This challenge proved harder than I thought in the end. Picking just 30 entries alone was hard as there have been hundreds over the years; ordering the shortlist was harder still. There are many entries here that I love and beyond Eurovision some of them I listen to a lot more than others. They are not all part of my music library for the simple reason that although I like them and love them as Eurovision entries, they aren't necessarily the type of music I would listen to every day.
The 30 tracks that made it onto this list represent Eurovision to me and the order they were placed in reflects my opinion of them in the contest more so than beyond it. I have enjoyed this challenge and I would consider another like it in future but for now, regular posts will resume.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 1
| Artist: | Euroband |
| Song title: | This Is My Life |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Country: | Iceland |
| Place: | 14th |
Picking a number 1 entry for this list was not an easy thing to do. The Eurovision Song Contest has launched the careers of many artists as we have already seen and it has been a low point for many established artists who have competed and done very badly. There are many elements that make up a good Eurovision entry and while the contest started out as a singing contest and was as many would say more refined, the contest today is much more of a festival or a carnival than a singing contest. To be a good singer and stand on stage is not enough, you have to perform too. There have been many gimmicks over the years my favourite of which was a giant hamster wheel on stage. There have been complex dance routines, and intricate costume designs to full blown musical numbers. As well as the performance on the night you need a number of other things on your side, while many argue that you need political support I don't give that the weight that many people do for the simple reason that some countries have won and hosted the contest despite a tidal wave of political opposition, protests, and calls for the host to be stripped of their right to host the contest.
The entry I have chosen for my number 1 spot is an entry from the contest that has stayed with me now, seven years later it is still in my music library and I do play it quite often. I loved this track and I thought it would do much better than it did, finishing 14th on the night is not to be scoffed at, as we have already seen winning and even scoring high is not an easy thing to do even when you do have everything in you favour. I have included a video with the song in it, in this case not because of the performance, I actually thought that went very well on the night. I include this video because the audio quality on youtube is crap for the other videos of the actual performance.
That concludes the top 30, enjoy the final entry, This Is My Life by Euroband.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 2
| Artist: | Waldo's People |
| Song title: | Lose Control |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | Finland |
| Place: | 25th |
We return to 2009 for the last time in our penultimate entry in this list. Lose Control by Waldo's People finished 25th overall, much lower than I had thought it would but as I said before this year was very contentious and there were many acts that had the potential to win. This entry fell at the final hurdle by having a performance which did not go well. This is one of those tracks that works better pre-recorded but not so good when it is performed live. I know many people will say that is just an excuse and to be fair in a way you are right. The fact is you need to be a strong performing artist as well as a recording artist to win in this competition. I have chosen songs throughout this list that I liked not just for their performances or for their recordings but as a whole. This could have gone much better on the night but I am not sure what they could have done to make that happen. The performance was weak so I have included the music video for the track instead.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 3
| Artist: | Ruslana |
| Song title: | Wild Dances |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Place: | 1st |
The past year or two has been rough for Ukraine and the ongoing situation is not pleasant. It is my persistent opinion that the people of Ukraine should have the power to decide their own destiny. Self determination is a right. Russia has been exerting control and influence in the country for too long. While it can be argued that we in Europe have been guilty of trying to do the same, the people of Ukraine should be given the freedom to decide for themselves where they belong in honest, and fair democratic process. Crimea being annexed was not an example of this and in my opinion and many others it has been stolen by Russia and amounts to an invasion onto European soil. This year's Russian entry into Eurovision looks like a charity appeal from a third world country which is ironic given the state of their country - why they should be allowed to exert any degree of control over anyone else when they are incapable of looking after themselves is deplorable.
