Eurovision is an international song competition that takes place every year.
The competition began in 1956 and each year its held in a different European (or sometimes non European) city. This is an extremely exciting time of year and has even introduced some of the biggest artists we know today. To enter, each country submits an original song that is performed live during the competition and is broadcasted through TV and Radio all around the world. The winner is decided through a mix or jury and public voting.
Eurovision is an exciting time of year, with millions of spectators tuning in on the event, many individuals also like to take their support to the next level and place Eurovision bets. This is a long awaited event, as it’s known for it’s incredible performances, talented new artists and it always brings something new and unique to the table. This years Eurovision is getting closer. Starting on 7th of May. Eurovision 2024 is going to be held in Malmö, Sweden. The talented frontman to Years and Years, Olly Alexander is the UK’s entry. With this in mind, to get ready and excited for the event, this article is going to explore some of the radio hits that were born on the Eurovision stage.
ABBA – “Waterloo”
(Sweden, 1974)
This wouldn’t be a Eurovision round up, if ABBA wasn’t mentioned. Thanks to “Waterloo”, ABBA became a sensation overnight. “Waterloo” was the winner for 1974 which led to the song topping multiple charts all over the world. To this day, ABBA is still a household name and loved by many generations. Their win kick started an extremely successful career in the music industry.
Celine Dion – “Ne partez pas sans moi”
(Switzerland, 1988)
Many people forget that this is where Celine Dion started her career. In 1988, Celine represented Switzerland in the Eurovision song competition. Her song “Ne partez pas sans moi” led her to victory. The song topped many charts in the weeks following the competition, this helped to launch Celine’s career to where she is now. An extremely successful and global superstar.
Sam Ryder – “Space Man”
(United Kingdom, 2002)
Losing to Ukraine in 2002, Sam was unable to take home the victory for his song “Space Man”. However, many viewers were touched by his song and performance, which led to his song becoming a contender in the charts and played and requested on the radio many times.
Conchita Wurst – “Rise Like a Phoenix”
(Austria, 2014)
This performance was iconic in many ways. Conchita changed the world, putting on a spectacular performance. This incredible ballad shared an emotional message of empowerment and acceptance that many people resonated with. The story in this song stole the hearts of all the listeners and Conchita managed to take the win. This song was extremely popular and like many other winners, quickly became a hit on the radio.
Loreen – “Euphoria”
(Sweden, 2012)
This song was huge and is still an extremely popular song today. Loreen took to the stage with an incredible and electric performance. Her song “Euphoria” brought the audience (plus the spectators and listeners at home) to their feet. She was rightfully placed 1st in the competition and her song went straight to the top of the charts in many countries around the world.
Alexander Rybak – “Fairytale”
(Norway, 2009)
“Fairytale” stole everyone’s hearts in 2009. In fact, not only did Alexander Rybak take home the victory, he won by a landslide, making it one of the most memorable wins of all time. With a whopping 387 points, the runner up was a vast 169 points behind him. The love for his quirky song didn’t just stop there. The world fell in love with him and his violin, he managed to hit the charts and stay there in some countries for an incredible 132 weeks.
Dami Im – “Sound of Silence”
(Australia, 2016)
This is another incredible and successful entry that didn’t manage to take the win. Dami Im’s song “Sound of Silence” may not have received first place, however she still managed to wow the world and place on the charts in many countries. This led her to success.
Katrina and the Waves – “Love Shine a Light”
(United Kingdom, 1997)
Known for their classic and extremely popular hit “Walking on the Sunshine”, Katrina and the Waves were able to enter the competition with another feel-good tune. “Love Shine a Light”, took the win in 1997. This song is still a classic to this day and topped the charts following their win.
Eleni Foureira – “Fuego”
(Cyprus, 2018)
This was not Eleni’s Foureira’s first time at the Eurovision. She took to the stage with her dance-pop title “Fuego” and brought the whole world to their feet. Eleni put on a spectacular performance, however this was not enough. She was only able to place second. In fact, Eleni holds the record for the most times participating in the Eurovision Song Contest without winning. While she wasn’t able to win, her song still managed to hit the charts, “Fuego” is still a club classic to this day.
Duncan Laurence – “Arcade”
(Netherlands, 2019)
This entry was a beautiful ballad that very quickly stole the hearts of the nation. The lyrics in his song “Arcade” resonated with many, including the judges and voters who put him in first place. His incredible song led Duncan to first place. Soon after, his song was on the charts around the world and of course peaked at #1 in the Netherlands.
Sergey Lazarev – “You Are the Only One”
(Russia, 2016)
Sergey Lazarev wowed the stage with an upbeat performance and incredible stage presence. His song “You are the Only One” came with a catchy chorus. However, this wasn’t quite enough to win, Lazarev placed in the top-three in the competition. Although, this didn’t stop his ‘catchy’ tune, catching onto the charts.
In summary, from ABBA’s iconic win to the songs that may not have placed first, but still managed to make the charts, it’s clear that Eurovision has helped many artists to launch a successful career. From catchy tunes, to lyrics that touch people’s hearts, the songs to have come out of Eurovision are unforgettable and iconic in their own ways. The event allows artists to represent themselves in a fantastic and freeing way. With these incredible songs in mind, it’s exciting to think about what songs will hit the charts this coming Eurovision in Malmö.