Finland winning in 2006 was a freak occurence. Lordi almost didn't get chosen as they weren't considered suitable for Eurovision, but it appears a load of metalheads in Finland may have had something to say about that. Lordi also received the highest points score in the final.
I remember. All the clean pop songs and then comes Lordi with actual music. It was fantastic and gave the ESC establishment the finger. Besides 1974 with ABBA the best ESC ever.
I remember my mom and me watching that. She turned to me asking: "Hey, that is your music, isn't it?" and me just going: "Jep!" The only year I ever voted...
I remember that several rock radio stations around Europe advertised rock fans for voting Lordi even if they don't usually follow Eurovision. And Lordi won with biggest amount of votes in Eurovision until then.
@warre1 I rememeber all the metal heads in school talkign about Lordi before eurovision. And other than them nearly not gettign picked they also nearly didn't make it because of the cost of all of the Pyrotechnics
Eurovision is the only show where you can see traditional folk music followed by death metal!! Awesome. Enough!!! Next time I try to come up with a humorous comment I will make sure to do in depth research to please all the pedants out there.....
long may it continue I hate things like X-Factor or The Voice - where it's about recreating well-known songs. Eurovision is ALL original songs - some of them are death metal, others are bubble-gum pop, and then the worthy ballads about inclusion and not being ashamed of who you are etc. And you have no idea who's going to win - it's very exciting! :)
@KrisThroughGlass Yeah, you're right there wasnt any death metal yet BUT there was a lot of cool rock, heavy metal and techno/industrial rock. I even remember a song from hungary where the vocalist screamed a lot (screamo?) and idk if that counts as anything to you. If you havent checked it out you really should, its worth it imho :)
A couple of things: 1. Eurovosion used a live orchestra until 1998 2. Televoting started in 1997, before that it was solely decided by a jury from each country. Since then it has been, and continues to be, a 50/50 blend of jury and televoting. This, along with the removal of the orchestra and a switch to a recorded music track, completely changed Eurovision. 3. Vocals have always, and continue to be, sung live. 4. A max of 6 artists can be on stage. 5. A time limit of 3 mins per song is strictly enforced. 6. When you win, you earn the right to host the following year.
6. it can be an honor and a right, but also a burden and obligation, since the costs involved are not small. more rules: for many years, songs had to be in the country's language, resulting in many french songs because (besides france) several other countries also have french as one of their official languages. this was later dropped to give "small" countries with lesser known languages better chances internationally. and for many years, all members of a group had to sing (eg Dschingis Khan was almost rejected because originally one of them was only dancing). but over the years, the voting methods and many of the rules changed. all this started as "Grand Prix de la Chanson", with more serious songs and performances, on a small stage, and later turned into the big event we have today, the ESC (Eurovision Song Contest)
I think it was more televoting in the 2000s...and after Lordi won, they basically changed into 50/50 jury/televoting...which sucks because those juries make deals with each other)
Finland is an absolute joy in the contest. The music scene is very robust, they love sending Rock, Metal, Punk, and every mixture therein. My favorite entries aare their pop punk and power metal from the late 2000s early 2010s.
Love Finland. The Only one beside Norway who are bringing some Metal, Rock or Punk to the Boring Eurovision Pop burned and Melted Brains ! Thank you Finland.
@silviahannak3213 also brought my favourites, Lordi were unforgettable and Alexander Rybak is one of my fav artists.. Wild dance would round up my top3.
The so called Rick Astley dance was how we danced in the 80's!! I wouldn't use Eurovision as a benchmark for popular music, certainly in the UK, its considered to be in its own genre that's loved or loathed!!
Here in Germany it's pretty much the same. Many people have a strong "love-hate relationship" with Eurovision. I know many people who think the music is (mostly) utterly terrible but still watch the ESC every year simply because it's so entertaining.
I wouldn't use the Eurovision song contest as a measure of anything except that if you are watching it at home you either have no date, no babysitter or a bad dose of the flu.....unless your Country wins in which case it's brilliant...lol
The German winner of 1982 did win with her song “ Ein bißchen Frieden” ( in English: A little bit of Peace). A quite sentimental song about love and peace sung by a then 17 year old student. She did represent West Germany only. Eurovision has been founded to normalize relations between the European countries after the second World War, so there are some political aspects. Fun Fact: After she did win she had to perform it again and she added other languages ( I think French, English and Dutch). Later she did more language combinations like Italien, Spanish, Russian etc. The song has been covered as well.
Also the contest was held in the UK a short time after the invasion of the falkland islands. So that peace song was performed on the right time at the right location. By the way, there is also a video with all political entrys of Eurovision. Maybe that is interesting to react to too. I'm sure you will be surprised about some political backgrounds of the songs.
The sound from all the people in my neighbourhood here in Sweden when Lordi won was unforgettable. It was like being at a world championship sports event and we just scored. Everyone was screaming and cheering, we were so proud of our Finnish brothers and sisters. I'll never forget. It was epic❤
It's so interesting watching the progression of music, starting off so refined and just gradually getting more and more chaotic, god I love Eurovision😂
Interesting. I like the sort of songs they were doing in the 1950s and 1960s - full live orchestra etc. But, it was the internet that changed everything. Last night, I pressed play on Nightwish "Yours is an Empty Hope" ... then on Miles Davis "Diane" ... Heavy rock and gentle jazz back to back We never know who's going to win Eurovision - it could be heavy rock, or a jazz ballad, or a fusion of hip-hop and folk music So much fun!
As someone born in the 1940s and lived through the changes of these decades, these two trying to cope with visual history is like watching a goat trying to lay an egg.
@B-A-L Why do you say “non-American history” instead of European history?😂 it’s like you’re saying that there is the US and then there is everything else.
Gents- you must not link trends either in the US or elsewhere with Eurovision - it is a law unto itself. What you couldn’t get into is the voting system which is a whole other story.! It’s a unique very camp joyathon but don’t mix it with the mainstream music scene ! Giant funfest tho’ !
You have to understand, the music you like from the 60's was considered "youth" music and was associated with being a bit rebellious (The Beatles hair cut was considered "long" for example and totally unacceptable). There was a whole different genre of clean candy pop music that was still being produced to appeal to the older audiences, a perfect example is Lulu's song here or people like Cliff Richard. Famously, a lot of these seemingly squeaky clean artists from that time often showed their true selves or tried to "fit in and be cool" a bit later by releasing music that they actually related to or the younger audiences related to. Also, ABBA were on another level. Almost unfair on the other countries 🤣🤣
1982, Nicole knocked it out the park with her multi-language version of "ein bisschen Frieden" at the end of the show, where she sung it in german, english, french and dutch. Nobody knew that she was going to do that.
Fantastic video. Celine Dion sang for Switzerland because each country, at that time, could sing in their second language and she sang in French. Nocturne, the Norwegian entry did have fifteen words in it as an instrumental is not allowed in Eurovision. There are so many Eurovision rules like no song has to be longer than 3 minutes and no more than 6 artists on stage for each country.
@torchfire19 The rules do state that entries have to contain lyrics as it is a "song" contest (the definition of "song" being a piece of music accompanied by lyrics)
Now that you have watched this, you absolutely HAVE to see "Love Love Peace Peace" with Måns Zelmerlöw and Petra Mede, which is just the ultimate summary/parody of Eurovision! As others have pointed out, while there are various genre influences, ESC songs tend to form their own genre and aren't necessarily a reflection on what's going on in the rest of the European music world. Heck, the year after ABBA won, the leftist political music scene in Sweden made their own alternative musical festival to protest the big one... And while you noted drag queen Conchita Wurst as being genderbending early on, the true groundbreaker as a trans performer was Dana International, in 1998.
