The 56th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Lena Meyer-Landrut's win in 2010. The dates set for the two semi-finals are 10 May and 12 May 2011, with the final planned for the evening of 14 May 2011.

The following 43 nations will take part:

• Albania: Aurela Gaçe / "Kënga Ime"
  
• Armenia: Emmy / "Boom Boom"
  
• Austria: Nadine Beiler / "The Secret Is Love"
  
• Azerbaijan: Eldar Gasimov & Nigar Jamal / TBA
  
• Belarus: Anastasia Vinnikova / "I am Belarussian"
  
• Belgium: Whitloof Bay / "With Love Baby"
  
• Bosnia & Herzegovina: Dino Merlin / "Love in Rewind"
  
• Bulgaria: Poli Genova / "Na Inat"
  
• Croatia: Daria Kinzer / "Break a Leg"
  
• Cyprus: Christos Mylordos / "San Aggelos S'Agapisa"
  
• Denmark: A Friend in London / "New Tomorrow"
  
• Estonia: Getter Jaani / "Rockefeller Street"
  
• Finland: Paradise Oskar / "Da Da Dam"
  
• France: Amaury Vassili / "Songu"
  
• Germany: Lena Meyer-Landrut / Taken By A Stranger
  
• Georgia: Eldrine / "One More Day"
  
• Greece: Loukas Giorkas feat. Stereo Mike / "Watch My Dance"
  
• Hungary: Kati Wolf / "What About My Dreams"
  
• Iceland: Sigurjón's Friends / "Aftur Heim"
  
• Ireland: Jedward / "Lipstick"
  
• Israel: Dana International / "Ding Dong"
  
• Italy: Raphael Gualazzi / "Follia d'amore"
  
• Latvia: Musiqq / "Angel in Disguise"
  
• Lithuania: Evelina Sasenko / "C'est ma vie"
  
• FYR Macedonia: Vlatko Ilievski / "Rusinka"
  
• Malta: Glen Vella / "One Life"
  
• Moldova: Zdob si Zdub / "So Lucky"
  
• Netherlands: 3JS / "Never Alone"
  
• Norway: Stella Mwangi / "Haba Haba"
  
• Poland: Magdalena Tul / "Jestem"
  
• Portugal: Homens da Luta / "A Luta E Alegria"
  
• Romania: Hotel FM / "Change"
  
• Russia: Alexey Vorobyov / "Get You"
  
• San Marino: Senit / "Stand By"
  
• Serbia: Nina / "Caroban"
  
• Slovakia: Twiins / "I'm Still Alive"
  
• Slovenia: Maja Keuc / "Vanilija"
  
• Spain: Lucía Pérez / "Que me quiten lo bailao"
  
• Sweden: Eric Saade / "Popular"
  
• Switzerland: Anna Rossinelli / "In Love For A While"
  
• Turkey: Yüksek Sadakat / "Live It Up"
  
• Ukraine: Mika Newton / "Angely"
  
• United Kingdom: Blue / "I Can"
  

Edited March 13, 201114 yr by Huntress

The following countries will participate in the 1st semi final on May 10th, 2011:

- Albania

- Armenia

- Azerbaijan

- Croatia

- Finland

- Georgia

- Greece

- Hungary

- Iceland

- Lithuania

- Malta

- Norway

- Poland

- Portugal

- Russia

- San Marino

- Serbia

- Switzerland

- Turkey

The United Kingdom and Spain will also vote in this semi final.

The following countries will participate in the 2nd semi final on May 12th, 2011:

- Austria

- Belarus

- Belgium

- Bosnia & Herzegovina

- Bulgaria

- Denmark

- Estonia

- Ireland

- Israel

- Latvia

- FYR Macedonia

- Moldova

- Netherlands

- Romania

- Sweden

- Slovakia

- Slovenia

- Ukraine

France, Germany and Italy will also vote in this semi final.

Edited February 24, 201114 yr by Huntress

My current ranking (17 songs have been presented so far):

01. Bosnia & Herzegovina *****

02. Norway *****

03. Albania ****

04. Poland ****

05. Germany ***

06. Spain ***

07. Ireland ***

08. Romania ***

09. Netherlands ***

10. Finland ***

11. Iceland **

12. Italy **

13. Malta **

14. Switzerland *

15. Georgia *

16. Bulgaria *

17. Belgium *

Overall, this year's edition is even worse than last year's. I hope that at least Azerbaijan, Israel, Sweden, UK and France will come up with a good song.

My current ranking (35 songs have been presented so far):

01. Bosnia & Herzegovina *****

02. Estonia *****

03. Norway ****

04. Poland ****

05. Albania ****

06. Slovakia ****

07. Spain ***

08. Germany ***

09. Belarus *** (it's utter trash but that makes it so enjoyable)

10. Ireland ***

11. Latvia ***

12. Netherlands ***

13. Ukraine ***

14. Armenia ***

15. Croatia ***

16. Turkey ***

17. Romania ***

18. Austria ***

19. Finland ***

20. Iceland ***

21. Bulgaria ***

22. Malta ***

23. Greece ***

24. Portugal ***

25. Italy **

26. Denmark **

27. Switzerland **

28. Slovenia **

29. Georgia **

30. Cyprus *

31. Lithuania *

32. Macedonia *

33. Moldova *

34. Serbia *

35. Belgium *

Is there CD compilations of each Eurovision contest from the past? If not, there should be. I'm having a difficult time finding CD versions of past Eurovision songs that have excellent sound quality. I can't find "You're Summer (You Never Tell Me No)" on CD in ANY form...and this one is my favorite of all time, but only found a CD which is a vinyl transfer, complete with pops and clicks:

The first official compilation CD was released before the 2000 contest.

