Let's bring some noise in Buzzjack's happy house again. :)

 

1. This thread is my personal opinion about all ESC winners.

 

2. I use very simple rate system.

 

YES : Deserved winner

50 / 50 : Some songs could be the deserved winners in this year.

MAYBE : The winner had a good song (but not the best) or it was weak year or something like this.

NO : Undeserved winner

 

3. Deserved winner in my opinion is NOT EQUAL my # 1 for many years. (Maybe it's only 1 my historical ESC ranking without Anmary's masterpiece :( )

 

4. WARNING : I'm not the typical ESC fan. My opinions for some years are very unpopular. :)

Edited February 28, 201411 yr by AlexRange

genuinely so excited for this

 

*.*

 

1956

 

Winner : Lys Assia - Refrain (Switzerland)

 

Deserved ? : YES

 

 

Very good start for Eurovision's long history. Due to the rules of the 1956 Contest allowing each competing country to be represented by two songs. Lys represented both songs from Switzerland in two different languages ("Refrain" in French and "Das alte Karussell" in German). While the contest was shown and recorded for television broadcasting in certain European countries (as television sets were somewhat uncommon still at this time), no copies have survived, with the exception of Lys Assia's repeat performance at the end of the contest.

 

Unfortunatelly the results have never been published and we don't know anything about "points fight" for the 1st place. Maybe "Ne crois pas" (Luxembourg) is more friendly entry for modern Eurovision fans and my favourite "De vogels van Holland" (Netherlands) was performed well, but old-fashioned "Refrain" is a nice sample of classic chanson mode and laments the lost loves of the singer's "adolescence".

Edited February 28, 201411 yr by AlexRange

loreen 2 win

 

1957

 

Winner : Corry Brokken - Net als toen (Netherlands)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Birthe Wilke & Gustav Winckler - "Skibet skal sejle i nat" (Denmark)

 

 

Corry Broken won with a a classic chanson, with the singer addressing her husband and asking him if he remembers their early days as a couple. The lyrics suggest that the romance has gone out of the marriage, although it had not always been this way. Brokken also recorded the song in French and German, as "Tout comme avant" and "Damals war alles so schon".

 

"The ship is leaving tonight" was the Danish debut on Eurovision. It's a love story about a captain and his sweetheart. He takes a sea voyage on the ship and she stays on the shore. Additionally, this entry is famous for the kiss the duo exchanged at the end of the performance - the longest stage kiss in Contest history, made so by a stagehand omitting to signal for it to end.

 

First time, when I choose my favourite as the deserved winner. Hope, you wouldn't judge me for it. :)

Edited March 13, 201411 yr by AlexRus

 

1958

 

Winner : Andre Claveau - Dors, mon amour (France)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Domenico Modugno - Nel blu dipinto di blu (Italy)

 

 

Andre Claveau won the first title for France with "Dors, mon amour" ("Sleep, My Love"). The song is something of a lullaby by the singer to his lover. He tells her to sleep, while he muses on their love and the power of the night. Unfortunately for him this single was forgotten very soon and got some fame only on French language music market.

 

Domenico Modugno didn't have Anmary's dream, but his song "Nel blu dipinto di blu" (also known as "Volare") became a worldwide hit. The song is a ballad in a dramatic chanson style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has, which resembles flying when with his lover.

 

During the 1st Grammy Awards, held on 4 May 1959, "Nel blu dipinto di blu" received two awards, for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The song is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor, and it is the only song to have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest and received a Grammy Award. The entry also managed to reach the No.1 spot and spent five non-consecutive weeks on a top the Billboard Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboard's number-one single for the year, making it one of the most successful Eurovision songs in the history of the contest to date.

 

1959

 

Winner : Teddy Scholten - Een beetje (Netherlands)

 

Deserved ? : YES

 

 

Second victory for Netherlands in the first four years of the contest's history.

 

"Een beetje" ("A Little bit") is more up-tempo than the previous winners had been, as well as being less serious. It is sung from the perspective of a young woman being asked by her lover if she is "true" and "faithful", to which she answers "A little bit". This unusual admission is then justified by the comment that "everyone is in love at least once", hence nobody can be said to be entirely faithful to anyone. Befitting the lyrics, the music has a lilt to it which had been missing from the previous winners.

 

Most deserved ESC winner from 50s decade. First time, when pop song won, but it was not so cheesy as "Sing Little Birdie" and I can't choose my favourite, because Kessler Sisters got only 5 points from juries.

 

 

 

 

 

1960

 

Winner : Jacqueline Boyer - Tom Pillibi (France)

 

Deserved ? : YES

 

 

France won again with a daughter of Jacques Pills (he represented Monaco and was last on the previous Eurovision).

