & was sitting in the second row.
Hi Guys Greetings from England 🇬🇧 and you are right and Waterloo was the song that started them on there incredible career after winning the eurovision song contest!!! and as this was there first big hit record and you should check out one of Abba's last songs just before they broke up as a group was "They Day Before You Came" this is such a haunting classic song and so different for an ABBA song and is so worth listening to on your channel.
not very many people would have admitted back then that they were ABBA fans! but the fact is they were fantastic!
April 6 1974, a little bit more than 50 years ago. ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton (UK) with Waterloo, while Deep Purple play the California Jam at the Ontario Motor Speedway in California, one of the biggest US festivals. Jon Lord of Deep Purple would later have a song together with Anni-Frid from ABBA, while Ritchie Blackmore was always a big fan of Agnetha. Simply said, time to check Deep Purple with Burn or Mistreated from the California Jam concert in 1974 ;-)
I love Abba and i was born the year and say they won the Eurovision so i am officially an Abba baby. Wenr to Abba Voyage last week, you have to go!! xx
I've been it really was fantastic,not even The Beatles were able to pull this avatar thing off,so that's were ABBA get one over The Beatles artistically even if they're still behind The Beatles in terms of record sales but they are still the second biggest band of all time.
Their pop sensibilities are second to none! What a legendary career happy 50th year ABBA!
Waterloo the song that started it all...Brilliant
Great, This was their first major hit. Neapolitan inevitalbe defeat came at the battle of waterloo. In the song the woman is saying she fought falling in love with any guy but it this guy was her Waterloo, she could not resist any longer. So in the song "I feel like I win when I lose" Another crazy song is So Long. The imported from Sweden version is crazy. It is one of their Rocky songs.
This was their performance to win a huge song contest, after this they went away for 18 months and developed their ABBA sound, the next song being SOS which Pete Townsend of The Who said was one of the best pop songs ever written....they found their sound...
Abba jest najlepsza ❤
Guys, finally, after years they return with the reactions to ABBA, there is a live performance at Eurovision in 1974, right there they won the contest and their worldwide success began with this song, ABBA, in their first albums they have songs with certain content pop rock, it even has a song called "Rock me", it would be great if you react to "I've Been Waiting For You", it is a very beautiful song, sung by the beautiful Agnetha (the blonde).
I believe Olivia Newton-John was in the same Eurovision contest she actually came in 3rd if I am not mistaken.
@@karenduncan2478 i didnt know it, but Olivia is Australian, in Eurovision only participed Europeans singers, i believe.
I just read that she was born in England, she is British-Australian, so you must be right.
@@elfiero4 although the acts are usually from the country the are representing they don't have to be for example Celine Dion represents Switzerland and she's Canadian and the UK's last winners Katrina and The Waves, the lead singer Katrina Leskanich is an American.
Waterloo= Battle where Napoleon was defeated= metaphor for a relationship >>"how can you win when you lose" = meeting your Waterloo= the ups and downs of a relationship
But, don't overthink it. Its just a fun catchy song.
This song won them the Eurovision song contest.That is when people took notice of them.
My favourite band of all time ❤️
Hi Guys !
Proud Swede !
👍👍👍💕🇸🇪😎
When I saw the live video of them singing this song on TV as a 14 or 15 year old in the mid 70s, I immediately fell in deep infatuation/love with Agnetha (the blonde). I was mesmerized.
On the album 'Waterloo' (1974), they were still looking for their own style... They began to find it with 'ABBA' (1975) and the 'ABBA sound' began to consolidate with the album 'ARRIVAL' (1976), with songs such as 'Dancing Queen', 'Knowing Me Knowing You' and 'Money, Money, Money'.
Waterloo (the song) it's a pleasure for the ears... (For 50 years).
Great video, guys!
Love ❤ from Chile 🇨🇱🤗👍
The '75 album is still my favorite, it's quite special.
Thank you for rembering 50 years Waterloo. Maybe for your next reaction: „One man one woman“, for me it’s one of the most underrated Abba songs
I was never an ABBA fan, but I saw the tag line and instantly felt oooollllllllddddd. I remember, as a young kid when this song came out and was on the radio all the time. 50 years ago.................wow
A couple of songs for you to check out from after ABBA broke up are singles from Agnetha Fältskog called Can't Shake Loose and from Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad or Frida Something Is Going On both fromnthe early 80's.
Both, IMO, are good songs abd Frida's song has a bonus in that the drummer is Phil Collins of Genesis. I remember seeing an interview with Frida on MTV talking about the song, and she had most of it ready to go, but she didn’t have a drummer lined up for the album. Her daughter had heard Collins first album and said "Why dont you call Phil Collins and see if he'll do it?"
She looked at her daughter and said "Yeah, he'll come and play for me" in a joking manor, but then decided why not. She called and Phil was happy to come and play on the album.
All four of the members of ABBA were sort of known in Sweden in the 60s before they fell in love and forces as ABBA. Benny played piano in a famous band called Hep Stars, Björn sang in another famous group Hootenanny singers. Agneta had a solo carrier in Sweden and Anni-Frid sang in different bands and did some solo work.
