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| Eurovision Song Contest 1974 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | Sveriges Radio (SR) | |||
| Country |  Sweden | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Melodifestivalen 1974 | |||
| Selection date(s) | 9 February 1974 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | ABBA | |||
| Selected song | "Waterloo" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) | ||||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 1st, 24 points | |||
| Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
Sweden was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with the song "Waterloo", composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with lyrics by Stig Anderson, and performed by the group ABBA –comprising Andersson, Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and Agnetha Fältskog–. The Swedish participating broadcaster, Sveriges Radio (SR), selected its entry for the contest through Melodifestivalen 1974. The song, that was originally performed in Swedish in the national final, was translated into English for Eurovision, something the rules allowed between the years 1973 and 1976.
ABBA was one of the favourites to win the 1974 contest, held in Brighton, United Kingdom. They sang in slot No. 8. In the voting, they received high points from the first jury to vote (Finland), but it was a close race until the third last jury, Switzerland, gave Sweden enough points to secure victory. Sweden received a total of 24 points, compared to runner-up Italy's 18.[1] This was the first victory for Sweden. In 2005, in the 50th anniversary show Congratulations, Waterloo was chosen the best Eurovision song ever.
- ^ "Final of Brighton 1974". Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.