 

The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with the singer talking about her lover - the title character. She describes his material wealth (two castles, ships, other women wanting to be with him) before admitting that he has "only one fault", that being that he is "such a liar" and that none of what she had previously said about him was true. Nonetheless, she sings, she still loves him.

 

In what would become increasingly the norm over Contest history, the English version of the song, while still about the same man, conveyed quite a different impression. In this version, Tom is a compulsive womaniser and not to be trusted at all. Perhaps as a result of this, Des Mangan's book on Contest history confuses the issue further by describing the song as being about "A man with two castles and two boats and who's generally a right bast*rd, but she still loves him anyway."

 

"Tom Pillibi" was the first ESC winner in UK Singles Chart.

 

First time, when the winner got all 3 trophies (ESC winner, deserved win and # 1 in my ranking).

Edited March 13, 201411 yr by AlexRus

Doxy?

Doxy?

It seems that I used old term of this word.

It's "sweetheart", not "paramour" :)

Edited March 13, 201411 yr by AlexRus

 

1961

 

Winner : Jean-Claude Pascal - Nous Les Amoureux (Luxumbourg)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : The Allisons - Are You Sure ? (United Kingdom)

 

 

Luxembourg won Eurovision for its first time with the song "Nous les amoureux" performed in French by Jean-Claude Pascal. Don't know why, but Eurovision juries were obsessed with French language boring songs in those years. Maybe it was a coalition between French language countries (France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Belgium and Switzerland), but I'm not sure.

 

United Kingdom send The Allisons, British music answer on a popular American duet Everly Brothers. "Are You Sure?" was released as a single and climbed to number 1 on the UK NME pop chart and # 2 in the main Singles Chart compiled by The Official Charts Company. The lyrics are memorable for a possibly unique example of the bizarre grammatical error "Comes tomorrow, you won't want me". Despite a couple of minor follow-up hits, the duo disbanded in 1963.

 

It could be the first British success in ESC, six years before "Puppet on a String" win, but jury's mind was sticked in past.

Edited March 14, 201411 yr by AlexRus

 

1962

 

Winner : Isabelle Aubret - Un Premier Amour (France)

 

Deserved ? : Maybe

 

 

This year was a "triumph" of French language songs. Isabelle Aubret won the next title for France with "Un Premier Amour", Monaco was on second place and Luxembourg was third. "Un premier amour" ("A First Love") is a typically dramatic ballad, with Aubret singing about the power that a first love has over people.

 

If you had a question : Why modern ESC fans don't like old Eurovision contests or don't have any interest in them ? Top 3 from Eurovision 1962 would be a nice answer for you. Retro French songs are not very listenable today for the most music fans. Even such fogey peoples as me find them boring.

 

Very weak contest. "Un premier amour" wasn't a supreme song, but still good. There is not any good alternative for possible winner.

Edited March 14, 201411 yr by AlexRus

1963

 

Winner : Grethe & Jorgen Ingmann - Dansevise (Denmark)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Ronnie Carroll - Say Wonderful Things (United Kingdom)

 

 

Very strange and the worst 60s winner. Yes, the sound of "Dansevise" is unique, but this fact doesn't mean a good quality of this song.

 

"Dansevise" ("Dance ballad") is a moderately up-tempo tune in which the singer hymns the praises of dancing, specifically with her "beloved friend".

 

One controversy this year was during the voting. When it was Norway's turn to announce their votes, the spokesman in Oslo did not use the correct procedure in that the song number, followed by the name of the country, should have been announced before awarding the points. Katie Boyle asked Norway to repeat their results, but the Norwegian spokesman asked Katie to return to them after all the other results were in. When Katie went back to Norway again the votes had mysteriously altered, thus changing the outcome of the contest and giving the victory to Norway's neighbours Denmark at Switzerland's expense. In fact, there was some doubt as to whether the Norwegian spokesman gave the correct votes on the first occasion.

 

Ronnie Carroll is the only singer to have represented the UK in the competition two years in succession. He returned on Eurovision with charming ballad "Say Wonderful Things". The most popular version of the song was recorded by Patti Page, as the title song of her first album for Columbia Records. Page's record peaked only at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100 but was more successful in Australia and continental Europe.

 

 

Dansevise is one of the best winners everrr plz bye

 

1964

 

Winner : Gigliola Cinquetti - Non Ho L'eta (Italy)

 

Deserved ? : Yes

 

 

Young Italian talent Gigliola Cinquetti won with ""Non Ho L'eta" ("I'm not old enough") in her 16 years old. It was a song about young girl and her first romantic feelings. Her song character said : "I'm not old enough to love you. Love, please wait." "Non Ho L'eta" became a considerable commercial success for Cinquetti in Italy, Continental Europe, Scandinavia and even in UK.