Yesterday the running order for the 2011 contest was drawn.

Here are all 43 songs:

1st semi final

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2nd semi final

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Big 5 (automatic finalists)

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Current betting odds

According to online betting, which country will win this year?

10th: Russia

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9th: Hungary

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8th: Azerbaijan

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7th: Bosnia & Herzegovina

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6th: Norway

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5th: Germany

<object width="240" height="146"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ydDZlsruk?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ydDZlsruk?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44ydDZlsruk?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="200" height="146"></embed></object>

4th: Sweden

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3rd: United Kingdom

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2nd: Estonia

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1st: France

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The lowest-rated entries are Cyprus, San Marino, Macedonia, Malta and Portugal.

The 1st semi final is over.

The following countries qualified for the final:

• Azerbaijan
  
• Finland
  
• Georgia
  
• Greece
  
• Hungary
  
• Iceland
  
• Lithuania
  
• Russia
  
• Serbia
  
• Switzerland
  The following countries did not qualify:
  
  

  • Albania
    
  • Armenia
    
  • Croatia
    
  • Malta
    
  • Norway
    
  • Poland
    
  • Portugal
    
  • San Marino
    
  • Turkey
    

The 2nd semi final is over.

The following countries qualified for the final:

• Austria
  
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
  
• Denmark
  
• Estonia
  
• Ireland
  
• Moldova
  
• Romania
  
• Slovenia
  
• Sweden
  
• Ukraine
  
  The following countries did not qualify:
  
  

  • Belarus
    
  • Belgium
    
  • Bulgaria
    
  • Cyprus
    
  • FYR Macedonia
    
  • Israel
    
  • Latvia
    
  • Netherlands
    
  • Slovakia
    

  Running order for the final on Saturday:

  01. Finland: Paradise Oskar / "Da Da Dam"

  02. Bosnia & Herzegovina: Dino Merlin / "Love in Rewind"

  03. Denmark: A Friend in London / "New Tomorrow"

  04. Lithuania: Evelina Sasenko / "C'est ma vie"

  05. Hungary: Kati Wolf / "What About My Dreams"

  06. Ireland: Jedward / "Lipstick"

  07. Sweden: Eric Saade / "Popular"

  08. Estonia: Getter Jaani / "Rockefeller Street"

  09. Greece: Loukas Giorkas feat. Stereo Mike / "Watch My Dance"

  10. Russia: Alexey Vorobyov / "Get You"

  11. France: Amaury Vassili / "Sognu"

  12. Italy: Raphael Gualazzi / "Follia d'amore"

  13. Switzerland: Anna Rossinelli / "In Love For a While"

  14. United Kingom: Blue / "I Can"

  15. Moldova: Zdob si Zdub / "So Lucky"

  16. Germany: Lena / "Taken By a Stranger"

  17. Romania: Hotel FM / "Change"

  18. Austria: Nadine Beiler / "The Secret Is Love"

  19. Azerbaijan: Ell & Nikki / "Running Scared"

  20. Slovenia: Maja Keuc / "No One"

  21. Iceland: Sjónni's Friends / "Coming Home"

  22. Spain: Lucía Pérez / "Que me quiten lo bailao"

  23. Ukraine: Mika Newton / "Angel"

  24. Serbia: Nina / "Caroban"

  25. Georgia: Eldrine / "One More Day"

Edited May 13, 201114 yr by Huntress

Azerbaijan won the 56th Eurovision Song Contest.

Complete results:

01. Azerbaijan (221)

02. Italy (189)

03. Sweden (185)

04. Ukraine (159)

05. Denmark (134)

06. Bosnia & Herzegovina (125)

07. Greece (120)

08. Ireland (119)

09. Georgia (110)

10. Germany (107)

11. United Kingdom (100)

12. Moldova (97)

13. Slovenia (96)

14. Serbia (85)

15. France (82)

16. Russia (77)

==. Romania (77)

18. Austria (64)

19. Lithuania (63)

20. Iceland (61)

21. Finland (57)

22. Hungary (53)

23. Spain (50)

24. Estonia (44)

25. Switzerland (19)

This means that the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 will be staged in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Video recaps:

1st semi final

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2nd semi final

<object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SF4g6W_to?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SF4g6W_to?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SF4g6W_to?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Grand final

<object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHPFCCvWF-Y?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHPFCCvWF-Y?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHPFCCvWF-Y?fs=1&amp;hl=de_DE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

Some of my favorite songs from the last decade:

Estonia 2009

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BnoeY2HrvMo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Armenia 2009

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VybYWYUCng8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Azerbaijan 2009

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L_yvdIjw8Yk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Iceland 2008

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/STFvWxmcfbI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Belarus 2007

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2BYply1IuZo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Spain 2003

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pkvC9C3P0LM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Iceland 2009

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/agOf69AoxcE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Serbia & Montenegro 2004

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z7OvpjplJ_8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Turkey 2003

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m3i4S4E7h3I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Norway 2006

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tRLwHxbcR7c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ukraine 2010

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NQ2mAuqnXZk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Slovenia 2007

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6pjr1ZoLY6U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Israel 2008

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aWFuyxT7EXc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Portugal 2008

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CWrmeqrrUlI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>