Eurovision has a lot of topics to cover, but in light of its 2020 cancellation, I decided to present some of my favorite winners.
My personal favorite is 1994’s Rock’n’Roll Kids by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, representing Ireland and its 6th winners. They were the first male duo to perform at Eurovision and were the first act which scored over 200 points, 226 to be exact. I love it because they are not accompanied by a ton of instruments, just a humble piano and a guitar, together with strong vocals.
Another quite memorable winner was 2014’s Rise Like a Phoenix by Conchita Wurst which won amidst drama around its performer. Wurst, who represented Austria, sported an impressive stubble, but presented as a woman on the stage. Her appearance unfortunately overshadowed her vocals with the conservatives, but Wurst’s strong performance of a Bond-like power ballad earned her a win for her country.
One of the songs that is often considered the best winner overall is ABBA’s Waterloo, which scored Sweden’s victory in 1974. It shortly became one of the best selling singles of that year (and all times), charting even in the US. When Eurovision was celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2005, Waterloo was chosen as the people’s favorite winner.
Jump back to the 1990s, in 1998 Dana International was (unofficially) the first transsexual to perform at Eurovision, and also its first transsexual winner. Her hit song Diva won Eurovision for Israel, which caused a scandal in her home country, where Dana International was shunned by Orthodox Jews. The singer represented Israel twice more at Eurovision, though not as successfully.
A win that affected even Eurovision rules was 1986’s Sandra Kim, J’aime la Vie, representing Belgium. While the song was nothing outstanding, Sandra Kim was only 13 at the time of her victory. This brought on the change in the rules that all Eurovision participants must be at least sixteen years old when they appear on the big stage.