Ah, the time sweden decided to parody the whole competition during the halftime and just happened to make the best esc song ever by mistake! Whupsee! 😂😂😂😂
Johnny Logan - Mr Eurovision 1980 - Won singing a song written the late Shay Healy 1984 - Wrote the runner-up sung by Linda Martin 1987 - Wrote the winner which he sung himself. 1992 - Wrote the winner sung by Linda Martin
The Norwegian 1995 song Nocturne is a beautiful song, like walking through a magical forest✨ Israels Dana International in 1998 is Eurovisions first trans and trans winner! 😃 Also, Finland won their first Eurovision with the first hard rock in Eurovision history in scary costumes, thats pretty impressive, thus kick-starting rock music in Eurovision.
Celine sang for Switzerland cause in Eurovision, as long as the songwriter is from their respective countries anyone can perform the song. It’s a songwriting contest. Switzerland wanted a great singer like Celine to sing the song, even though she’s Canadian, hence why 🤷🏻♂️
I think it's more like completely unimportant where somebody comes from or a song was written (I know for sure that Germany performed songs that were written by foreign songwriters in a foreign country)
The songwriter also doesn't have to be from the country they are representing. It is usually the case that singer and songwriters are from or live in the country they represent, but there isn't a official rule that you "need a connection" to the country you represent. Any band/singer/songwriter from all over the world could in theory be a part of ESC if they are selected by one of the participating country's to represent them in the competition. There use to be some rules regarding what language you could sing in, but never regarding the singer/songwriter nationality.
Fionnuala Sherry, the fiddler of Secret Garden who did Nocturne, was from Ireland (what I like to call a foot in the door victory for Ireland that year), so yes, not everyone performing the song has to actually be from the country they are representing.
Yeah his songs were actually really good! I knew them back then, and they are still really clear in my memory! He was definitely good! I understand the pride ❤
The German entry in 1982 sung by Nicole is titled A Little Peace in English…..she did sing an English version and it became the UKs 500th No.1 song in the Top 40 Chart….it’s a really beautiful song.
As a Dutch person born in the seventies, it is really funny to watch you react to these songs. Some of these songs were absolute hits when I grew up. The first record I ever bought was ’Diggi loo Diggi-Ley’ (I still have it) and Johny Logan was so popular in my youth. Thank you for this awesome trip down memory lane.
I was born a decade earlier. I remember that I was allowed to stay up late to see The Netherlands win in 1975. I remember dearly The Brotherhood of Man in 1976 which was a huge success in The Netherlands as well. They had quite a few successful followups. I think they paved the road for other British mixed men/ladies groups like Guys 'n' Dolls, which also became very popular here.
In addition to all the comments pointing to cheesy "Eurovision" genre of music, i think we have to acknowledge that Eurovision is becoming cool again, putting out some pretty innovative and exciting new music out on the world, and creating new hits rather than following the trends Some nice facts and answers to your questions: 1995 Nocturne was famously an only instrumental song but later some minimal words had to be added for it to be able to compete because EBU rejected to accept it as a "song" without words. 1998 winner from Israel, Dana International is the first openly transgender winner of the competition, very ahead of her time, aside from singing a legendary song
Lulu was a big star in the 1960s/70s, she had US no.1 hit with To Sir With Love (1967) then starred in the movie of the same title with Sidney Poitier which was a huge world-wide hit. Lulu also married a Bee Gee and sang the Bond theme Man With The Golden Gun as well as guest appearing (with Ringo Starr) in a Monty Python sketch. She was probably the biggest Scottish star of the period after Sean Connery.
So, in 1982, Germany would indeed have still been divided. The 'Germany' shown at that time would have been 'West Germany'. East Germany was still then very much part of the Allied Soviet East partnering with the Soviet Union and would very unlikely to have played any part in the Eurovision Song Contest, the Berlin Wall was still very much in place, as was an 'iron curtain' dividing East and West Germany. You are very close, 1990 (October 3rd) saw the official reunification of Germany.
Something to keep in mind is that the number of competing countries has grown immensely over the years. In the first one, only seven countries competed, compared to 40 in 2022. This is why some countries won a lot at the start, the odds were better. The rules have changed many many times, as they have to, to try and keep things fair and to keep up with the times. Introducing televoting in the 1990:s, and then trying to balance that with national juries has been a constant struggle, but I think they’ve found a fairly good balance the last couple of years. The presentation of the points have been nerve wrecking lately! As technology progressed, the staging became more flashy since you didn’t have to just stand still by the microphone anymore. Hence… Eurovision going off the rails! There have been so many weird and iconic performances, although the really really odd ones rarely win… :) Worth looking into, if you want be amazed by how friggin OUTLANDISH things can get! (🍌🐺 for 2022!) Also, a singer or group doesn’t have to be from a country to be able to represent them. You can send whoever you want. That’s how we ended up with Senhit (who is from Italy) teaming up with Flo Rida to represent San Marino in 2021. :)
@nervanderi - Australia got invited for the 60th anniversary in 2015, at which time they had been broadcasting it for like 40 years. It has quite the enthusiastic following there. Since people liked them, they have since been allowed to qualify along with the rest of the contestants, but with the little extra rule that if they win, they don't get to arrange it - it has to be arranged within the EBU. My guess it would probably end up being the highest ranked of the Big Five (which is kinda what happened with Ukraine this year). So yeah, if you're engaged enough, you might get invited. ;)
Yes yes yes. Agree with everything you have just said. It has grown and grown. And Give that Wolf a Banana is my guilty pleasure song!! So so random but so so epic!! Xx
The thing to remember with Eurovision is that it was conceived as a European singing competition, for family TV viewing, supported by the countries TV networks. So the songs and acts were not an accurate reflection of the cutting edge music of the time, they tended to be light entertainment, TV musical acts of the day. Songs content and lyrics were generally upbeat, and about unifying people and the world. The outcome being countries competing and voting could be (although not officially allowed) 'political'-while at the same time promoting harmony. The fun is that as it became a must watch annual TV show for viewers at home, where people would have drinks parties and have a laugh. It's not taken seriously from a music standpoint. It is taken seriously by TV networks because of the coordinated pan - European viewing figures it generates. And Yes, the winning country has to host it the following year. There's a great 'Father Ted' episode when Fr Ted and Dougal enter to represent Ireland. You'll laugh harder when you watch it, having seen this video.
Eurovision is its own genre. Especially in the last 20-30 years. There are many bops which we in ESC lovers love and listen often to but it doesnt represent the general music industry throughout Europe...or at least each charts from each country.
@SenyorCapitàCollons yes.... but what I mean is the general charts dont represent the camp part of ESC and if you compare the music to the music on ESC it is different. The ESC is its own world.
The winners of Eurovision have to host the show the following year. Ireland won it so many times that they seemed to try hard to lose for a few years to try and save the money it cost to host the show. There's a great episode of Father Ted that parodies this where Ted and Dougal enter the contest with a guaranteed loser called Beautiful Horse. Worth a watch.
He also sang on the first demo of "You Raise Me Up", music written by Rolf Løvland(Secret Garden. Eurovision winner 1995). The record company wanted Secret Garden to distance themselves from Eurovision and they were really, really not pleased when they got Johnny Logan. They were forced to use another singer(Brian Kennedy).
@kaki3151almost all of them are, the full lyrics: La dagen få ѕin hvile nå Og natten vil våke for den Nocturne Selv mørket må en gang forgå Så natten kan føde en dаg
1976. Brotherhood Of Man "Save All Your Kisses For Me" reached Number one in the charts in many countries, including the UK. Where it stayed for many weeks. It also became the biggest selling song of the year. It remains one of the biggest selling Eurovision winners, ever. 🎵🎙🇬🇧🎙
Save Your Kisses for Me is not one of but THE biggest selling Eurovision song of all time. It sold over a million in the UK, six million worldwide and even made #1 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Great video! I adore Eurovision more than almost anything else in this world but it must be said that it doesn't generally represent the cutting edge of musical culture in Europe either..! What it is, though, is a glorious celebration of peace, togetherness, diversity, silliness, earnest ballads and massive bops. One of those wonderful things that can be entirely serious and absolutely bonkers all at once. I'd certainly recommend digging deeper into some of the great and memorable (and memorably not great) songs that didn't win - there's a whole world of banana-yellow wolf costumes, giant hamster wheels, and milk-churning grannies to get into. Eurovision is life. Long may it reign.
