Abba's 1974 hit 'Waterloo' has been named the greatest Eurovision song all of all time.

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The track emerged victorious over 18 rivals in a vote held for Eurovision: Come Together, the BBC's replacement for this year's Eurovision Grand Final, which was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

A shortlist of contenders was drawn up for the vote by Eurovision experts and celebrity fans, including Rylan Clark-Neal, Scott Mills, Ken Bruce and Mel Giedroyc.

But 'Waterloo' ultimately beat off competition from the likes of Bucks Fizz, Conchita Wurst and Gina G – in other words, they were defeated, and Abba won the war.

Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, performing 'Waterloo' at the Grand Final in Brighton. The song became a no. 1 hit in several countries and went on to sell nearly six million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Speaking in a pre-recorded video message shown as part of special live show Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, Abba's Björn Ulvaeus described the Eurovision Song Content as "one hell of a launching pad".

"It still remains one of the most genuinely joyous event of the TV era and it is so disarmingly European," said Ulvaeus. "It also allows you to escape and be happy.

“Everybody knows why there couldn’t be the usual Eurovision final this year. But we hope this show will comfort you in some small way, knowing that it will be back next year."

It has been announced that next year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Rotterdam, originally intended as Host City for this year's event.

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Read our guide to next year's Eurovision 2021 – or check out what else is on with our TV Guide

Authors

Morgan JefferyDigital Editor

Morgan Jeffery is the Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all editorial output across the brand's digital platforms. He was previously TV Editor at Digital Spy and has featured as a TV expert on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.

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