Eurovision songs of the past

I Am A Swede · November 21, 2011

I think it's time to be a little more positive. There's been a lot of great songs in the ESC over the years. Here are some personal favourites of mine:

Switzerland 1963: Esther Ofarim "T'en va pas" (2nd place)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7nZcQZV1tI

Luxembourg 1972: Vicky Leandros "Après toi" (winner)

Italy 1974: Gigliola Cinquetti "Si" (2nd place)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ai-URkG8Kc

Serbia 2008: Jelena Tomasevic "Oro" (6th place)

Huntress · November 21, 2011

Yes, "Oro" was/is a great song.

Now that you've posted Sakis's performance from 2004, it's amazing how much the contest has changed even in those few years. If you compare the recaps from 2004 to 2011, it becomes evident how contemporary the music and how much slicker camera work and choreographies have become:

2004:

2005:

2006:

2007:

2008:

2009:

2010:

2011:

alphanguy74 · November 22, 2011

Huntress.... that Lithuianan entry from this year... now THERE is a song I can get behind! That Swiss entry is certainly a retro entry harkening back to the cutesy songs from the 68-76 period. The Romanian entry is a snappy little tune that I really like. It's rare that I like a new song, but the 2011 Eurovision has those two that I like (Romania and Lithuania). The Serbian entry wasn't half bad, either. I just hate when they use those headset microphones... I cannot stomach people singing on stage looking like Lilly Tomlin's Ernestine the telephone operator.I Am Swede... Esther Ofarim lovely song, but I just love her voice no matter what she sings. I must say I prefer Eurovision being a more formal affair, I like sophistication, seeing the camera pan the audience with the women in their furs and jewels. Can I just make a parting comment about that Moldova performance? WHAT. THE. HELL.

I Am A Swede · November 22, 2011

You didn't like the Moldavian garden gnomes?!

But seriously, those recaps just reminded me why my love for ESC has cooled down in recent years. I'm going to sound ancient now probably, but the music has become to hard for me, and it's become more of a screaming contest than a singing contest.

How I miss the good old days......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6MAT2lbUnc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vRURqz-CkI&feature=related

I Am A Swede · November 22, 2011

Dance routines have come in all shapes in the ESC over the years.

Some have been good:

and some have been.....err....less than good shall we say.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foSlUQ3Sz8w

But the, without a doubt, most remembered dance from the ESC didn't even compete. I remember watching this when it happened and thinking "wow, that was great", but little did I, or anyone else probably, know what a phenomenon this interval act would become:

alphanguy74 · November 23, 2011

That group from Cyprus wasn't in synch with their moves, but DAMN they are gorgeous. Better looking than anything the USA can come up with. Ireland has had some nice songs s far as I'm concerned... I like this one really well (And he's so cute)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hazAg82BLA&feature=related

And another one from 1976 that was more deserving of first place than the song that won:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjIRsfnlQr4&feature=related

alphanguy74 · November 23, 2011

And speaking of Irish entries, it seems the 1972 transmission of the irish finals exists, and here's a lovely gem from that. What's amazing, is this guy is a DEAD RINGER vocally for Engelbert Humperdinck, if you close your eyes, you'd swear it was him singing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrPxfWfi0zQ&feature=related

I Am A Swede · November 24, 2011

So, which winning songs are your least favourite over the years? These are the first ones that come to mind for me:

I Am A Swede · November 24, 2011

How could I forget these two! (Actually, I wish I could forget these two.....)

alphanguy74 · November 24, 2011

I'd never heard "Viva Contando"... that's pretty vile. My least favorite is this of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zILsZXhZ3gk

Notice how at the end as it's fading she does a CURTESY. Im wondering if she wasn't makign fun of the cutesy schlockiness of it herself. That performance was from Pop Go The Sixties.... the Eurovision peformance wasn't QUITE so bad because they didn't use that effing calliope or whatever it is that was on the studio recording. But It was still the worst for me.

Huntress · November 28, 2011

2001, 2002 and 2008 were indeed horrible winning songs. However, I liked 2006

Other songs I just rediscovered after so many years:

Italy 1997

France 2002 - She sounds like Celine Dion

Germany 1994

I can't decide which German entry was the worst in the last decade: 2002, 2005 or 2008. With 2008, it sounded fine in the national final, but it was a complete mess on stage in Belgrade. Their voices, their "dresses" (which looked like plastic bags) and their choreography were just awful.

Performance in the national final:

Eurovision performance in Belgrade:

alphanguy74 · November 28, 2011

I have to say, Huntress... that group no angels are a bunch of hair models who can't sing. I don't mind their dresses in Belgrade so much, I think theyr'e ok. But the blonde's vocals are what really throws it off.... the rest of them can at least carry a tune, but there is still nothing vocally that sets them apart from any other cheesy modern girl power group. I also don't like when Germans sing in English. It's awkward to me. Now, that 1994 entry was GOOD. Great groove, and those girls can actually sing.

I Am A Swede · November 28, 2011

Here are some of the worst songs ever, in my opinion, from the Swedish contest:

Photogenique, 1997 (last place) (this song was written by Jonas Berggren from Ace of Base!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=466Y_x0e4hY

Thomas Munck, 1978 (last place)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyn62b7UMsc

Magnus Uggla, 1979 (last place)

Loa Falkman, 1990 (last place)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xb2TFwBTo

To counterbalance all that awfulness, here's the most beautiful voice ever to grace a Eurovision stage. It didn't belong to a contestant (sorry Céline!) but to a sixteen-year old schoolgirl who dazzled the audience and the tv viewers during the interval 1986. It's short, but oh so sweet......

alphanguy74 · November 29, 2011

Holy mother of crap! Thomas Munck... are you going to tell me that man had a recording contract? What deaf person gave it to him? You of course, know which one is my favorite, the 1973 swedish entry being my favorite Eurovision song of all time. Loa Falkman had to make me laugh, with his bloated opera style, and the song was pretty drab and uninteresting, IMO. Magnus Uggla was almost as bad as Thomas Munck, two consecutive years of such bad singers, what's the deal? Another Swedish entry that I felt came up WAY short was this one... Lill Lindfors is a stunningly beautiful woman, but vocally, she leaves alot to be desired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU8vhXKsmP4&feature=related

Another Swedish entry I liked alot was this one... and it doens't hurt that Bjorn Skifs is a walking wet dream:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYoPjN0CbXI

I Am A Swede · November 29, 2011

In her defence, I think this song just wasn't suited to her voice. She was one of the biggest stars in Sweden during the 60s and 70s, and is still performing today. Among other things she played Anita in the original Swedish production of West Side Story, and had a monumental hit here with this song during 1966-67:

Since this is a Eurovision thread you can't talk about Lill Lindfors without mentioning this:

Probably one of the most iconic moments in the history of ESC.

Eurovision songs of the past

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