Far more important about Die For You is that it represents Shirley Clamp's first (to date) appearance on the Eurovision stage *.*

 

I never knew that! *.* Min kärlek would've made an excellent entry for Sweden.

"Satellite" :wub: is the best ESC winner in last 30 years :)

So many Swedish entries here :o

10. UKRAINE 2004 | Ruslana - Wild Dances

1st with 280 points

Douze points from: Estonia, Israel, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Turkey

 

 

Lena Ph not quite managing the title of Queen of Eurovision for 2004 as that title goes to Ruslana. The ethno pop of ‘Wild Dances’ was perfect for Eurovision and what Ruslana maybe lacked in vocal ability, was sure enough made up in her dancing and energy. What you won't know about me is that my granddad is Ukrainian so I count this as a win for me!

09. ICELAND 2003 | Birgitta Haukdal - Open Your Heart

8th with 81 points

Douze points from: Malta, Norway

 

 

Another Icelandic gem now from Birgitta. In 2003 she represented Iceland with the superb ‘Open Your Heart’. It wasn’t my favourite initially, (that was Sertab) but over the past year has really struck a chord with me for being fantastic. Unfortunately, drawing 1st in the running order wasn’t the best for Birgitta but she still managed a respectable 8th place.

 

08. UNITED KINGDOM 1999 | Precious - Say It Again

12th with 38 points

Douze points from: N/A

 

 

Back in the 1990’s Eurovision was taken seriously in the UK and resulted in great entries such as ‘Say It Again’ by Precious. This was the first contest I watched all the way through as a child and I have such fond memories of it. I couldn’t believe we only came 12th but looking back the vocals were a little shaky, but still deserving of a top 10 placing in my opinion!

 

 

Adam, What about your top 7 ?

"Open Your Heart" was my favourite ESC song in 2003. (Second win for Iceland, after Inga and before Silvia Night)

07. ESTONIA 2002 | Sahlene – Runaway

3rd with 111 points

Douze points from: Latvia, Sweden

 

 

Another Eurovision classic tragically beaten by the Latvian abomination in 2002. From the host nation was ‘Runaway’, which initially was going to be sung by Ines who represented Estonia in 2000 but she declined. So Swedish singer Anna Sahlene was drafted in and achieved a joint 3rd place with the UK.

 

06. SWEDEN 2011 | Eric Saade – Popular

3rd with 185 points

Douze points from: Estonia, Israel

 

 

It’s probably a little higher than it should be but I just LOVE this. After coming 3rd in Melodifestivalen in 2010 with ‘Manboy’, Eric Saade returned in 2011 to try his luck again with the sublime and epic ‘Popular’. Three minutes of non-stop manic Swedish pop was always going to be a winner in my books. And after the dire top 2 of Azerbaijan and Italy that year it really should’ve been. Though I am actually thankful for the juries this year, because in the televote Eric lost to Azerbaijan by just 2 points and I don’t think I could’ve coped with that!

 

05. SWEDEN 2008 | Charlotte Perrelli - Hero

18th with 47 points

Douze points from: Malta

 

 

Another Swedish entry! This time from Charlotte Perrelli and the phenomenal ‘Hero’. A huge fan favourite from the start, it all went quite wrong for Charlotte after qualifying from the semis thanks to the jury choice, to finishing in a disappointing 18th place for Sweden. I suppose the black and white image of Charlotte wasn’t the best idea with hindsight!

04. GREECE 2005 | Helena Paparizou - My Number One

1st with 230 points

Douze points from: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Serbia & Montenegro, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

 

 

A break from Sweden as such, the 2005 Greek entry is at number 4. ‘My Number One’ by Swedish born Greek Helena Paparizou took the Eurovision crown after a long and lengthy voting procedure. In the interval act the following year in Athens, she proved she could win it all over again with the equally fabulous ‘Mambo!’.

03. SWEDEN 1999 | Charlotte Nilsson - Take Me To Your Heaven

1st with 163 points

Douze points from: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Malta, Norway, United Kingdom

 

 

Before her flop at Eurovision in 2008, Charlotte Perrelli, then Nilsson, won the contest in 1999 with the ABBAtastic ‘Take Me To Your Heaven’. I’ve grown more and more in love with this song over the years and I never grow tired of it. Interestingly, Christer Björkman took part in Melodifestivalen that year too, but came last.

02. SWEDEN 2012 | Loreen - Euphoria

1st with 372 points

Douze points from: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom

 

 

Well she had to appear sometime didn’t she? Loreen just misses out on the top spot with the anthem of life itself that it ‘Euphoria’. Yes I know, it was only last year, but I can tell this song is going to be a favourite of mine for a long time to come. In a few years I’m sure it’ll be my number 1 Eurovision song but for now Loreen will just have to be a lady in waiting to my queen of Eurovision.