Eurovision was a genre all of its own back in the 60s - 80s, very clean & pop like. Rock was, and always will be a genre that will never go out of fashion without actually being fashionable. It's not til fairly recently that Eurovision started getting more raunchy.
1967 - my parents allowed me to watch it because Sandie Shaw was on it and I loved her. I was only four but hooked and have watched it every year since, love it 😍
1995: There where vocal in the start and the ending but they chose to just show the middle in the clip. But the entry where very controversial. Many ment that there was to few words.
Johnny Logan participated 4 times. 2 times as singer, 2 times as a writer. He won 3 times. In 1984 his song Terminal 3 by Sang by Linda Martin became 2nd after Herreys from Sweden. He is extremely popular in Norway, Denmark and Germany
We had a danish winner in 84 (I believe) she had a dance called the shrimp jump. I was on leave from my tour in Bosnia when Denmark won in 2000, we got so drunk that night, and someone broke my nose in three place with one punch, what a night
This was the best "americans react to eurovision" videos I ever watched, and one of the best reaction videos I watched in general! (Although I don't watch a lot of them). You were very engaged with what was going on on the screen, noticing little details and oddities, adding interesting comments and keeping an open mind! It was so much fun watching, thank you!
I laughed so hard when you sad you were a bit meh after the 2005 graduation one for you fully knowing what was coming next 🤣 Finland always brings the rock and metal to eurovision
Ireland were worried about Winning it another time because the Cost involved. There’s an Epic funny version of entering Eurovision by Father Ted. You should definitely watch it.
Eurovision in the UK was getting drunk, watching the acts and taking the piss. When I lived in different countries in Europe, I was really taken aback about how seriously they took it. The Brits and Irish that I knew abroad, never felt like that. We enjoyed it in our own way 😂
Euro vision was a contest for clean cut music with patriotic music combined, wasn't until you get to the mid 70s that it was more pop music driven with the odd patriot song. UK singer Lulu is still preforming today she's Scottish the second UK singer you saw the first one being Sandy Shaw who sang barefoot and that was her trait.
When eurovision started it was far more formal, audience and performers in ballgowns and tuxedos . It would evolve into the mayhem is best known for today1986 Sandra Kim was only 14 years old when she won Eurovision
You don't have to be from the country to sing for them. I think Celine is FRENCH-Canadian, so she sometimes sang for French-speaking European countries. Our winner for the UK in 1997, the lead singer, Katrina, is American. The winner in 2000 went into the charts after Eurovision and did quite well.
And Johnny Logan was born and bred in Melbourne, Australia. Moved to his father's (maybe also his mother's) home country of Ireland in his early teens. Poms have represented Cyprus, an american won for Greece.
I think Switzerland actually gave Celine citizenship just so that she COULD represent them (I think that was to comply with local Swiss rules, not Eurovision's rules, since each country's local competition is traditionally hosted by the national TV service/public broadcast company so they have to support local talent that represents the local culture)... I can't remember the details, will have to look it up.
@Trilingualeks I heard that her grandfather on either side was Swiss which is plausible as French is one of the 4 official languages of Switzerland and that was what helped comply to the rules. I don't think she has Swiss citizenship herself though.
It was - at least at that time - a songwriters contest. So the songwriter had to be from the respective country. So that year at the end… Nella Martinetti (the songwriter) got a trophy and was on stage, too.
Maneskin played in America at coachella and as pregroup at the stones concert, They are on tour, also with concerts in America , Yesterday they played in Rome in circo maximo for 70000 fans, including Angelina Jolie with her daughter Shiloh!
"The song [Nocturne] is noted for its almost complete absence of lyrics - with only 24 words being sung in the original Norwegian version" The band, Secret Garden, are the composers of "You Raise Me Up"
You underrated Latvia's 2002 impact on the evolution. Back then it was considered outrageous and crazy that a person would change on the stage, then following that it opened the lid on crazy, as it set the precedent that you not only can, but that you should put on a show on the stage.
I'm sure Ireland will win again at some point. I mean...look at GB. Literally NO ONE thought they'd ever score another point, especially not this year. So much for the constant "it's all ONLY politics anyway" nagglers
@AudsVids great for Sam, unlucky for all the right-wing shitheads who were shouting "SEE? That means the majority of people in Europe agrees with us, they hate the EU as well!!!" when they've spent the last 10+ years arguing how "we shouldn't even take part in that stupid thing anymore, it's just politics anyway!1!1" 🙄 However, I'll watch from the sidelines and sip a beer while the tory government is trying to put on another multi-million show while the people can't heat their homes and feed themselves or their kids at the same times. Bound to be a fun watch, whoever of the incompetent rich and corrupt tossers takes over from the other one You might just want to send in the Father Ted parody next year, seems rather fitting? 😉
Ireland has been incredibly successful in Eurovision. Ironically, two huge Irish television personalities have presented the BBC's UK coverage of Eurovision for decades: firstly Terry Wogan and then Graham Norton after Wogan's passing. They took the piss out of Eurovision in their commentary live on TV, which often upset the presenters, commentators and organisers from mainland Europe. It's worth reacting to a compilation of their commentary, and the episode of Terry Wogan appearing as a guest on So Graham Norton in the 90s to understand their backgrounds and sense of humour. I always thought that Cliff Richard won with Congratulations, but not so!
Congratulations lost by a single point in 1968 - there are rumours the Spainish fascist dictator brided jury members who true that idk - he was a fascist dictator but then again the British delegation were still really annoyed about it on a sixieth anniversary program so the rumour may have just come from their saltiness.
@EmoBearRights Yep, if memory serves me (read about it, this was decades before I was born) Cliff Richard's "Congratulations" finished 2nd. According to the public and the press it was the favorite to win. Alas Spain won somehow... There are rumors that Yugoslavia's rather bland winner from 1989 was a fix too. Only in this case the juries had already been told to be "nice to Yugoslavia" as it was already in a political turmoil and on the verge of splitting up (which it did just a few years later).
@katewilliams4013 Didn't know about Yugoslavia - interesting, should have won in 1983 IMO - that was a really great pop song and the guy was actually Montenegran too.
Sir Terry was amazing. He just started drinking and got more and more drunk as the event went on! He would guess the winners and losers and who would give points to who. Such a wonderfully funny man. Xx
Also, the winning songs are not always a representation of what is the top-selling music or "whats going on in Europe". Those are just the winning performances of that year.
Dana in 1970 was great, but I liked the 1971 Monaco one, but the 1972 Vicky Leandros singing for Luxemburg (english versions she also sung and was a chart hit - Come What May). Then came ABBA 1974 !! and re-wrote the eurovision
I love the fact that you guys seem to have zoned into the best bits of modern Eurovision for the vast majority of us who watch it. We expect the crazy, the insane, the dancing, some awesome singing, some terrible singing, but above all else we just KNOW we're all going to have fun!
A lot of us in the UK consider the Eurovision to be anachronistic, or at least it used to be. So many cultural differences amongst the contestants meant a huge mix of musical genres. You'll notice as well how many countries started doing their entries in English believing it to have more universal appeal.
Australian here. Grew up watching Eurovision. People watch it more for the bad, corny, camp than just the winners. 😅 As from the voting, it didn't necessarily have anything to do with liking the song, but rather feelings between countries. You knew this country would vote for that country etc.
The 97 winner for the UK was katrina and the waves the same band that wrote and sung the hit song "I'm walking on sunshine " and the 2006 winers lordi were and are still frickin awesome ,even as a person from the UK i wanted them to win.