2004 was a year of great upheaval in Ukraine that would lead to the Orange Revolution. Wild Dances epitomises the atmosphere of the country at a time when all order and structure was breaking down. Ruslana won in 2004 and Kiev became the host in 2005, despite the revolution and the instability that followed the contest did go ahead. This year the Georgian entry reminds me of Ruslana and there are similarities between the themes of the songs and their performances. Georgia too is a country where Russia has had too much influence for too long and while many including myself see the annexation and militarisation of Crimea as an affront to the security and sovereignty of Europe, so too was the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008 that led to the Russo-Georgian war and the annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - an act I compare to the appeasement of Hitler in the second world war. Wild Dances remains a song that represents defiance of this onslaught. We live in uncertain times where relations with Russia are becoming ever more fragile for Europe as a whole but one thing is for sure, Europe will not be taken without a fight.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 4
| Artist: | Nina Sublatti |
| Song title: | Warrior |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Country: | Georgia |
| Place: | 11th |
The second and last entry from 2015 to make this list is Nina Sublatti representing Georgia. This entry was another instant hit with me and it is my favourite to win Eurovision 2015. It's made 4th place on my list and has been beaten to the top spot by 3 songs that have been favourites of mine for a while. This song has great potential and the performance on the night could go really well.
Some might be surprised that neither Ireland nor the UK's entries for 2015 made this list but in honesty I am not impressed by either. The UK entry I did not like at first which I think will damage it's chances on the night, while it may be growing on many people in the UK, for many viewers the night will be the first and last time they hear it and I am not convinced it is strong enough to grab your attention and your votes. I will happily admit I was wrong if they win but right now I don't think it will happen. Having listened to all entries from 2015 there are a few tracks I think will finish higher but as this list has shown us so far, liking an entry is not enough and being popular in your own country is not enough. The only saving grace for the UK entry is that it has proven quite controversial with an initial split of almost 50/50 love and hate for the entry that could be a sign that it is something the rest of Europe might like but that remains to be seen. Personally I don't think the style of music is exportable.
This entry by Nina has many aspects of past winners of the contest and in some respects similarities to the next entry that has made my list.
Update: Georgia came 11th in the final
Eurovision Top 30: Number 5
| Artist: | Måns Zelmerlöw |
| Song title: | Heroes |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Country: | Sweden |
| Place: | 1st |
The first of two entries from 2015 that have made this list, this entry has been an instant hit with me. I don't know how well it will do, that all depends on the performance(s) on the night(s) - I add the (s) here as Sweden does not automatically qualify and must compete with Ireland in the second semi final this year. Ireland's entry I like but I think the actual performance will be a test for their entry and as such I am not sure if they will make it through the semi finals - and in case you haven't guessed that means no, Ireland is not the other entry from 2015 that has made it onto this list, you'll have to keep reading to find out which one did.
As the contest has not yet taken place I have included Måns's performance that won him Melodifestivalen 2015 and won him the opportunity to represent Sweden. This performance as an idea of how it might go on the night needs to be ramped up just a bit or he won't do so well.
Update: Sweden have won the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
Eurovision Top 30: Number 6
| Artist: | Cascada |
| Song title: | Glorious |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Country: | Germany |
| Place: | 21st |
Back to 2013 for another entry from that infamous year that raised a few eyebrows for me and further led to my paranoia about vote rigging. Cascada is an international best selling artist, which is unusual for the contest as many countries send unknown artists or new talent to perform. The UK has sent a number of names who are big in the UK but beyond its borders they haven't fared that well. Cascada on the other hand has been number 1 in 5 countries in Europe and has had 9 top ten singles in Europe, yet her performance on the night did not get very far finishing 21st, just 5 places above Ryan Dolan and 3 above Finland's Gay kiss entry "Marry Me" ending the night on just 18 points overall.