01. UNITED KINGDOM 1996 | Gina G - Ooh, Aah... Just A Little Bit

8th with 77 points

Douze points from: Belgium, Portugal

 

 

I can't believe it, a UK entry is my favourite! Gina G manages to eclipse Loreen and all of the Swedish entries to become my number 1 Eurovision song. ‘Ooh, Aah… Just A Little Bit’ was definitely a song ahead of its time in Eurovision and this was reflected in the result, coming in an insulting 8th place. If it has been entered in the times of televoting I’m sure this would’ve gone all the way and rightfully so!

Full countdown:

 

01. Gina G - Ooh, Aah... Just A Little Bit (United Kingdom 1996)

02. Loreen - Euphoria (Sweden 2012)

03. Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden 1999)

04. Helena Paparizou - My Number One (Greece 2005)

05. Charlotte Perrelli - Hero (Sweden 2008)

06. Eric Saade - Popular (Sweden 2011)

07. Sahlene - Runaway (Estonia 2002)

08. Precious - Say It Again (United Kingdom 1999)

09. Birgitta Haukdal - Open Your Heart (Iceland 2003)

10. Ruslana - Wild Dances (Ukraine 2004)

 

11. Euroband - This Is My Life (Iceland 2008)

12. Carola - Invincible (Sweden 2006)

13. Lena Philipsson - It Hurts (Sweden 2004)

14. Sertab Erener - Every Way That I Can (Turkey 2003)

15. Lena - Satellite (Germany 2010)

16. Ira Losco - 7th Wonder (Malta 2002)

17. AySel & Arash - Always (Azerbaijan 2009)

18. Rollo & King - Never Ever Let You Go (Denmark 2001)

19. Maria Haukaas Storeng - Hold On Be Strong (Norway 2008)

20. Antique - (I Would) Die For You (Greece 2001)

 

21. Sirusho - Qele Qele (Armenia 2008)

22. Safura - Drip Drop (Azerbaijan 2010)

23. Hera Björk - Je ne sais quoi (Iceland 2010)

24. Selma - All Out Of Luck (Iceland 1999)

25. Laura Voutilainen - Addicted To You (Finland 2002)

26. Jill Johnson - Kärleken är (Sweden 1998)

27. Imaani - Where Are You? (United Kingdom 1998)

28. Fame - Give Me Your Love (Sweden 2003)

29. Friends - Listen To Your Heartbeat (Sweden 2001)

30. Natasha St.Pier - Je n'ai que mon âme (France 2001)

 

31. Jessica Garlick - Come Back (United Kingdom 2002)

32. Ivi Adamou - La La Love (Cyprus 2012)

33. Feminnem - Lako je sve (Croatia 2010)

34. Kate Ryan - Je t'adore (Belgium 2006)

35. Ani Lorak - Shady Lady (Ukraine 2008)

36. Beth - Dime (Spain 2003)

37. Esther Hart - One More Night (Netherlands 2003)

38. Lena - Taken By A Stranger (Germany 2011)

39. Selma - If I Had Your Love (Iceland 2005)

40. Nicola - Don't Break My Heart (Romania 2003)

 

41. Marija Šerifović - Molitva (Serbia 2007)

42. D'NASH - I Love You Mi Vida (Spain 2007)

43. Ines - Once In A Lifetime (Estonia 2000)

44. One More Time - Den vilda (Sweden 1996)

45. Serebro - Song No.1 (Russia 2007)

46. Edsilia Rombley - Hemel en aarde (Netherlands 1998)

47. Doris Dragović - Marija Magdalena (Croatia 1999)

48. Marlayne - One Good Reason (Netherlands 1999)

49. Hadise - Düm Tek Tek (Turkey 2009)

50. Charmed - My Heart Goes Boom (Norway 2000)

Not bad # 1 choice, Adam.

Gina G is my # 1 for 1996, but not in my all-time Top 100.

90s is the weakest decade in Eurovision.

 

Brilliant top 6 and great to see some other classics like 'Hold On Be Strong' nice and high

 

01. UNITED KINGDOM 1996 | Gina G - Ooh, Aah... Just A Little Bit

8th with 77 points

Douze points from: Belgium, Portugal

 

 

I can't believe it, a UK entry is my favourite! Gina G manages to eclipse Loreen and all of the Swedish entries to become my number 1 Eurovision song. ‘Ooh, Aah… Just A Little Bit’ was definitely a song ahead of its time in Eurovision and this was reflected in the result, coming in an insulting 8th place. If it has been entered in the times of televoting I’m sure this would’ve gone all the way and rightfully so!

If only we could send brilliance like this again! Last UK entry to hit #1 in the UK and the fourth most successful Eurovision entry in the US after 1968's Love Is Blue and 1974's Waterloo and Eres Tu!

 

Back when we could be proud of our Eurovision entry :wub: