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# 86. Lena Valaitis - Johnny Blue (Germany - 1981)

 

 

Ballad "Johnny Blue" was written and composed by Eurovision legends Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger. In 1982 year their song "Ein Bisschen Frieden" (A Little Peace), performed by Nicole won the Contest and became a hit in Europe and last UK # 1 for Eurovision participant. Lena got very deserved the second place, only 4 points behind European hit from Bucks Fizz "Making Your Mind Up".

 

Interesting fact : Valaitis was born in Memel during World War II, now it's Klaipeda - the third largest city in Lithuania.

 

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# 85. Monica Aspelund - Lapponia (Finland - 1977)

 

 

More good oldies from my favourite Eurovision decade.

 

Despite its moderate 10th place result at the Eurovision final, "Lapponia" was given release in twenty European countries and Australia. Aspelund recorded "Lapponia" in six languages : Finnish, her mother tongue Swedish, English, German, French and Dutch. The song became top 5 hit in Finland and Sweden.

 

Interesting fact : "Lapponia" became the first Finnish entry to be awarded with a maximum 12 points score (given by Ireland). It would remain Finland's sole maximum score until 2006, when hard rock winners Lordi got eight 12 points.

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# 84. Michelle - Wer Liebe Lebt (Germany - 2001)

 

 

It was 6th and last win for Germany in my yearly Eurovision rankings. In this contest we had two singers under name Michelle, but for German act it was only the stage name of singer Tanja Hewer.

 

Interesting fact : More than 20 years after contest she still successful schlager singer and her last album "Flutlicht" peaked at # 2 in Germany.

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# 83. Jessica Garlick - Come Back (United Kingdom - 2002)

 

Welsh singer Jessica Garlick was selected as Eurovision participant in yearly British TV show "A Song For Europe" and shared 3rd place in the main contest.

 

Interesting fact : Another British Pop Idol Hayley Evetts tried to be Eurovision participant. She was revealed to be one of the candidates to represent Romania in Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with "Brand New Day" (my second favourite song from that Euroseason, only behind my favourite song from Eurovision 2016). However she had withdrawn from the selection due to a severe knee injury.

 

 

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# 82. Jeane Manson - J'ai Deja Vu Ca Dans Tes Yeux (Luxembourg - 1979)

 

 

American singer Jeane Manson represented the Grand Duchy with a blues influenced ballad. She describing a series of romantic visions (including one of a family) to her lover before telling him that "I've already seen that in your eyes" - that is to say, she can see their future together.

 

Interesting fact : She was US Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the August 1974 issue.

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# 81. Texas Lightning - No No Never (Germany - 2006)

 

 

"No No Never" was very rare country-pop genres mixed entry on Eurovision. This song became the second single for Texas Lighting after cover version of classic Madonna's track "Like A Virgin". They finished only 14th with 36 points, much to Germany's surprise, as they expected a better outcome. But Eurovision flop wasn't a barrier for chart success in home country (# 1) and the neighbour countries (# 4 in Austria, # 6 in Switzerland).

 

Interesting fact : Lead singer Jane Comerford was born in Australia.

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# 80. Mariana Efstratiou - To Diko Sou Asteri (Greece - 1989)

 

 

"To Diko Sou Asteri" is an inspirational ballad, with Mariana exhorting her listeners to "find your own star" in their lives. In 1996 she will represent Greece again.

 

Interesting fact : In 1989 year two countries (Greece and Cyprus) got their best results from my all Eurovision rankings.

Do you think blond women sing differently to women with other colours of hair?
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# 79. Micha Marah - Hey, Nana (Belgium - 1979)

 

 

Sometimes in past jury members disliked my favourites even more than televoters now. Catchy pop song from Belgian singer and actress Micha Marah got only 5 points and shared the last place with Austrian entry.

 

Interesting fact : Micha Marah recorded a studio version of her Eurovision entry only in 2023 year.

 

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# 78. Teddy Scholten - Een Beetje (Netherlands - 1959)

 

 

Let's move from outsider to real winner. "Een Beetje" more up-tempo than the previous winners had been, as well as being somewhat less serious. Possibly it can explain the popularity of this song now, especially in comparison with other winners from "pre-Gall" era.

 

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".

 

Interesting fact : The song was the second victory for Netherlands in the first four years of the contest's history.