I will admit the performance itself could have been better but the song was a typical entry that would do well in Eurovision and the reason why it didn't is not easy to pin down. I have included a video with the song for you to judge for yourself.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 7
| Artist: | Loreen |
| Song title: | Euphoria |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Country: | Sweden |
| Place: | 1st |
On the night this entry won the Eurovision Song Contest I was not impressed. It was the first time I had heard the song, which is unusual for me as I usually listen to every entry before the contest. On the night the performance of this track didn't amaze me. There were other entries that I thought should have won. This entry has grown on me though and in time I have come to like it. It's made number 7 on this list because it is one of my favourite entries. I have included a video with the song rather than the performance because as I said I was not impressed. The year this entry won, was the year Azerbaijan hosted the contest mired in controversy and enveloped in protests for many reasons, most notably accusations of ethnic cleansing, human rights violations, homophobia and oppression of LGBT individuals and the choice of venue. Add to that the Eurocentric opposition due to Azerbaijan being outside Europe. Loreen as a participant took part in a number of these protests and was quite politically active which raised awareness not just of what she protested but of herself and her act. I believe that played a part in her success as it goes beyond the audience of traditional promotion and extended into the general public domain.
It is probably a good time to also mention LGBT rights are an issue that are raised many times in regards to Eurovision due to the contest's large LGBT following. There have been a number of acts over the years by LGBT performers and many more with political messages that show support, such as Finland in 2013 with their Gay kiss and to the song "Marry Me" which was done in support of equal marriage which went on to be passed in Finland in 2014 - a song I might add finished 24th that year just 2 above Ireland's entry from Ryan Dolan.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 8
| Artist: | Ryan Dolan |
| Song title: | Only Love Survives |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Place: | 26th |
Our last entry by Ireland that made the list, this one also finished last on the night, which I was very surprised by. This entry gained 5 points overall on the night, 2 from Sweden and Cyprus and 1 from the UK. I have my own theories as to why this was the case, and why a number of other acts that I thought would do very well finished so low. The UK finished in 19th place with 23 points. Allegations of bribery and vote rigging were made in the aftermath of the contest owing to the high rank of one act in particular which I will not name for legal reasons. As for the argument that vote rigging is not possible, that argument is void. The votes cast by each country were equal weighted in 2013 at 50% decided by televote and 50% by jury in each country. It is rather easy to negate the televote as a jury if you are certain of which acts will do well. The unprecedented low score the UK give to Ireland led many people to question what happened.
It is interesting to note here that although not obligated to do so many countries as hosts choose to make the voting results public to offer transparency. While many years this happens, in 2013 the votes cast by the Jury of each country were not declared publicly. As such the actual breakdown of votes was never scrutinised. This is where we enter into the darker waters of the Politics of Eurovision. I've included the actual performance for Ryan's entry I will leave it to you to decide whether you think it deserved to finish last.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 9
| Artist: | Dana International |
| Song title: | Diva |
| Year: | 1998 |
| Country: | Israel |
| Place: | 1st |
The Eurovision Song Contest is popular not just in Europe but around the world too, and this year for he first time, and the last - unless they win - Australia will be allowed to compete in the contest. This announcement was met with derision from many people on account of Australia not just being outside Europe but being on the other side of the world and even an entire continent to itself, many argued they should not be allowed to compete. This Eurocentric view is one that is hard to justify as the European Broadcasting Union extends just a bit outside continental Europe. To that end a number of countries are eligible to compete, and the most active of those is Israel. Beyond Israel, there are a few countries outside Europe who are active members of the EBU, who are eligible to participate but never have, they include, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, and Jordan.
