© Provided by The iABBA photographed in 1974. From left, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus (Photo: Getty/AFP/Olle Lindeborg)
The Winner Takes It All
That may well be, but 47 years after ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden with Waterloo, the fact the UK awarded them "nul points" has not been forgotten by band member Björn Ulvaeus. And, according to Ulvaeus, the tactical voting that is now well-known during Eurovision, was started then by the UK.
Mama Mia!
Ulvaeus said that awarding ABBA zero points could have been a "cunning" plan to help boost the chances of the UK's performer, British-born Australian, Olivia Newton-John and her song, Long Live Love.
In the end, "Waterloo" stormed home with 24 points, while the UK came fourth with 14 points. According to Ulvaeus, Newton-John told ABBA bandmate, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, better known by her nickname "Frida", that she knew they would win.
© Provided by The iBjörn Ulvaeus pictured in 2016 (Photo: Getty/AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand)
Thank you for the music
It was a misplaced scoring by the UK panel for other reasons. ABBA, which comprised Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad "Frida", would go on to be one of the most successful pop bands of all time selling an estimated 385 million records worldwide.
And in 2005 as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest, Waterloo was voted the best song in the competition's history.
Then in 2020 ABBA's Waterloo was chosen as the best-ever Eurovision song by the British public, as voted by BBC viewers.
The band split up in 1982. Ulvaeus and Andersson went on to enjoy success writing music for the stage, while Lyngstad and Fältskog pursued solo careers.
Ulvaeus is now president of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers which is arguing that record companies should pay songwriters a larger proportion of the money made from streaming services.
What does Ulvaeus say of Eurovision 1974?
"The Brits were the first ones to embrace us after winning," he told BBC Breakfast.
"Kind of strange they would give us zero points. It sounds like they were trying to do something cunning."