The following year, Benny, Bjorn and Stig wrote and performed “Waterloo” and walked away with the Swedish Eurovision heat. The song became the first Swedish act to win the heat and “waterloo” launched ABBA as the first international pop act who performed in a language other than their native tongue. Their songs would always open at the top of the charts in the USA, UK, Germany, Scandinavia and they were as popular in the English speaking nations as in the non-English speaking countries. Despite their individual divorces, the band continued to make great music. Songs like “knowing me, knowing you”, “I have a dream”, and “lay all your love on me” were hits on both sides of the Atlantic. All their albums were a major success Voulez-Vous, Super Trouper and The visitors which was their last album together.

In 1982, ABBA took a break from being a band and each member continues with a successful solo career even today. For several years, ABBA was only next to Volvo in being Sweden’s biggest export earners. They have been revered and remain a legendary and most accomplished rock bands ever.

By 1970 Bjorn and Agnetha, Benny and Frida were in love and were living together while maintaining their solo careers. Polar Music was headed by Stig Anderson, a well known Swedish music business entrepreneur who had contributed more than 2000 songs in the 60s and 70s. When Stig’s partner died, he invited Bjorn to be a replacement who bought Benny along.

Meanwhile, Bjorn and Agnetha moved into theatre and gave a massive hit “don’t know how to love him” in the Lloyd Webber musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1972, Bjorn and Benny gave a big hit in Japan in the way of “People need love”. Owing to their great popularity and their Abba costumes, they were invited to the Eurovision song contest in the 1973 Swedish heat, the band was then named Benny &Bjorn, Agnetha & Frida and they entered with the famous “Ring Ring”. The audience loved the song, though the judges placed it at number 3. Due to the following public outcry, Swedish Eurovision entries began to be chosen through public voting since then.