Of all the entries Israel has made over the years, this one in particular garnered the most attention as the performer was the first Transexual participant to win the contest. I have included a video with the song rather than the performance as I thought the performance doesn't do the song enough justice. Dana International is perhaps one of the most famous winners of the contest, although her career didn't rise to the same heights as some past winners she did do very well from the contest.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 10
| Artist: | Jedward |
| Song title: | Lipstick |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Place: | 8th |
We've finally reached the top 10 and what better way to start it than with an entry that will turn a few heads and raise a few eyebrows. Jedward were criticised extensively for their participation in Eurovision and many people particularly those who knew them from the X Factor and disliked them from it. All criticism aside they finished 8th in the competition which is not an easy thing to do and while they came back the following year and didn't do so good they proved a lot of people wrong who said Ireland would walk away with nil points. Jedward were the perfect choice to represent Ireland they are everything Eurovision loves. They are controversy, they are loud, they are full of energy, they are ambiguously camp, and above all else whether you like to admit it or not they can actually sing when they want to - admittedly this entry is not an example of vocal prowess their performance was one of the best I have seen on Eurovision and the song itself is an earworm.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 11
| Artist: | Ivi Adamou |
| Song title: | La La Love |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Country: | Cyprus |
| Place: | 16 |
La La Love was one of my favourite entries from 2012 and I thought it would do very well but it finished in 16th place. There were quite a few songs that finished about this entry that I didn't like. Every year when I watch there are some entries I will take an instant like to and others that will grow on me over time. While some countries pick entries that grow on people the thing you have to remember is that for many people the final will be the first and last time they hear the song. The UK's entry this year for 2015 in many respects I see the same way, it is a track that I really didn't like at first but grew on me after a while. The problem with tracks like that is they won't get that opportunity in the final. As for the promotion that some artists participate in beforehand the kind of people you will reach with it are the kind of people who are fans of the contest and will have heard every entry before the final even takes place. I have listened to all the 2015 entries and I know which ones are my favourite, but if Ivi Adamou is anything to go by, having a likeable entry is not enough, it has to be instant.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 12
| Artist: | Lovebugs |
| Song title: | The Highest Heights |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | Switzerland |
| Place: | 14th in the first semi final |
Yet another song from 2009 this one did not make the final, it was knocked out in the first semi final finishing 14th. I really loved this entry and hoped it would make it through, I was genuinely disappointed when it didn't make the final. I do believe it could have done well, but as I said in the previous post 2009 was a very contentious year. There is only 1 more entry from 2009 which we will get to in due course. For now I have included a video with the song in it rather than the performance for the same reason as the others - the performance on the night did not do the song justice and ultimately that is what held it back.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 13
| Artist: | Elena |
| Song title: | The Balkan Girls |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | Romania |
| Place: | 19th |
The more perceptive of you will have noticed by now that a lot of entries from 2009 have made this list. That year I felt was one of the closest in contention for some time. There are often acts that stand out from the beginning and you know are going to do well. In 2009 I was not feeling that much and I was quite surprised when Norway became a run away lead with Fairytale by Alexander Rybak, which I was not fond of personally. Nevertheless the voting on the night proved you can't predict the winner even if you do account for political voting. This song is not the last we will see from 2009. I have included a video containing the song rather than the performance as I felt it was yet another entry that didn't perform as well as they could on the night.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 14
| Artist: | Molly (Smitten-Downes) |
| Song title: | Children Of The Universe |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Place: | 17 |
Acts are given the opportunity to rehearse, but rehearsing in an empty stadium versus performing in a packed stadium are worlds apart. While some people consider the semi finals to be a hindrance and to put acts at a disadvantage, there are some positives. Notably acts which have performed in the semi finals get a better idea of the stadium, the feel of the stage and the ambient noise. That familiarity can put an act at an advantage in terms of production.
There are 5 countries collectively known as "The Big 5" they are, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. Together, we contribute the most to the European Broadcasting Union. In essence we "bank-roll" the entire operation. By no means do we pay for the whole thing but our sizeable contribution buys us a guaranteed place in the final every year - which some people have said is unfair. While to an extent I can see why and I do agree to an extent, if we were to give up this privilege I would expect other countries to contribute more. Which I know many are reluctant to do for the same reasons the UK is criticised for paying in the first place - some people just don't like Eurovision - my argument against that is simply I hate football and sports in general and broadcasters fork out millions for the world cup et al so I don't give a shit if you don't like Eurovision there are plenty of people that do.
