Waterloo

Originally issued under the rather unwieldy group title Bj?rn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida, Waterloo contains the first glimmers of Abba's future greatness--particularly in the buoyant, joyous title track. The irresistible "Waterloo" walked away with 1973's Eurovision Song Contest. Elsewhere, the group's output was more variable--veering between would-be calypso ("My Mama Said," "Sitting in the Palmtree"), Alice Cooper pastiches ("King Kong Song," "Watch Out"), and a little pristine, melt-in-the-mouth pop (the deliciously light "Honey, Honey"). The full-on, piano-saturated "Gonna Sing You My Love Song," however, indicated where Abba's hearts were leading them: toward the almost Irving Berlin-like precision of songs such as "The Name of the Game" and "The Winner Takes It All."