LONDON (AP) — It’s been 50 years. ABBA Won a big battle with “Waterloo”.
Half a century ago Saturday, the Swedish quartet triumphed in 1974. Eurovision Song Contest With a peppy love song, which opens: “My my, at Waterloo, Napoleon surrendered, and I met my fate just like that.”
The song was played again on Saturday at London’s Waterloo railway station – also named after the 1815 battle in which the French leader was defeated – where a carol was performed for passengers.
In the English seaside city of Brighton, where the 1974 competition was held, fans celebrated the anniversary with flash mob dances and silent ABBA discos.
FILE – In this April 6, 1974 file photo, Swedish pop group ABBA celebrate winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest on stage at Brighton Dome in England with their song Waterloo. Fans are celebrating 50 years since ABBA won their first major battle with “Waterloo.” Half a century ago on Saturday, April 6, the Swedish quartet won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with Peppy Love. (AP Photo/Robert Dear, File)
The Eurovision victory turned ABBA into a pop juggernaut, the most successful band ever to win the pan-continental music contest, which will hold its 68th edition in ABBA’s home country of Sweden in May. . gave Eurovision The final will be held on May 11 in Malmö. Swedish singer Lorraine Won last year’s competition with “Tattoo”.
ABBA’s melodic disco pop sold millions of records worldwide. The stage musical “Mamma Mia!” His songs are based on 25 years old and made two movies.
The band members haven’t performed live together in four decades, but released a comeback album “Voyage” in 2021. Every day fans attend a concert of digital “ABBA-tars” on the hit show. “Father’s Journey” which opened in London in 2022.
In a thank-you message to fans on Saturday, the four band members said it was “a little dizzying and deeply humbling” to know that their songs have been passed down through the generations and “still resonate around the world.” “
Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad said, “The music you discover and learn to love as an adult or later in life has a way of staying with you forever. ” “We share this experience with you and knowing that our music has become a constant in your lives is an amazing thing.”
A tribute concert titled “A Party for ABBA” was scheduled to take place in Stockholm on Saturday evening, featuring prominent Swedish artists, a 21-piece band and a large choir. Organizers said it was a salute to a band that changed the Nordic country’s music scene “forever”.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT, which planned to broadcast the concert live on television and on its streaming service, said “April 6, 1974 is considered by some to be Sweden’s national music day.”
___
Associated Press writer Jerry Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this report.
Credit : apnews.com