This entry was incredibly weak on the night. For one if you watch back the actual performance there are times when you wonder whether her mic was actually switched on as she is barely audible. This entry finished 17th overall in the final, a fact that I am not at all surprised by after the performance but I adamantly protest to anyone that says the song itself or the singer were weak, I have included the pre-recorded track in this post as I feel it does the song better justice. This entry highlights the importance of picking an entry that can perform well live. This song had potential but the performance was weak.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 15
| Artist: | Next Time |
| Song title: | Nesto sto ke ostane |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | F.Y.R. Macedonia |
| Place: | 10th in the first semi final |
What I believe to be another victim of the semi final structure this act I felt had the potential to do very well on the night. It is probably the right time to highlight a fact that is a little unfair - most songs that win are performed in English. While it is not a requirement to perform in English, and while there have been acts as we have already seen that have performed in their native language and won, the majority of acts have won by performing in English.
29 to be precise. French is the second most common at 14 winners, joint third is Dutch and Hebrew with 3 winners each. 5 other languages have won twice and 4 have won once. Singing in your native language is a risk in the contest which often leads acts to either outright perform in English or to incorporate English lyrics or an English chorus. You could argue that is one of the reasons this act did not make it through. It is also the reason why I don't believe Spain will do very well this year as their entry is in Spanish. I find it beautiful but it helps that I can understand the lyrics.
While the entry itself was performed in Macedonian, I have linked two videos below, the first is the Macedonian version and the second is a subsequent English version that was released after the contest. I do wonder how well it would have done if they had performed in English instead.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 16
| Artist: | Getter Jaani |
| Song title: | Rockefeller Street |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Country: | Estonia |
| Place: | 24th |
There are lots of directions you can take an act for the Eurovision Song Contest. Some people go for ballads, some people go for the unusual. This entry reminds me of an act from a musical. I think the act in question put more effort into their dance routines and production than they did with the actual song which is why I think they did so badly. If they had stripped back some of the gimmicks I think this could have done much better. I also feel the need to point out to the people who say "she needs to learn how to count" the line "1273 down the Rockefeller Street" is not meant to be counting, it is reference to a fictitious address in New York. Despite being a little over the top I actually like the performance from the night and although I think the pre-recorded version is better I have included the actual performance for the effort that was put in.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 17
| Artist: | Yüksek Sadakat |
| Song title: | Live It Up |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Country: | Turkey |
| Place: | 13th in the first semi final |
Yüksek is perhaps one of those singers who are better pre-recorded than they are live. This entry never made it to the final and one of the reasons for that I feel is yet another case of the performance on the night not going well. I've included a video with the song in it rather than the actual performance because I quite like the song and wish the performance had been better on the night. If it had then it would have made it through to the final. This song is a bit safe though, which is one of the awkward things about Eurovision, we have mentioned risks before and how they don't always pay off, the flip-side to that is simply that tracks which play it too safe often end up middle of the road and don't win.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 18
| Artist: | Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy |
| Song title: | Et Cetera |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Place: | 11th in the second Semi Final |
Although Ireland appears in this list a few times we have already seen the only entry that I have included which actually won, the rest didn't win the contest itself, including this entry which finished 11th in the second semi final failing to qualify for the final. I have included it because I feel it highlights one of the problems with the semi final structure that Eurovision uses now. This track was beaten to the final by 10 other entries above it, but it could have done much better in the actual final if it had made it. The problem with semi finals is that you compete against a subset of entries and not all entries together. The downside is that there are often tracks that don't make it to the final. You also have the issue that not all viewers of the contest who would vote in the final actually watch the semi finals so you rely on the ones that do to get you through. The two audiences can be quite distinct.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 19
| Artist: | Gina G |
| Song title: | Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit |
| Year: | 1996 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Place: | 8th |
The second entry on our list from the United Kingdom but not the last is not an entry that won. It came 8th in the final but this song is yet another entry that went on to become a much bigger hit than it was at the contest. This track for many people epitomises 90s pop music in the UK, and yet again it is a track that many people will have heard but not that many will know as a Eurovision entry. I think it should have done much better on the night it could have even won the contest.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 20