I haven't watched Eurovision for 30 years or so, but I really really enjoyed watching, with you, the condensed version of it. Loved the "faux Pas" at the end boys. 🤣👍👍👌🎵🎙🎼🇬🇧🇺🇸
Rule of thumb, anything coming from Sweden is always gold. I remember these songs still playing on the radio 10 or more years after, and not just the winning songs. In 2018, my mother (Portuguese & 70 years old) along with other seniors, sang on a podium the Italian song 'Non Ho L'eta' has part of a presentation from their local Senior University.
1982 - "Germany" meant just Western Germany. The Eastblock behind the ironcurtain was not allowed to participate - incl DDR = Eastgermany. 1988 - Celine Dion is from french speaking part of Canada. 2000 - Olsen Brothers had a huge world wide hit after their victory with Fly on the wings of love.
1995 was not purely instrumental, only because it isn't allowed. So they added some lyrics in the beginning. You didn't notice that the makers of 'Shrek' used that song ('Nocturne') as Fionas song though 😂 without asking for permission I might add 🙉
If you can watch Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, it’s a parody of the song contest and it captures it perfectly. You also need to watch the semi finals and the acts that don’t make the finals. Love the channel and much respect.
I genuinely have no idea where to start with this video - what a great choice to rect to! Anyway, Nicole, the German from 1982, and you are correct, it could have been labelled West German, won and she sang the song in English in her encore. I loved her and bought the single..,A Little Peace.
As music lovers you have instinctively found the right attitude . The emphasis is very much on the "Euro", and as far from the mid Atlantic mainstream as you can get. The show, and the music the UK selected for entry, was also more in keeping with the old variety tradition. It is wonderful to see them like this...I was particularly pleased to see Vicky Leandros, who inhabited many of my fantasies as a 14 yo lad, and whose looks prepared me for a later Stevie Nicks obsession I think. One of your best "reactions" guys...and you've set a very high bar.
1995 song has some lyrics, but I think it was intended to not have any. However, the EBU wouldn't allow it and that's why they added the lyrics, which are absolutely poetic
Not only did Ireland win Eurovision three times in a row, but in 1994 they hosted, and thus the Irish dance show Riverdance was born out of the intermission entertainment.
Johnny Logan (who looks a lot like Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran) is known as Mr. Eurovision for his three wins: 1980, 1987 and 1992 (the last time as songwriter). He is also the songwriter for Ireland's 1984 entry which finished 2nd.
the 1995 winner Norwegian Secret Garden with Nocturne does actually have lyrics, just that it just in the first part and last part of the song and both parts contain just 24 words in total and the long middle part is pure instrumental. it so instrumental that the Swedish judges refused to give it any points refusing to call it a song... but the Swedish people had a completely different opinion and slammed the vote button like a lot of other countries. 2 fun facts. 1. the person composing the song is the same guy that composed the winner of 1985... yeah, "Bobbysocks! - La det swinge" and "Secret Garden - Nocturne" is both composed by the same guy, Rolf Løvland. he had actually no plans to make an entry that year but the national broadcaster NRK asked him to give an entry as a gesture that it was 10 years since last time we won and he had just composed this song for the new age group Secret Garden and put that into the national contest with "it would be different than most other"... and it sure was. 2. most Americans have actually heard the melody of this song though most would not remember it as it was featured in the first Shrek movie. (for example when Fiona goes out in the forest and sings so loud that she makes a bird go *poff*)
😂 My mum loved Eurovision, and because of her I watch it, now my kids love it! Its good to see the progression of music and dance moves 😂 I didnt realise the UK had come runner up so many times! 🎉 Yeh anyone can sing for a country, they dont need to be from there.
1995 was not purely instrumental but almost. Just a couple of lines repeated a few times. I was watching the contest that year (I usually don't) and absolutely loved this song. It's still on my alltime-favorite-playlist. It was a very unusual song to win but it stood out so much while many of the other songs just sounded alike and not special.
@doughnutdoney997 I do not think sounding a bit Irish has anything to do with its win. It is an amazing song! It would stand out anyway . I am Greek . I have never thought it sounds Irish until I read your comment ! The music and the voice of the singer make you close your eyes and just absorb it and travel with it . Beautiful, fantastic piece !
23:58 No. This Song Is One of the most successfull ESC winners of all time. It's very beautiful, and the message is incredibly positive. It won by more than any other Song in the History of the contest.
If you guys want a good song to kinda sum up eurovision I highly recommend Love Love Peace Peace by Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw. They were the hosts in Sweden one year and did an amazing job, and it's in English so you'll definitely understand the lyrics 🥰
Eurovision can be great,
Eurovision can be cheesey,
Eurovision can be weired as hell,
But Eurovision is always a lot of fun.
Fax
no lies here
It sucks balls nowadays
political as hell , but fun
Finland winning in 2006 was a freak occurence. Lordi almost didn't get chosen as they weren't considered suitable for Eurovision, but it appears a load of metalheads in Finland may have had something to say about that. Lordi also received the highest points score in the final.
I remember. All the clean pop songs and then comes Lordi with actual music. It was fantastic and gave the ESC establishment the finger. Besides 1974 with ABBA the best ESC ever.
🤘🤘Lordi 🤘🤘 still listening to them. Metalheads united behind these guys.
I remember my mom and me watching that. She turned to me asking: "Hey, that is your music, isn't it?" and me just going: "Jep!"
The only year I ever voted...
I remember that several rock radio stations around Europe advertised rock fans for voting Lordi even if they don't usually follow Eurovision. And Lordi won with biggest amount of votes in Eurovision until then.
@warre1 I rememeber all the metal heads in school talkign about Lordi before eurovision.
And other than them nearly not gettign picked they also nearly didn't make it because of the cost of all of the Pyrotechnics
Eurovision is the only show where you can see traditional folk music followed by death metal!! Awesome.
Enough!!! Next time I try to come up with a humorous comment I will make sure to do in depth research to please all the pedants out there.....
Shum be like
long may it continue
I hate things like X-Factor or The Voice - where it's about recreating well-known songs.
Eurovision is ALL original songs - some of them are death metal, others are bubble-gum pop, and then the worthy ballads about inclusion and not being ashamed of who you are etc.
And you have no idea who's going to win - it's very exciting! :)
Deathmetal? 😳 I highly doubt this. At least not in this compilation and in no EV contest I watched. Granted... I haven't watched a lot.
@KrisThroughGlass Yeah, you're right there wasnt any death metal yet BUT there was a lot of cool rock, heavy metal and techno/industrial rock. I even remember a song from hungary where the vocalist screamed a lot (screamo?) and idk if that counts as anything to you. If you havent checked it out you really should, its worth it imho :)
@chocolatbownie35 Viszlát Nyár, Hungary 2018
A couple of things:
1. Eurovosion used a live orchestra until 1998
2. Televoting started in 1997, before that it was solely decided by a jury from each country. Since then it has been, and continues to be, a 50/50 blend of jury and televoting. This, along with the removal of the orchestra and a switch to a recorded music track, completely changed Eurovision.
3. Vocals have always, and continue to be, sung live.
4. A max of 6 artists can be on stage.
5. A time limit of 3 mins per song is strictly enforced.
6. When you win, you earn the right to host the following year.
6. it can be an honor and a right, but also a burden and obligation, since the costs involved are not small.
more rules: for many years, songs had to be in the country's language, resulting in many french songs because (besides france) several other countries also have french as one of their official languages. this was later dropped to give "small" countries with lesser known languages better chances internationally. and for many years, all members of a group had to sing (eg Dschingis Khan was almost rejected because originally one of them was only dancing). but over the years, the voting methods and many of the rules changed.
all this started as "Grand Prix de la Chanson", with more serious songs and performances, on a small stage, and later turned into the big event we have today, the ESC (Eurovision Song Contest)
Yes Both orchestra and live instruments are now removed. No instrument except voice is live, this because sound engineering through television.
7. Sandra Kim was only 14-years-old when she won. After that they rised age limit up to 16
8. Dave Benton was first black person to win Eurovision
And in earlier years it was mandatory for the contestants to sing in their native language
I think it was more televoting in the 2000s...and after Lordi won, they basically changed into 50/50 jury/televoting...which sucks because those juries make deals with each other)
Finland is an absolute joy in the contest. The music scene is very robust, they love sending Rock, Metal, Punk, and every mixture therein. My favorite entries aare their pop punk and power metal from the late 2000s early 2010s.
Love Finland. The Only one beside Norway who are bringing some Metal, Rock or Punk to the Boring Eurovision Pop burned and Melted Brains ! Thank you Finland.
@silviahannak3213 I mean Iceland 2019 was pretty much modern punk.
It's so weird to hear that. Our attitude is usually "maybe we'll qualify this year" 😂
@silviahannak3213 also brought my favourites, Lordi were unforgettable and Alexander Rybak is one of my fav artists.. Wild dance would round up my top3.
@silviahannak3213 As you saw in the video, Italy won with a rock/metal song.
The so called Rick Astley dance was how we danced in the 80's!!
I wouldn't use Eurovision as a benchmark for popular music, certainly in the UK, its considered to be in its own genre that's loved or loathed!!
Here in Germany it's pretty much the same. Many people have a strong "love-hate relationship" with Eurovision. I know many people who think the music is (mostly) utterly terrible but still watch the ESC every year simply because it's so entertaining.
Fun fact, Never Gonna Give You Up was released a year after that song (1987)
I wouldn't use the Eurovision song contest as a measure of anything except that if you are watching it at home you either have no date, no babysitter or a bad dose of the flu.....unless your Country wins in which case it's brilliant...lol
@noeleen5250 to each their own (:
The German winner of 1982 did win with her song “ Ein bißchen Frieden” ( in English: A little bit of Peace). A quite sentimental song about love and peace sung by a then 17 year old student. She did represent West Germany only. Eurovision has been founded to normalize relations between the European countries after the second World War, so there are some political aspects.
Fun Fact: After she did win she had to perform it again and she added other languages ( I think French, English and Dutch). Later she did more language combinations like Italien, Spanish, Russian etc. The song has been covered as well.
Also the contest was held in the UK a short time after the invasion of the falkland islands. So that peace song was performed on the right time at the right location.
By the way, there is also a video with all political entrys of Eurovision. Maybe that is interesting to react to too. I'm sure you will be surprised about some political backgrounds of the songs.
@pixelbartus that sounds very interesting, do you have the link to the video by any chance?
@pixelbartus shhh...Eurovision isn't political. ;-)
@swanpride true, but artists are ;)
There is also a version in Estonian " Et Oleks Rahu" meaning "So there would be Peace"
"This is the first choreographed winner?"
Lulu, swinging her arms wildly like a 5 year old in 1969: "Am I a joke to you?"
You really should witness the full majesty of Finland's whole 2006 performance, very highly recommended lol
The sound from all the people in my neighbourhood here in Sweden when Lordi won was unforgettable. It was like being at a world championship sports event and we just scored. Everyone was screaming and cheering, we were so proud of our Finnish brothers and sisters. I'll never forget. It was epic❤
There was a victory feeling at work. Never seen so many suits coming out as metal heads.
It's so interesting watching the progression of music, starting off so refined and just gradually getting more and more chaotic, god I love Eurovision😂
Interesting.
I like the sort of songs they were doing in the 1950s and 1960s - full live orchestra etc.
But, it was the internet that changed everything.
Last night, I pressed play on Nightwish "Yours is an Empty Hope" ... then on Miles Davis "Diane" ... Heavy rock and gentle jazz back to back
We never know who's going to win Eurovision - it could be heavy rock, or a jazz ballad, or a fusion of hip-hop and folk music
So much fun!
You mean first being music and progressing to circus.
@jazzx251 That's the beauty of eurovision: it's not like the radio. In eurovision you actually get diverse music you don't hear normally.
@Val11-v1k Don't judge it you don't watch, thanks :)
Entropy flowing in a Festival, year after year 😁
As someone born in the 1940s and lived through the changes of these decades, these two trying to cope with visual history is like watching a goat trying to lay an egg.
I'm not far behind you, the amount of extremely well known people we've had and got nowhere in the later years
😆 🤣 😂 😹
Im loving their reactions to UK culture.. Seeing our normal through American eyes makes me realise how nutty we all are. 😆🤣 🇬🇧
You mean non-American history!
@B-A-L Why do you say “non-American history” instead of European history?😂 it’s like you’re saying that there is the US and then there is everything else.
Gents- you must not link trends either in the US or elsewhere with Eurovision - it is a law unto itself. What you couldn’t get into is the voting system which is a whole other story.! It’s a unique very camp joyathon but don’t mix it with the mainstream music scene ! Giant funfest tho’ !
This!!!
You have to understand, the music you like from the 60's was considered "youth" music and was associated with being a bit rebellious (The Beatles hair cut was considered "long" for example and totally unacceptable). There was a whole different genre of clean candy pop music that was still being produced to appeal to the older audiences, a perfect example is Lulu's song here or people like Cliff Richard.
Famously, a lot of these seemingly squeaky clean artists from that time often showed their true selves or tried to "fit in and be cool" a bit later by releasing music that they actually related to or the younger audiences related to.
Also, ABBA were on another level. Almost unfair on the other countries 🤣🤣
1982, Nicole knocked it out the park with her multi-language version of "ein bisschen Frieden" at the end of the show, where she sung it in german, english, french and dutch. Nobody knew that she was going to do that.
Fantastic video. Celine Dion sang for Switzerland because each country, at that time, could sing in their second language and she sang in French. Nocturne, the Norwegian entry did have fifteen words in it as an instrumental is not allowed in Eurovision. There are so many Eurovision rules like no song has to be longer than 3 minutes and no more than 6 artists on stage for each country.
And the host country was the winner the previous year
@watch_CHRISTSPIRACYfollowJESUS except if they are invaded by a moronic dictator
There is no actual rule about the entry having to have words as far as I know (apart of the word 'song' implying lyrics, I guess).
You mean any of their national/regional language.
@torchfire19 The rules do state that entries have to contain lyrics as it is a "song" contest (the definition of "song" being a piece of music accompanied by lyrics)
Now that you have watched this, you absolutely HAVE to see "Love Love Peace Peace" with Måns Zelmerlöw and Petra Mede, which is just the ultimate summary/parody of Eurovision!
As others have pointed out, while there are various genre influences, ESC songs tend to form their own genre and aren't necessarily a reflection on what's going on in the rest of the European music world. Heck, the year after ABBA won, the leftist political music scene in Sweden made their own alternative musical festival to protest the big one...
And while you noted drag queen Conchita Wurst as being genderbending early on, the true groundbreaker as a trans performer was Dana International, in 1998.
No the ultimate parody is my lovely lovely horse
@jameswg13 It's nowhere near as good Love Love Peace Peace (and not a patch on Ja Ja Ding Dong 🤣).
Ah, the time sweden decided to parody the whole competition during the halftime and just happened to make the best esc song ever by mistake! Whupsee! 😂😂😂😂
@jameswg13 on the comedy series Father Ted dougal and father ted attempted to use fthat song to enter Eurovision. And the end result was hilarious 😂
@syphon_9892 which is where it was from like I said ultimate parody
Johnny Logan - Mr Eurovision
1980 - Won singing a song written the late Shay Healy
1984 - Wrote the runner-up sung by Linda Martin
1987 - Wrote the winner which he sung himself.
1992 - Wrote the winner sung by Linda Martin
The book of ESC stats I have doesn't list him as either writer or composer for Terminal 3.
@EmoBearRights That's because he initially used his real name: "Sean Sherrard" or something like that.
@Pipothefreak Ok I didn't even know that Logan wasn't his real name.
