Top of the Pops was the longest running weekly, music chart show featuring videos and performances on BBC1, UK which ran for over 42 years from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006 and featured around 2,000 episodes in total. The show saw many changes through the decades, in style, design, fashion and taste. Due to the BBC's former policy of deleting old programmes, the vast majority of the episodes from the first ten years of the programme's history have been lost. Of the first 500 episodes (1964–73) only about 20 complete recordings remain in the BBC archives. That's why only four of the seven ABBA studio performances exist in their full-length episodes). The 1976 Mamma Mia performance exists only in a Christmas retrospective episode; So Long from 1974 has been found thanks to the help of ABBA fans c/o this ABBA on TV website but it is feared the performance of SOS from 1975 is wiped forever.

Episode Number 539.

ABBA appeared for a second time on Top of the Pops as the Number 1 record in the UK that week.  They sang LIVE backed by the Top Of The Pops orchestra and were introduced by Jimmy Savile.

Other guests on this edition of the show:

1. Bay City Rollers - Shang a Lang
2. Limmie & The Family Cooking - A Walking Miracle
3. Alvin Stardust - Red Dress
4. Pans People (dancers) to The Osmonds' I Can't Stop
5. Stevie Wonder - He's Misstra Know It All
6. Wizzard - Rock And Roll Winter
7. Jim Stafford - Spiders & Snakes
8. The Stylistics - Only For the Children
9. ABBA - Waterloo
10. The Rubettes - Sugar Baby Love (sound during end credits)  NB. This would topple Waterloo from the Number 1 position in a couple of week's time.

This clip has been released on the CD/DVD ABBA – Waterloo Deluxe Edition on 6 April 2014.

Benny - could he be nursing a hangover or is just in a very bad mood? Notice that he gives a big sigh at "I feel like I win when I lose"!

Lyrics available on the Official ABBA site

Top of The Pops (Waterloo), 1974; 
Top of The Pops (Waterloo), 1974; 
Top of The Pops (So Long), 1974; 
Top of The Pops (Waterloo), 1974; 
Top of The Pops (SOS), 1975;
Top of The Pops (Mamma Mia), 1976; 
Top of The Pops (Fernando), 1976;
Top of The Pops (Christmas greeting), 1978;
Top of The Pops (Frida), 1982; 
Top of The Pops (Agnetha), 1983; 

Archive data from BBC’s public site.
Title: TOP OF THE POPS
Caption: Jimmy SAVILE intros weekly pop prog:performances by Wizzard,Stylistics,ABBA,Bay City Rollers,Alvin STARDUST;Stevie WONDER,Pan's People,Limmie and Family Cookin. VT,EX LIB,FILM
Guid: LLV9192N
Transmission date: 02 May 1974
Clip #: BBC_LLV9192N
Restrictions: Prior approval required for all uses, please contact your local Getty Images representative for screener requests and approval details. No use as a complete program, for sequential use with other BBC clips, for unofficial association with BBC, or in a manner that brings BBC into disrepute. Additional BBC Motion Gallery restrictions apply – see Section 10.6 of applicable Getty Images license agreement.
License type: Rights-ready
Filmmaker:
BBC Broadcast Archive
Collection:
BBC Broadcast Archive
Clip length: 00:34:07:00
Credit: BBC Broadcast Archive
Source: BBC Broadcast Archive
Final delivery options: Other digital and analog formats available. Please contact us for assistance.
Release information: Not released. More information
Aspect ratios: 4:3
Object name: BBC_LLV9192N
Subject: Arts, Culture and Entertainment
Keywords: People, Family, Stevie Wonder, Alvin Stardust, Jimmy Savile, Arts Culture and Entertainment, ABBA. Find similar clips
Availability: Availability for this clip cannot be guaranteed until time of purchase.
Transcript:
Jimmy SAVILE intros weekly pop prog:performances by Wizzard,Stylistics,ABBA,Bay City Rollers,Alvin STARDUST;Stevie WONDER,Pan's People,Limmie and Family Cookin. VT,EX LIB,FILM
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STUDIO PERFS:WIZZARD - 'Rock 'n' Roll Winter'(5m00s) THE STYLISTICS - 'Only for the Children'(3m25s) ABBA - 'Waterloo'(2m40s) BAY CITY ROLLERS - 'Shang-A-Lang'(3m10s) Alvin STARDUST - 'Red Dress'(2m50s) PRE REC VT PERFS:LIMMIE AND FAMILY COOKIN - 'A Walking Miracle'(2m30s) Stevie WONDER - 'He's Misstra Know-it-All'(3m15s) FILM: Jim STAFFORD - Spiders And Snakes (2m45s) **Pan's People (in white trousers & blouses) dance in studio to The Osmonds - 'I Can't Stop'. There are large traffic lights on set. (Dur 2m53s)**
BBC Item Type: Programme
BBC SubCatalogue: LONPROG

Thanks to Jan Bach, Jozsef (for extra even clearer pictures!), Lendy, Carl Magnus Palm, Alexandre Carvalho, Gale Andrews, Robin Andersson and Chris Williams (by proxy!)
YouTube link c/o TOTP AGY