Today in History—April 6: ABBA Makes History—and References It

Mamma Mia! On this day in 1974, most of the world met the band that would soundtrack Hollywood films, Broadway musicals, and the playlists of—we can only assume—every single one of your cousins’ weddings.

But how did Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad go from low-key Swedish folk performers to one of the most commercially successful bands in the history of pop music?

(If you haven’t guessed it yet, we’re talking about ABBA.)

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Andersson, Ulvaeus, Fältskog, and Lyngstad first started performing together in 1969 under the moniker Festfolk, a name that referenced the Swedish words for “engaged couples” (fästfolk) and “party people” (festfolk). In one way, the name was apt: Ulvaeus and Fältskog would marry in 1971, and Andersson and Lyngstad followed suit in ’78. But Festfolk struggled to bring the party, with only one modest hit (1972’s “People Need Love”) getting attention.

Everything changed when the band entered Melodifestivalen (which, as a festival for melodic sound, is exactly what it sounds like) in an attempt to represent Sweden at Eurovision 1973. After winning third place, they swiftly renamed themselves ABBA—after the first letter of each performer’s first name—and started working on a song for next year’s competition.

Their second attempt proved more successful. ABBA won Melodifestivalen 1974 with a hit that had a historical twist: “Waterloo,” which likened the end of a romantic relationship to the epic defeat of Emperor Napoleon. (Ouch.) That sent them to the “Olympics of song”—Eurovision, held that year in Brighton, England. Despite tough competition from British entrant Olivia Newton-John, ABBA’s spangly outfits and wild theatricality (including their conductor appearing in full Napoleonic regalia) stole the show. It was Sweden’s first Eurovision win and is one of the most famous performances in the contest’s history.

What comes after winning Eurovision? For ABBA, the answer was total world domination. “Waterloo” topped charts across Europe, setting the stage for a record-breaking career that included number-one hits in dozens of countries.

Just don’t learn your history lessons from ABBA. “At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender” is a catchy lyric, but not quite accurate. Napoleon didn’t officially surrender until almost a month after his devastating loss—and the surrender took place in Rochefort, France, more than 400 miles from Waterloo.

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