 

As with the 1956 contest, no video recording of the actual contest performance is known to survive (although one does of the shorter winning reprise); however like the 1956 contest an audio recording does exist. (Videos of Cinquetti's Sanremo performance and her Eurovision winning reprise have both appeared on YouTube.)

 

Weak competition for the win. Gigliola had the best song and won with a huge margin in my least favourite Eurovision contest.

Edited March 17, 201411 yr by AlexRus

 

1965 :

 

Winner : France Gall - Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son (Luxembourg)

 

Deserved ? : 50 / 50

 

 

Alternative winner choice : Kathy Kirby - I Belong (United Kingdom)

 

 

The first year from long Golden Eurovision period.

 

"Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son" is a classic Eurovision winner, timeless masterpiece and my third all-time favourite Eurovision song. Fresh air for this contest. Modern sound, beautiful and cute singer, candy perfomance, amazing voice, satirical lyrics. France Gall was on the top of pop mountain in Serge Gainsbourg's era (1963-1965 years). All her Gainsbourg songs were a good samples of pure pop genre, especially scandalous "Les Sucettes" (Lollipops) (in my all-time top 10 songs).

 

You can read "Les sucettes" story here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Sucettes

 

As is common with Gainsbourg's lyrics, the words are filled with double meanings, wordplay, and puns. The title can be translated as "wax doll, rag doll" (a floppy doll stuffed with straw) or as "wax doll, sound doll" (with implications that Gall is a "singing doll" controlled by Gainsbourg). Sylvie Simmons wrote that the song is about "the ironies and incongruities inherent in baby pop"— that "the songs young people turn to for help in their first attempts at discovering what life and love are about are sung by people too young and inexperienced themselves to be of much assistance, and condemned by their celebrity to be unlikely to soon find out."

 

Kathy Kirby is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's "Secret Love". British participant adopted the look of a "blonde bombshell", and was compared to Marilyn Monroe. Kathy Kirby was the most loved British singer in 1964 (higher than Cilla Black and Dusty Springfield). She came second with the song "I Belong". Author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor describes Kirby's "I Belong" as being far more representative of current musical tastes than other songs from the contest.

 

Very deserved results. Amazing Top 2 (second best in all long ESC history after 1970).

Edited March 18, 201411 yr by AlexRus

 

1966

 

Winner : Udo Jurgens - Merci, Cherie (Austria)

 

Deserved ? : Yes

 

 

Ballad "Merci, Cherie" ("Thank you, darling") was performed for Austria by Udo Jürgens with lyrics in German-despite the French words of the title. It is an earnest ballad in which the singer, as he leaves her, thanks his lover for good times and positive memories. He was the first and last Eurovision participant, who won in his third attempt.

 

"Merci, Cherie" wasn't very successful in European charts with # 2 peak positions in Austria and Belgium. The song was covered by English singer Vince Hill and reached #36 in UK Singles Chart.

 

1967

 

Winner : Sandie Shaw - Puppet on a String (United Kingdom)

 

Deserved ? : No

 

Who should won ? : Vicky Leandros - L'amour Est Bleu (Luxembourg)

 

 

After some Top 3 results in the previous years United Kingdom finally won their first Grand Prix. The winning entry "Puppet on a String", sung by Sandie Shaw had one of the widest margins of victory ever witnessed in the competition; it garnered more than twice as many votes as the second place song.

 

Shaw intensely disliked the composition. In her own words "I hated it from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum. I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune." She was disappointed when it was selected as the song she would use to represent the country, but it won the contest hands down, though it has always been felt that this was partly due to her existing popularity on the continent (she had recorded most of her hit singles in French, Italian, German and Spanish). As a result "Puppet on a String" became her third Number One hit in the UK (a record for a female at the time) and was a big worldwide smash (the biggest selling single of the year in Germany). Though her attitude towards the song somewhat mellowed in later years, even releasing a new version in 2007.

 

The entry from Luxembourg, "L'amour est bleu", sung by Vicky Leandros, came in fourth; nonetheless, it went on to become the biggest international hit of the 1967 contest, and a year later would be a big instrumental hit for French musician, Paul Mauriat, under the English version, "Love is Blue".

 

The song describes the pleasure and pain of love in terms of colours (blue and grey) and elements (water and wind). The English lyrics ("Blue, blue, my world is blue …") focus on colours only (blue, grey, red, green, and black), using them to describe elements of lost love. The English version by Vicky Leandros also appeared as "Colours of Love" in some locations including the UK.

 

Some winners won with not their best Eurovision songs. Vicky Leandros was the first in this row of winners. "Apres Toi" wasn't bad, but "L'amour Est Bleu" is her highlight on Eurovision scene.

 

 

 

 

It's very good the fact that you are objective although your country won that year. Vicky Leandros was very good with L'amour Est Bleu. But i like "Puppet on a string" too. It was quite catchy for those years.

Insomnio - he's Russian.