Edited by Last Dreamer

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# 77. Margot Eskens - Die Zeiger Der Uhr (Germany - 1966)

 

 

This song became my # 1 finding in 2019 year, when I listened all possible contenders for top 100 list. Before it Finnish entry "Playboy" was my # 1 from 1966 year.

 

"Die Zeiger Der Uhr" ("The Hands Of Time") is a ballad, with Eskens singing about the feelings brought on by reading old love letters and seeing photographs from an old relationship. As she explains, however, "The hands of time only turn/forwards, forwards and never backwards".

 

Interesting fact : German entries from 7 Eurovision decades (from 1950s to 2010s) are represented in my top 100.

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# 76. Swarbriggs Plus Two - It's Nice To Be In Love Again (Ireland - 1977)

 

 

I always love a harmony between female and male vocals in songs, so obviously you wasn't surprised to see this Irish 70s entry in the top, compiled by fan of New Seekers, Brotherhood of Man and Bucks Fizz.

 

Their third place in Eurovision was the best Irish result since Dana's win in 1970.

 

Interesting fact : In real contest 90s were the golden decade for Ireland, but I prefer their 70s entries.

 

 

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Not represented years :

1958

1960-1961-1962-1964-1969

1988

1993-1995-1998

2000-2003-2005

2018-2019-2020-2021-2022-2023-2024

 

 

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# 75. Anita - Einfach Weg (Austria - 1984)

 

 

It's the outsider again, Anita got only 5 points and placing 19th (last). The song is about the singer's need to get away from her life, regardless of what others might think. I have very mixed relationships with Austrian Eurovision songs. Usually this country had one or two hits in each decade.

 

Interesting fact : After long pause Austria got the next top 5 result with Zoe in 2016 year.

 

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# 74. Lise Haavik - Du Er Fuld Af Logn (Denmark - 1986)

 

 

The song "Du Er Fuld Af Logn" is sung from the perspective of a woman telling a male friend that she knows that he is as attracted to her as she is to him. She dismisses his claim that they are "just friends" as being untrue and asks for "four days" with him - before saying that she will change his mind in 24 hours.

 

Interesting fact : Lise Haavik represented Denmark as a part of wife-husband duo Trax, but while both partners were present at the Contest, only Haavik sang and was credited during the performance.

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# 73. Vicky Leandros - L'amour Est Bleu (Luxembourg - 1967)

 

 

Possibly the low position of this wonderful song is the first big surprise in my top 100 so far. Eurovision all-time classic "L'amour Est Bleu" was finished only 4th behind another classic "Puppet On A String" and now forgotten Irish and French songs. Some forty years after its original release "L'amour est bleu" still counts as one of very few non-winning Eurovision entries ever to become a worldwide hit.

 

Interesting fact : In 2011 year German dance band Scooter did a mix "C'est Bleu" of one their song and Vicky's old hit. This composition was released in Germany as single and peaked on low 77th position.

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# 72. Gisela - Casanova (Andorra - 2008)

 

 

The last place in the final of personal favourite is painful for every Eurovision fan. But the situation can be worse, after 2004 year the semifinals were inducted, so in the next 15 years my # 1 wasn't qualified for the final 9 (!!!) times.

 

Spanish pop singer Gisela, who represented Andorra, brought the first win for European microstate in my Eurovision rankings. Luxembourg already was first, but this country doesn't name "microstate".

 

Interesting fact : Another song under the title "Casanova", performed by Elisa Lindstrom, was my second favourite in Swedish pre-selection Melodifestivalen in 2014.

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# 71. Moje 3 - Ljubav Je Svuda (Serbia - 2013)

 

 

Fisrt version of this countdown was compiled in 2019 year, but I did one biggest mistake when missed this entry. Now it’s a good time to fix it. It's very hard to rate this song, because ESC performance was less

interesting than in Serbian national pre-selection.

 

YVA must do a copycat of this performance. Just imagine Kristina in angel's outfit with halo and wings and Goda in the role of sexy devil.

 

 

Interesting fact : The ladies also recorded English language version under the title “Love Is All Around”.

 

 

3 of my faves here - Vicky Leandros' Love Is Blue was a major song of my childhood, though Paul Mauriat's instrumental cover was the version I loved. Texas Lightning were fab, it deserved to do better, and Jessica Garlick's was one of the best UK entries of the 21st century. My grandma loved Vicky Leandros, so she's OK by me!

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