I love Johnny Logan but that 1992 winner was a dirge. Not least due to Linda Martin's droning voice.
@EmoBearRights That's odd. It was written and composed by him.
"Rise Like a Phoenix" is a Bond song without a Bond movie.
The Norwegian 1995 song Nocturne is a beautiful song, like walking through a magical forest✨
Israels Dana International in 1998 is Eurovisions first trans and trans winner! 😃
Also, Finland won their first Eurovision with the first hard rock in Eurovision history in scary costumes, thats pretty impressive, thus kick-starting rock music in Eurovision.
Nocturne isn't much of a "song". I think Spain should've won.
@DadgeCity Well then you're not only wrong, but you also got the definition of a song all wrong
@thepassiveturtle What definition?
Celine sang for Switzerland cause in Eurovision, as long as the songwriter is from their respective countries anyone can perform the song. It’s a songwriting contest. Switzerland wanted a great singer like Celine to sing the song, even though she’s Canadian, hence why 🤷🏻♂️
I think it's more like completely unimportant where somebody comes from or a song was written (I know for sure that Germany performed songs that were written by foreign songwriters in a foreign country)
The songwriter also doesn't have to be from the country they are representing.
It is usually the case that singer and songwriters are from or live in the country they represent, but there isn't a official rule that you "need a connection" to the country you represent.
Any band/singer/songwriter from all over the world could in theory be a part of ESC if they are selected by one of the participating country's to represent them in the competition.
There use to be some rules regarding what language you could sing in, but never regarding the singer/songwriter nationality.
I thought the rules were that the artist OR a songwriter had to be from the country represented 🤔
Fionnuala Sherry, the fiddler of Secret Garden who did Nocturne, was from Ireland (what I like to call a foot in the door victory for Ireland that year), so yes, not everyone performing the song has to actually be from the country they are representing.
@sollte1239 The rules have changed a lot, but back then it was a rule that one of the songwriters had to be from the country.
Johnny Logan did win twice, he also composed the Irish song that won in 1992!!!! True Eurovision legend, we are proud of him here in Ireland :)
He also penned the 1984 entry which Linda Martin also performed.
Love his voice and songs. He became very populare here in Norway 😊🙋♀️🌍🌄🌅hi from me.
@AllyStrikesBackYup, and she came second. Johnny Logan is a legend.
Yeah his songs were actually really good! I knew them back then, and they are still really clear in my memory!
He was definitely good!
I understand the pride ❤
@AllyStrikesBackWait, really?! I love Terminal 3!!!
The German entry in 1982 sung by Nicole is titled A Little Peace in English…..she did sing an English version and it became the UKs 500th No.1 song in the Top 40 Chart….it’s a really beautiful song.
As a Dutch person born in the seventies, it is really funny to watch you react to these songs. Some of these songs were absolute hits when I grew up. The first record I ever bought was ’Diggi loo Diggi-Ley’ (I still have it) and Johny Logan was so popular in my youth. Thank you for this awesome trip down memory lane.
I was born a decade earlier. I remember that I was allowed to stay up late to see The Netherlands win in 1975.
I remember dearly The Brotherhood of Man in 1976 which was a huge success in The Netherlands as well. They had quite a few successful followups. I think they paved the road for other British mixed men/ladies groups like Guys 'n' Dolls, which also became very popular here.
In addition to all the comments pointing to cheesy "Eurovision" genre of music, i think we have to acknowledge that Eurovision is becoming cool again, putting out some pretty innovative and exciting new music out on the world, and creating new hits rather than following the trends
Some nice facts and answers to your questions:
1995 Nocturne was famously an only instrumental song but later some minimal words had to be added for it to be able to compete because EBU rejected to accept it as a "song" without words.
1998 winner from Israel, Dana International is the first openly transgender winner of the competition, very ahead of her time, aside from singing a legendary song
Hear hear!
Lulu was a big star in the 1960s/70s, she had US no.1 hit with To Sir With Love (1967) then starred in the movie of the same title with Sidney Poitier which was a huge world-wide hit. Lulu also married a Bee Gee and sang the Bond theme Man With The Golden Gun as well as guest appearing (with Ringo Starr) in a Monty Python sketch. She was probably the biggest Scottish star of the period after Sean Connery.
To be fair the guys were only born in the 80's and 90's and America was hardly open to external musical talents.
@williammcaleese2709 yes, that's why I threw in the facts, to show some context.
To Sir with love..is one of my favourite films and songs 🎵❤
@williammcaleese2709 Still isn't!
They should check out Lulu doing "to sir with love" on American Idol.
So, in 1982, Germany would indeed have still been divided. The 'Germany' shown at that time would have been 'West Germany'. East Germany was still then very much part of the Allied Soviet East partnering with the Soviet Union and would very unlikely to have played any part in the Eurovision Song Contest, the Berlin Wall was still very much in place, as was an 'iron curtain' dividing East and West Germany. You are very close, 1990 (October 3rd) saw the official reunification of Germany.
You guys, Eurovision was recorded in a parallel universe in another solar system and we where listening to stuff totally different at that time.
By far my personal favorite performance in Eurovision ever is "Verka Serduchka - Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Ukraine 2007)". What a fantastic performance.
Oh, I love them...still listening to them today
It is basically THE EUROVISION SONG
it is a songs contest, not a singers contest. This is why you can see a Canadian singing for Switzerland,
Something to keep in mind is that the number of competing countries has grown immensely over the years. In the first one, only seven countries competed, compared to 40 in 2022.
This is why some countries won a lot at the start, the odds were better.
The rules have changed many many times, as they have to, to try and keep things fair and to keep up with the times. Introducing televoting in the 1990:s, and then trying to balance that with national juries has been a constant struggle, but I think they’ve found a fairly good balance the last couple of years. The presentation of the points have been nerve wrecking lately!
As technology progressed, the staging became more flashy since you didn’t have to just stand still by the microphone anymore. Hence… Eurovision going off the rails! There have been so many weird and iconic performances, although the really really odd ones rarely win… :) Worth looking into, if you want be amazed by how friggin OUTLANDISH things can get! (🍌🐺 for 2022!)
Also, a singer or group doesn’t have to be from a country to be able to represent them. You can send whoever you want. That’s how we ended up with Senhit (who is from Italy) teaming up with Flo Rida to represent San Marino in 2021. :)
Countries also used to sing in their own language, now most sing in English
@cloverite That has changed on and off over the decades.
Like Australia...?
@nervanderi - Australia got invited for the 60th anniversary in 2015, at which time they had been broadcasting it for like 40 years. It has quite the enthusiastic following there. Since people liked them, they have since been allowed to qualify along with the rest of the contestants, but with the little extra rule that if they win, they don't get to arrange it - it has to be arranged within the EBU. My guess it would probably end up being the highest ranked of the Big Five (which is kinda what happened with Ukraine this year).
So yeah, if you're engaged enough, you might get invited. ;)
Yes yes yes. Agree with everything you have just said. It has grown and grown. And Give that Wolf a Banana is my guilty pleasure song!! So so random but so so epic!! Xx
The thing to remember with Eurovision is that it was conceived as a European singing competition, for family TV viewing, supported by the countries TV networks. So the songs and acts were not an accurate reflection of the cutting edge music of the time, they tended to be light entertainment, TV musical acts of the day. Songs content and lyrics were generally upbeat, and about unifying people and the world. The outcome being countries competing and voting could be (although not officially allowed) 'political'-while at the same time promoting harmony. The fun is that as it became a must watch annual TV show for viewers at home, where people would have drinks parties and have a laugh. It's not taken seriously from a music standpoint. It is taken seriously by TV networks because of the coordinated pan - European viewing figures it generates. And Yes, the winning country has to host it the following year.
There's a great 'Father Ted' episode when Fr Ted and Dougal enter to represent Ireland. You'll laugh harder when you watch it, having seen this video.