I bought this 45 single record after hearing it on the radio in 74....
One of the first songs I remember hearing as a young kid. I was born 1972.
If you want to listen to ABBA doing rock music then check out Rock Me. Has guitarist Björn Ulvaeus om lead vocals
Some of ABBA's songs are really like rock songs. "Hole in youe soul" is perhaps the rockiest
Agneta showcases her vocal range in this one as well. Get ready for "ABBA goes metal". The wembley 1979 concert version is fire!
Listen to the B-side of the Waterloo single: "Watch out"
Abba did nearly all music styles! Nothing rare about this😊
They certainly did pop,soft rock,reggae and disco.
Anni-Frid Synni Lyngstad, in the red, is a Norwegian-born Swedish singer who is best known as one of the founding members and lead singers of the pop band ABBA.
What I love about this band is when you watch them in a video like this, their joy and enthusiasm is so genuine.
Probably my favorite Abba song
Great time to be a teenager (1974) ABBA blasting on the FM Stereo. They were huge in the 1970s
50 years old, first heard at Eurovision In Brighton, on the coast of Sussex
ABBA!!! DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAV'S!!! 🔥🔥🔥 THANK YOU MOM!!! 👏👏👏 GREAT REACTION!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I think you'll also enjoy their song "Fernando"
Jane H commenting …. Love ABBA. This is the song that started it all for them, when they won the Eurovision Song Contest … & I watched it. Great song. One of my favourites is Fernando, so hope you will React to them singing that.
It's like a '70's UK glam rock song, and outfits in the manner of Slade/Sweet/T.Rex/Wizzard etc.
Great song 50 yrs old recently.
Enjoying your reactions.
How about some madness.big band in 🇬🇧. It must be love.
Our house. 2 very well known.
The song is 50 years old lol
Here is a must react to !!! Bob James | David Sanborn | Al Jarreau - Since I Fell For You. It's got it all - smooth groove, saxophone and the unique voice of Al Jarreau.
...maybe it´s me, being byest, but hey! Björn and Benny are obviously blessed from above to be able to constantly breathe these amazing melodies into the songs! Often in every verse, bridge and chorus, so that would be three fantastic melodies, in one song! Agneta and Anni-Frid always delivering on the vocals! Without autotune guys! The mix equals magic, and that is what every ABBA-song is! Cheers, from a very proud Sweden.
Great reaction, as always! You guys are great!😍😍
This was the song that started it all for ABBA!! Great Song from 1974!!
ABBA has a lot of good music.
Does your mama know
Ring Ring
Knowing me Knowing you
Eagle, many more.
I was listening to whatever WABC New York was playing
One of the first 45's I bought when I was a young.
ABBA were struggling for hits for a few years before 1974. Then they heard a song called 'See My Baby Jive' from 'Wizzard' which was a Number 1 hit here in the UK in 1973.
ABBA loved everything about it, the sounds, the instruments and the production of it.
They ended up using the same to do 'Waterloo'.
The rest is history as they say 😊
And they appeared on German TV in '72 in the Disco show with "People Need Love" featuring a replacement singer for an absent Agnetha.
next one try the soulful prog 'The Name Of The Game".Totally different and complicated.Abba are masters of diversity.Still great.
Waterloo is the name of the village where the last battle of Napoleon took place (and he lost ofcourse), and its near Brussels in BELGIUM. Great place to visit and see the battlefield...
This song won the Eurovision the year I was born in. This song started their real success.
Just hook after hook. Amazing music!
My, my
At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender
Oh, yeah
And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself
The song starts out mentioning Napoleon's defeat as a simile for finally giving in to a relationship that you never thought you might have.
I really find it hard to comprehend that adults nowadays haven't heard of Napoleon and Waterloo. Smh.
You should check out one of the few ABBA songs where the vocal lead is the guys, like "Does Your Mother Know?"
❤One of the best groups that has the perfect blended voices.❤
I love the song "Summer Night City" by ABBA. Plese try that one to. It's a rock/pop song about doing the City with going to clubs and just enjoying warm summer nights in the city.
Legend 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯
I remember watching the show when that song was first performed, 50 years ago this week. (Yes, I'm old. 🙂) ABBA were a sensation for their outfits (height of party fashion in 1974), the rock-pop song and for singing in English even though they were Swedish -- until then, the competition rules had stated that each country had to perform in their native language (which led to countries like Switzerland and Belgium alternating by year between their respective official languages -- Germn/Italian/French and French/Flemish respectively).
Fun fact: the background live orchestra was always conducted by the composer/a representative of the country, and the Swedish stand-in for Björn/Benny came up in a replica of Napoleon's famous uniform, complete with bicorn hat!
My memory of this song is hearing it in Swedish first (which was a requirement of Eurovision at the time) and them in English. There was a bit of tripping over the tongue as the ABBA girls were scantily clad but we don't talk about that now. Really pleased you enjoyed it.
ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, held at The Dome in Brighton U.K.
