Songs and Stars

The contest is remembered for its music more than for its rules. Some songs became part of ordinary life, a few acts became international stars, and many more were forgotten the following week. This chapter looks at the songs and people who left a mark, the way staging became part of the contest, and the surprises that keep the result uncertain. It is a selection of well-known examples, not a ranking. Years and placings are given from general knowledge and flagged for checking, and the recent results end with the 2026 contest, so check anything later against the official site. The 2025 and 2026 winners were supplied by the course author and should be confirmed in the official results.

Songs That Outlived the Contest

The contest has produced a few songs that became far more famous than the night they were performed.

• "Nel blu dipinto di blu" (Volare), Italy, 1958. Sung by Domenico Modugno, it did not win (it is generally reported as finishing third), yet it became one of the best-known Italian songs in the world.
• "Waterloo", Sweden, 1974. Sung by ABBA in Brighton and widely treated as the contest's biggest launch pad. The group had a long international career afterwards.
• "Ne partez pas sans moi", Switzerland, 1988. The win that introduced Celine Dion to a wide European audience.
• "Making Your Mind Up", United Kingdom, 1981. Bucks Fizz won, and the skirt-removing routine became a famous moment of staging.

Stars the Contest Launched or Showed

Many acts used the contest as a first big stage, and others were already famous and came to it for the exposure. ABBA and Celine Dion are the examples most often given of careers that took off after a win. Others made an impression without winning: Cliff Richard came very close to winning for the United Kingdom in 1968 with "Congratulations", reported as finishing second by a single point, and Sandie Shaw's barefoot "Puppet on a String" won for the UK in 1967. Whether the contest creates stars or only reveals them is arguable, and most careers owe something to both.

Repeat Winners and Songwriters

A few names recur. Johnny Logan won for Ireland as a singer in 1980 and 1987, and is also credited as the songwriter of Ireland's 1992 winner, an unusual double. Loreen won for Sweden in 2012 with "Euphoria" and again in 2023 with "Tattoo". Sweden and Ireland are generally reported as sharing the record for the number of wins (seven each at the time of writing), though check the current count. Chapter 6 returns to Ireland's run of wins.

Staging and Spectacle

For its first decades the contest was a stage with an orchestra. As television improved, staging became part of the entry. A costume, a prop, a dance move or a piece of lighting can decide whether an entry is remembered. Costume changes, wind machines and elaborate sets are all part of the tradition, and some of the most remembered moments, such as the Bucks Fizz routine, are about performance more than the song. The interval act, the entertainment while votes are counted, has become a showcase in its own right. Ireland's interval act in 1994 is the usual example, introducing a dance show that went on to a long life of its own (Chapter 6).

Surprises and Firsts

The result is rarely predictable, and several results were surprises because of who won or what kind of act won.

• Countries winning for the first time. Finland's win in 2006 after many years near the bottom is a standard example. Greece first won in 2005, and Portugal in 2017. Bulgaria's win in 2026 with Dara's "Bangaranga" is, as far as the course author reports, its first, which would add another country to the list of first-time winners (confirm this in the official records).
• Unexpected styles. A hard-rock monster band winning in 2006 and a rock band winning in 2021 broke the picture of a ballad contest.
• Identity and visibility. Dana International's win in 1998 and Conchita Wurst's in 2014 were widely reported as significant moments for the representation of gay and transgender performers, and also provoked protest in some places. Chapter 7 returns to the politics.
• Close finishes. Several contests have been decided on the last set of points, which is part of the reason the voting ritual works as television.

Exercises

Next chapter: Hosting: Prestige and Cost, which asks what winning costs a country.