I love watching the evolution of fashion and music styles, Eurovision is so camp u just can't help but love it ❤️
It was West Germany that won in 1982
You can find all lyrics online, also with English translations
Eurovision is its own genre. Especially in the last 20-30 years. There are many bops which we in ESC lovers love and listen often to but it doesnt represent the general music industry throughout Europe...or at least each charts from each country.
Many of the winning songs have been chart leaders tho.
@SenyorCapitàCollons yes.... but what I mean is the general charts dont represent the camp part of ESC and if you compare the music to the music on ESC it is different. The ESC is its own world.
no.
@ImStevan what no?
@Niki91-HR eurovision is NOT its own genre and never has been
The winners of Eurovision have to host the show the following year. Ireland won it so many times that they seemed to try hard to lose for a few years to try and save the money it cost to host the show. There's a great episode of Father Ted that parodies this where Ted and Dougal enter the contest with a guaranteed loser called Beautiful Horse. Worth a watch.
it's called "My Lovely Horse", love the part where ted wakes up saying we have to lose the sax solo Dougal lmao
go on go on go on go on go on go on...my lovely horse 🤣
And then they won anyway 🤣
Johnny Logan is Eurovision royalty - He wrote the 92 Winner (Why Me - Linda Martin) as well as winning it twice as the performer.
He is Mister Eurovision
He also sang on the first demo of "You Raise Me Up", music written by Rolf Løvland(Secret Garden. Eurovision winner 1995). The record company wanted Secret Garden to distance themselves from Eurovision and they were really, really not pleased when they got Johnny Logan. They were forced to use another singer(Brian Kennedy).
He also wrote Terminal 3 for Linda Martin in 1984 who became 2nd place. In Norway he's called "Mr. Eurovision".
He certainly is.
Johnny logan wrote about 4 other winning eurovision songs for eurovision that others sang in 90s
update!!
Loreen from Sweden 2012 won this year, 2023, again!
"Nocturne", the 1995 Norwegian winner wasn't an instrumental - it had a grand total of TWENTY FOUR words in it!
Wow. 24 Words. Amazing. Lol.. Couldn't they afford more Words in 1995?
And are they all different? 😂
@silviahannak3213 The Text-writer was supposed to be on vacation/honeymoon and his wife wouldn't let him work...
Twenty five actually :)
@kaki3151almost all of them are, the full lyrics:
La dagen få ѕin hvile nå
Og natten vil våke for den
Nocturne
Selv mørket må en gang forgå
Så natten kan føde en dаg
1976. Brotherhood Of Man "Save All Your Kisses For Me" reached Number one in the charts in many countries, including the UK. Where it stayed for many weeks. It also became the biggest selling song of the year. It remains one of the biggest selling Eurovision winners, ever. 🎵🎙🇬🇧🎙
Sometimes that song will just randomly pop into my head and stay there all day.
Eurovision lover from AUS.
I'm also pretty sure i've heard it in a lot of ads lol
It's the most played song on radio of all the winners, and the song that has earned the most amount of money
Save Your Kisses for Me is not one of but THE biggest selling Eurovision song of all time. It sold over a million in the UK, six million worldwide and even made #1 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This is probably the best british entry ever, alongside Space Man
Great video! I adore Eurovision more than almost anything else in this world but it must be said that it doesn't generally represent the cutting edge of musical culture in Europe either..! What it is, though, is a glorious celebration of peace, togetherness, diversity, silliness, earnest ballads and massive bops. One of those wonderful things that can be entirely serious and absolutely bonkers all at once. I'd certainly recommend digging deeper into some of the great and memorable (and memorably not great) songs that didn't win - there's a whole world of banana-yellow wolf costumes, giant hamster wheels, and milk-churning grannies to get into. Eurovision is life. Long may it reign.
It would be good for you guys to guess when the tele-voting started. Cause it changed everything.
The 1992 and 1993 songs for ireland was also written by johnny logan
Eurovision was a genre all of its own back in the 60s - 80s, very clean & pop like. Rock was, and always will be a genre that will never go out of fashion without actually being fashionable. It's not til fairly recently that Eurovision started getting more raunchy.
We actually played "Save your kisses for me" by Brotherhood of Man at the end of my Mother's funeral a couple of years ago! It's cheerful! 🏴
1967 - my parents allowed me to watch it because Sandie Shaw was on it and I loved her. I was only four but hooked and have watched it every year since, love it 😍
1995: There where vocal in the start and the ending but they chose to just show the middle in the clip. But the entry where very controversial. Many ment that there was to few words.
Johnny Logan participated 4 times. 2 times as singer, 2 times as a writer. He won 3 times. In 1984 his song Terminal 3 by Sang by Linda Martin became 2nd after Herreys from Sweden. He is extremely popular in Norway, Denmark and Germany
We had a danish winner in 84 (I believe) she had a dance called the shrimp jump. I was on leave from my tour in Bosnia when Denmark won in 2000, we got so drunk that night, and someone broke my nose in three place with one punch, what a night
This was the best "americans react to eurovision" videos I ever watched, and one of the best reaction videos I watched in general! (Although I don't watch a lot of them). You were very engaged with what was going on on the screen, noticing little details and oddities, adding interesting comments and keeping an open mind! It was so much fun watching, thank you!
I laughed so hard when you sad you were a bit meh after the 2005 graduation one for you fully knowing what was coming next 🤣 Finland always brings the rock and metal to eurovision
Ireland were worried about Winning it another time because the Cost involved. There’s an Epic funny version of entering Eurovision by Father Ted. You should definitely watch it.
Danish couple Grete & Jørgen Ingmann came as you said from a jazz background. Jørgen was a great jazz guitarist. Check out his song Amorada.
Eurovision in the UK was getting drunk, watching the acts and taking the piss. When I lived in different countries in Europe, I was really taken aback about how seriously they took it. The Brits and Irish that I knew abroad, never felt like that. We enjoyed it in our own way 😂
Do brits take anything seriously?
Whats changed? 🤣🤣 🇬🇧
100%
@liul queues
@liul tea
You have to understand that Eurovision wasn’t indicative to what was charting in Europe. Most Eurovision winning songs don’t chart. I love it though.
Euro vision was a contest for clean cut music with patriotic music combined, wasn't until you get to the mid 70s that it was more pop music driven with the odd patriot song. UK singer Lulu is still preforming today she's Scottish the second UK singer you saw the first one being Sandy Shaw who sang barefoot and that was her trait.
When eurovision started it was far more formal, audience and performers in ballgowns and tuxedos . It would evolve into the mayhem is best known for today1986 Sandra Kim was only 14 years old when she won Eurovision
If you're wondering about the type of music, until 1992 the competition was called: Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson.
You don't have to be from the country to sing for them. I think Celine is FRENCH-Canadian, so she sometimes sang for French-speaking European countries. Our winner for the UK in 1997, the lead singer, Katrina, is American. The winner in 2000 went into the charts after Eurovision and did quite well.
And Johnny Logan was born and bred in Melbourne, Australia. Moved to his father's (maybe also his mother's) home country of Ireland in his early teens. Poms have represented Cyprus, an american won for Greece.
Celine Dion has the record for the best-selling album in France ("D'eux"). For comparison, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is only third.
I think Switzerland actually gave Celine citizenship just so that she COULD represent them (I think that was to comply with local Swiss rules, not Eurovision's rules, since each country's local competition is traditionally hosted by the national TV service/public broadcast company so they have to support local talent that represents the local culture)... I can't remember the details, will have to look it up.
@Trilingualeks I heard that her grandfather on either side was Swiss which is plausible as French is one of the 4 official languages of Switzerland and that was what helped comply to the rules. I don't think she has Swiss citizenship herself though.
It was - at least at that time - a songwriters contest. So the songwriter had to be from the respective country. So that year at the end… Nella Martinetti (the songwriter) got a trophy and was on stage, too.