| Artist: | Malena Ernman |
| Song title: | La Voix |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | Sweden |
| Place: | 21st |
Sticking with 2009 for another entry, this one finished one above our last entry in 21st place. La Voix was another risky entry because it was different. The Operatic vibe was something that wasn't well received. My view of Malena was to consider her a Swedish version of Katherine Jenkins, but as much as I love her too I don't think Katherine would be well received outside the UK and a few Scandinavian countries. Despite winning 5 times, Sweden does fall into the same trap as others by sending entries that the rest of Europe might not like. Albeit Sweden does have a good excuse, their national selection Melodifestivalen is bigger in Sweden than the actual Eurovision Song Contest is and often gathers more publicity and more viewers than the actual contest, so in many ways the artist to them is deemed to have already won. Representing Sweden in the contest is just an added bonus.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 21
| Artist: | Chiara |
| Song title: | What If We |
| Year: | 2009 |
| Country: | Malta |
| Place: | 22nd |
This entry is one of those that I hinted about before, where I believe the actual song was a lot stronger than the performance on the night. While some people don't think the Eurovision Song Contest isn't that serious and they laugh and joke about it, for the artists that perform they take the contest seriously. The fans that watch it take it seriously too. Nerves can get the better of a performer and with the population of Europe just shy of a billion people and the contest being broadcast not just here but around the world, even with a fraction of that population watching it is still one of the biggest entertainment events in the world. There can be many reasons why a performance does not go as well as it could and whatever the reason that night I think Chiara could have done much better. It's for that reason I haven't included the actual performance but a video with the song instead.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 22
| Artist: | Johnny Logan |
| Song title: | Hold Me Now |
| Year: | 1987 |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Place: | 1st |
Ireland has won the Eurovision Song Contest 7 times, with the most wins they are the undisputed Kings of Eurovision - or Queens, if you prefer. With second place jointly held by France, Sweden, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom all with 5 wins to their names, and only one of those wins being within the last 15 years [Sweden in 2012] their crown is quite safe for now.
This entry is 'Hold Me Now' by Johnny Logan, who himself holds a crown as he has won the contest twice - the only performer ever to do so - and wrote a third winner. Of his two wins this one is my favourite.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 23
| Artist: | ABBA |
| Song title: | Waterloo |
| Year: | 1974 |
| Country: | Sweden |
| Place: | 1st |
Just as with Celine Dion this next entry owes much of its success to the Eurovision Song Contest. Failing to qualify for the 1973 contest losing out to Nova and The Dolls who would go on to represent Sweden and place 5th, ABBA competed again and won the Swedish National selection - Melodifestivalen 1974 - and represented Sweden in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. They came 1st in a performance that brought them to the attention of the music world and arguably catapulted them into success. ABBA went on to become one of the most famous groups in the world and left behind a long standing musical legacy. Waterloo is yet another song that many people know but not that many realise was actually a Eurovision entry.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 24
| Artist: | Emmelie de Forest |
| Song title: | Only Teardrops |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Country: | Denmark |
| Place: | 1st |
Our second and last Danish entry in our list is the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, Emmelie de Forest with Only Teardrops, a track which I was not expecting to win. The winner each year is not always predictable. Countries often fall into the trap of picking an act that they like, without considering whether anyone else will. Being a number 1 selling artist in your own country is impressive but it means nothing when you go beyond its borders.
To win at Eurovision you need to appeal to a wider audience and here in the UK we have fallen into the trap of sending acts that would do well in our charts without considering whether they can actually appeal to European voters. The same is often true in reverse, because so many countries now compete it's possible for acts to win that we don't like at all. This entry surprised me for that reason, while many people might have liked it, I was not expecting so many people in the rest of Europe to actually vote for it. Likewise this year Spain have a song for 2015 that I am quite fond of but I do not expect it to do well at all and I will be very surprised [pleasantly] if it does.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 25
| Artist: | Didrik Solli-Tange |
| Song title: | My Heart Is Yours |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Country: | Norway |
| Place: | 20th |
Voting in the Eurovision Song Contest is strange and sometimes unpredictable. Over the years there have been accusations of Political Voting, where countries tend to vote for their neighbours. While I admit that happens quite a bit, if you voted along political lines alone the same country would win every year. The fact is musical merit does play a part and while the number of countries over the years that participate have expanded, the old hands that used to win the contest quite a lot find it harder to reach the top 10 let alone win.
