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 572.

A rarely seen performance of Waterloo broadcast in the Christmas Day edition of Top of The Pops which always reviewed the biggest hits of the year.

This edition featured (see most of them on the same set):

1. Mud - Lonely This Christmas
2. The Osmonds - Love Me For A Reason
3. Sweet Sensation - Sad Sweet Dreamer
4. Pan's People (dance troupe) danced to The New Seekers You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me (wearing tutus, on trapezes and with clown's noses)
5. David Essex - Gonna Make You A Star
6. Paper Lace - Billy Don't Be A Hero
7. The Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again
8. Ken Boothe - Everything I Own
9. ABBA  - Waterloo
10. Charles Aznavour - She
11. Pan's People danced to Barry White's - My First, My Last My Everything
12. Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody

ABBA performed LIVE and were backed by the Maggie Streddle singers and the Top of The Pops Orchestra. Their performance (clearly pre-recorded as there was no audience) was introduced by BBC Radio 1 DJs, Tony Blackburn and Jimmy Savile.

ABBA are also seen very briefly (blink and you'll miss it!) sitting in the background and clapping along to Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody at the end of the song beginning c. 3.25.

This episode was repeated on UK Gold, UK in 1993 and Channel Eins Festival, Germany on 13, 14 and 15 August 2009.

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

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 & Tony BLACKBURN intro Christmas show:perfs by MUD,SWEET SENSATION,PAPER LACE,THREE DEGREES,Ken BOOTHE,ABBA,Charles AZNAVOUR,SLADE; David ESSEX, Pan's People. VT,EX LIB,FILM
Guid: LLV1354E
Transmission date: 25 Dec 1974
Clip #: BBC_LLV1354E
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: 00:43:54:00
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_LLV1354E
Subject: Arts, Culture and Entertainment
Keywords: People, Performance, Christmas, Paper, Charles Aznavour, Jimmy Savile, David Essex, Arts Culture and Entertainment, ABBA. Find similar clips
Availability: Availability for this clip cannot be guaranteed until time of purchase.
Transcript:
Jimmy SAVILE & Tony BLACKBURN intro Christmas show:perfs by MUD,SWEET SENSATION,PAPER LACE,THREE DEGREES,Ken BOOTHE,ABBA,Charles AZNAVOUR,SLADE; David ESSEX, Pan's People. VT,EX LIB,FILM
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PRE REC VT PERFS;OSMONDS -'Love Me For A Reason'(3m16s) 2/2
BBC Item Type: Programme
BBC SubCatalogue: LONPROG

Thanks to Patrick Smith, Jozsef, Dustin, Lendy, Henk Jansen, Thomas Birkenbach, Sam Shervz, Jun Seo, Philip Muytjens, Steve, "Cyclops" and Carl Magnus Palm
YouTube clips c/o dkeuro and aka81