The Dome is still a concert venue and as you go in, hanging on the wall is an original Eurovision Contest programme and ticket that's in a frame.
As a point of interest, The Dome is part of the Royal Pavillion estate in Brighton and was originally used as part of the stables and riding school for the Prince Regent, later King George IV.
I remember watching ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton 50 years ago with this song!
Hard to believe neither of you actually know of this song! 😮
I'd say this one is 90% pop and 10% rock......overall a very European sound when I 1st heard it in the 70's. They certainly earned winning Eurovision.
The Eurovision Song Contest began in 1956 as a way of bringing Europe back together and promoting the new ability to link international events via television. It has since become the largest non sporting event on TV and has a regular audience 2.5 x the Superbowel. Now around 40 countries compete each submitting an artist to sing an original song composed for that years competition. The artist can be an established one or a new artist who has previously won a Ppo Idol style contest to represent thier country. The singer does not have to be from that country. Celion Dion found fame winning the contest in 1988 singing in French for Switzerland although she is Canadian. The contest is held in May and is hosted traditionally (though not mandatory) by the country who won the previous year. Sweden won last year so will be hosting this year. Sweden and Ireland tie with 7 wins each and The Netherlands, Luxemburg, France and the UK have 5 wins each. The Uk also holds the record for coming runner up 16 times, most recently in 2022. The countries are whitlled down in two semi finals on a Tuesday and Thursday to 25, with the Final on the Saturday. 5 countrues dont have to compete in the semis and get auto entry into the final are Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the UK. This is due to them contributing the most to the governing body the EBU which keeps the contst going. The semi final songs are determined by a public vote. But the final is 50% public, 50% jury of music professionals. This has made it very interesting as the public and juries have had very different views at times. I have given 2 links to recents winners below. One last years winner Loreen with her second win Tattoo (she previously won in 2012, an Irishman has won 3 times twice as the singer and once as composer). The second is one of only 2 rock songs to win which was Italy from 2021 and the group Maneskin with their song Zitti E Buoni (Shut up and Listen, i believe is the translation)
ua-cam.com/video/BE2Fj0W4jP4/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/RVH5dn1cxAQ/v-deo.html
I so totally agree with you on what some of these people are wearing today. Man you hit that right on the head of the nail.
facing your waterloo means facing a pivotal moment , after a long engagement, in which you have to make an important decision that will resolve the situation one way or another usually in defeat
You need to listen to ABBA live in Australia singing Why did it have to be me, or Does your know which is very up beat like this song but with Bjorn on main vocals.
Serious rock fans at the time were not supposed to be into ABBA,but we all secretly were.
When ABBA won their countries qualifying contest for Eurovision contests in 1974, the song was in their native Tongue of Swedish. They knew if they had any chance of winning they needed to translate it to English. The reason for the flamboyant outfits in the beginning was to take advantage of a Tax deduction.
in 1973 Waterloo at the Eurovision Song Contest was also a revolution in the style of the songs that entered that competition.
1974
1974 Eurovision song contest was brilliant, top 4 songs (1st ABBA - Waterloo, 2nd Gigliola Cinquetti - Si, 3rd Mouth & MacNeal - I see a star, 4th Olivia Newton-John - Long live love) all made the top 20 of the British record charts.
Cinquetti is 1964. In 1974 we all loved Abba Waterloo here in Italy!
@@MFuria-os7ln she entered in 1974 and came 2nd, I believe in Italy with the Eurovision that year they held up the transmission of the contest for the results of the election that was taking place on the same evening. Also the title of the song I may have incorrectly spelt it is either Si or Ci.
You should also listen to ABBA - Does Your Mother Know. It's a bit more of a 70's rock vibe.
If you like ABBA, there is an ABBA tribute band that was so close to the real thing. Bjorn Again, Royal Albert Hall,1998. They start with Waterloo in the concert, and perform many of ABBA's songs. My favourite one is SOS.
There are many many ABBA videos on UA-cam, including the Eurovision performance. When ABBA performed on TV without a band the music was canned but the vocals were always live. That’s something they insisted on. Benny and Bjorn still own their complete catalogue on songs
“I don’t know what I’m singing but I’m really good at it”.
Eurovision is a yearly Europe wide music competition where each country submits an original song and then performs it live at a final held in the country of the previous years winner. The winner is chosen by a mixture of judge votes and members of the public across Europe voting for them. Its pretty massive in Europe and people often host Eurovision parties on the weekend of the competition.
There is also a UA-cam video of the entire competition including the scoring. Eurovision Song Contest 1974.
There is another great live version of this song with the girls in their famed dog n cat outfits looking stunning, Momarkedet 1975.
There is a HQ upload by ABBA2shay which also has the corrects aspect ratio.
as a teenager in Australia in the 1970s , Abba were massive here . don`t forget the music to Mama Mia the movie was all Abba music . as an oldie i`ve seen the Mama Mia musical 4 times , Abba music was used in the Australian movie Muriel`s Wedding 👏👏💖💖🥰🥰😊