There are times when an entry that is seen as quite popular surprised by doing quite badly. One particular case will be mentioned later in this list, but for this post, I have chosen an entry that did a lot worse than I thought it would. I can chalk up some of the shortfall to the fact that the song is quite slow, and that in itself is a bit of a risk. Nevertheless this was one of my favourite entries from 2010 and I was sad to see it do so badly.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 26
| Artist: | Verka Serduchka |
| Song title: | Dancing Lasha Tumbai |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Place: | 2nd |
While some of the younger, or newer fans of Eurovision might think Conchita Wurst in 2014 was the first Drag Queen in Eurovision they would be mistaken. Drag artists have appeared a number of times over the years and in 2007 Ukraine was represented by Verka Serduchka, who did quite well, finishing second losing out to Marija Šerifović. The track below is called Dancing Lasha Tumbai, and is the first entry by Ukraine that has made my list, you'll have to keep reading to find out what else has made it.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 27
| Artist: | Celine Dion |
| Song title: | Ne partez pas sans moi |
| Year: | 1988 |
| Country: | Switzerland |
| Place: | 1st |
I couldn't make a list of Eurovision entries without mentioning this one in particular. If you know me at all you will know that I was a massive Celine Dion fan and my music library has almost every album she ever released. Whilst my love of her has waned in recent years due to the direction she took her musical career [down, in my opinion] you can not deny she has been one of the most successful female singers of all time and arguably she owes it all to Eurovision. That's right, if you didn't know before she won the Eurovision Song Contest she was a relatively unknown act as are many even today. Those who say the Eurovision Song Contest has no merit can find it extremely hard to argue with her success and the amount of money she has made in her career is enough to silence even the staunchest critics.
Although I like her as an artist and I do like this song, it is quite low on my list as it was so long ago and there have been many acts since in my opinion which were better. That is not statement on her as an artist, this performance was very early in her career and while she had great potential even then, it was by no means her best performance of her career.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 28
| Artist: | Katrina & The Waves |
| Song title: | Love Shine A Light |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Place: | 1st |
In the first of our entries submitted by the United Kingdom I have chosen this entry because it was one of my favourite winners. I have tried not to be biased in this list, and while the UK and Ireland do appear a number of times they do not dominate my list. Given how many times both countries have won the contest it is inevitable that they would appear. I have included entries from a wide range of countries however as I do enjoy them and I often find myself rooting for other countries. The UK's entry for 2015 for example does not make it onto this list, but my favourite to win this year does. You'll have to wait to find out which that is though.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 29
| Artist: | Olsen Brothers |
| Song title: | Fly On The Wings Of Love |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Country: | Denmark |
| Place: | 1st |
This song went on to become a huge dance hit with countless remixes, most notable of which being XTM feat Annia. Despite being a massive dance hit not that many people who have heard the dance versions know that it was actually an entry on Eurovision, not least of all because the actual version that was entered sounds very different to the version that came to dominate the charts. I've included two videos for this entry, the first is the performance that won them the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000 for Denmark and the second is the dance version that would go on to become a massive hit.
Eurovision Top 30: Number 30
| Artist: | Deep Zone & Balthazar |
| Song title: | DJ, Take Me Away |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Country: | Bulgaria |
| Place: | 11th in Second Semi Final |
At number 30 this entry almost didn't make it onto the list, and in 2008 when it was selected to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest it narrowly missed the final finishing 11th in the second semi final. I liked this song because it was different, which in Eurovision is always a risk. There have been some notable entries over the years that did very well for being very different, like Lordi the Finnish Heavy Metal band who won in 2006.
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