The bookies had put their money on British singer Olivia Newton-John. She was already a star at the time and the clear favorite. Singer Gigliola Cinquetti, who had already lifted the trophy for Italy in 1964, was also given good odds. But Sweden? The country had never won the competition before, and nobody believed it would. The band ABBA was unknown outside their home country. Their previous attempt to win Eurovision the year before with the song "Ring Ring" was thwarted when they failed to advance past the preliminary round. But in 1974, the stars aligned for them: At the "Melodifestivalen," as the Swedish preliminary round is called, the quartet won with "Waterloo" and was allowed to travel to England to represent Sweden. The rest is music history.

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Thirty-two countries participated in the event, at that time still known as the "Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson." When ABBA's performance was announced as the eighth of a........

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