Maneskin played in America at coachella and as pregroup at the stones concert, They are on tour, also with concerts in America , Yesterday they played in Rome in circo maximo for 70000 fans, including Angelina Jolie with her daughter Shiloh!
"The song [Nocturne] is noted for its almost complete absence of lyrics - with only 24 words being sung in the original Norwegian version"
The band, Secret Garden, are the composers of "You Raise Me Up"
Rolf Løvland (one of the two members in Secret Garden) is the composer of both. He also composed the winner from 1985, La det Swinge, Norway.
Early 2000' were a dark time...
You underrated Latvia's 2002 impact on the evolution. Back then it was considered outrageous and crazy that a person would change on the stage, then following that it opened the lid on crazy, as it set the precedent that you not only can, but that you should put on a show on the stage.
I don't think we'll win again but Ireland had a good run there. We also had Riverdance as our interval act which became its own phenomenon.
I'm sure Ireland will win again at some point.
I mean...look at GB. Literally NO ONE thought they'd ever score another point, especially not this year.
So much for the constant "it's all ONLY politics anyway" nagglers
@MissAppointed Yeah, they had a great year with Sam.
@AudsVids great for Sam, unlucky for all the right-wing shitheads who were shouting "SEE? That means the majority of people in Europe agrees with us, they hate the EU as well!!!" when they've spent the last 10+ years arguing how "we shouldn't even take part in that stupid thing anymore, it's just politics anyway!1!1" 🙄
However, I'll watch from the sidelines and sip a beer while the tory government is trying to put on another multi-million show while the people can't heat their homes and feed themselves or their kids at the same times. Bound to be a fun watch, whoever of the incompetent rich and corrupt tossers takes over from the other one
You might just want to send in the Father Ted parody next year, seems rather fitting? 😉
You guys should do a live and watch next year's contest.
Ireland has been incredibly successful in Eurovision. Ironically, two huge Irish television personalities have presented the BBC's UK coverage of Eurovision for decades: firstly Terry Wogan and then Graham Norton after Wogan's passing. They took the piss out of Eurovision in their commentary live on TV, which often upset the presenters, commentators and organisers from mainland Europe. It's worth reacting to a compilation of their commentary, and the episode of Terry Wogan appearing as a guest on So Graham Norton in the 90s to understand their backgrounds and sense of humour.
I always thought that Cliff Richard won with Congratulations, but not so!
Congratulations lost by a single point in 1968 - there are rumours the Spainish fascist dictator brided jury members who true that idk - he was a fascist dictator but then again the British delegation were still really annoyed about it on a sixieth anniversary program so the rumour may have just come from their saltiness.
@EmoBearRights Yep, if memory serves me (read about it, this was decades before I was born) Cliff Richard's "Congratulations" finished 2nd. According to the public and the press it was the favorite to win. Alas Spain won somehow...
There are rumors that Yugoslavia's rather bland winner from 1989 was a fix too. Only in this case the juries had already been told to be "nice to Yugoslavia" as it was already in a political turmoil and on the verge of splitting up (which it did just a few years later).
@katewilliams4013 Didn't know about Yugoslavia - interesting, should have won in 1983 IMO - that was a really great pop song and the guy was actually Montenegran too.
Sir Terry was amazing. He just started drinking and got more and more drunk as the event went on! He would guess the winners and losers and who would give points to who. Such a wonderfully funny man. Xx
Also, the winning songs are not always a representation of what is the top-selling music or "whats going on in Europe". Those are just the winning performances of that year.
Dana in 1970 was great, but I liked the 1971 Monaco one, but the 1972 Vicky Leandros singing for Luxemburg (english versions she also sung and was a chart hit - Come What May). Then came ABBA 1974 !! and re-wrote the eurovision
I love the fact that you guys seem to have zoned into the best bits of modern Eurovision for the vast majority of us who watch it. We expect the crazy, the insane, the dancing, some awesome singing, some terrible singing, but above all else we just KNOW we're all going to have fun!
Reacting to the runner ups feels like a must now
A lot of us in the UK consider the Eurovision to be anachronistic, or at least it used to be. So many cultural differences amongst the contestants meant a huge mix of musical genres. You'll notice as well how many countries started doing their entries in English believing it to have more universal appeal.
Fun fact -- ABBA was the first Eurovision winner who didn't sing in their own language -- which was mandatory until then!
Australian here. Grew up watching Eurovision. People watch it more for the bad, corny, camp than just the winners. 😅
As from the voting, it didn't necessarily have anything to do with liking the song, but rather feelings between countries. You knew this country would vote for that country etc.
The 97 winner for the UK was katrina and the waves the same band that wrote and sung the hit song "I'm walking on sunshine " and the 2006 winers lordi were and are still frickin awesome ,even as a person from the UK i wanted them to win.
1989 yugoslavia, damn that brings memories, here in the balkans it was extremely popular and my mom played ex-yu songs like this a lot
“When you say Eurovision this is what I think of”
So do we 😂
Hi guys check out the 1994 interval act Riverdance, it was brilliant. Hasn't been anything like it since,
21:46 Country that won hosts the next year.
29:37 Anybody can be an entry for a country. The contestant is not required to be from the same country.
I haven't watched Eurovision for 30 years or so, but I really really enjoyed watching, with you, the condensed version of it. Loved the "faux Pas" at the end boys. 🤣👍👍👌🎵🎙🎼🇬🇧🇺🇸
Rule of thumb, anything coming from Sweden is always gold. I remember these songs still playing on the radio 10 or more years after, and not just the winning songs. In 2018, my mother (Portuguese & 70 years old) along with other seniors, sang on a podium the Italian song 'Non Ho L'eta' has part of a presentation from their local Senior University.
44:10 "Obviously, I know it's in Europe. I'm not dumb, I'm just stupid"🤣 .(it's not in Europe🤣).
1982 - "Germany" meant just Western Germany.
The Eastblock behind the ironcurtain was not allowed to participate - incl DDR = Eastgermany.
1988 - Celine Dion is from french speaking part of Canada.
2000 - Olsen Brothers had a huge world wide hit after their victory with Fly on the wings of love.
1995 was not purely instrumental, only because it isn't allowed. So they added some lyrics in the beginning.
You didn't notice that the makers of 'Shrek' used that song ('Nocturne') as Fionas song though 😂 without asking for permission I might add 🙉
If you can watch Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, it’s a parody of the song contest and it captures it perfectly. You also need to watch the semi finals and the acts that don’t make the finals. Love the channel and much respect.
I genuinely have no idea where to start with this video - what a great choice to rect to! Anyway, Nicole, the German from 1982, and you are correct, it could have been labelled West German, won and she sang the song in English in her encore. I loved her and bought the single..,A Little Peace.
As music lovers you have instinctively found the right attitude . The emphasis is very much on the "Euro", and as far from the mid Atlantic mainstream as you can get. The show, and the music the UK selected for entry, was also more in keeping with the old variety tradition. It is wonderful to see them like this...I was particularly pleased to see Vicky Leandros, who inhabited many of my fantasies as a 14 yo lad, and whose looks prepared me for a later Stevie Nicks obsession I think. One of your best "reactions" guys...and you've set a very high bar.
1995 song has some lyrics, but I think it was intended to not have any. However, the EBU wouldn't allow it and that's why they added the lyrics, which are absolutely poetic
Not only did Ireland win Eurovision three times in a row, but in 1994 they hosted, and thus the Irish dance show Riverdance was born out of the intermission entertainment.
1995 had a total of like two sentences 27 words she repeated. A song had to have some lyrics. They still won through. It is a beautiful song. X)
Johnny Logan (who looks a lot like Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran) is known as Mr. Eurovision for his three wins: 1980, 1987 and 1992 (the last time as songwriter). He is also the songwriter for Ireland's 1984 entry which finished 2nd.
Father Ted Crilly's "My Lovely Horse" forever!
'Where are you going with your footlocks flowing in the.......wind' has the be the best line of this Eurovision classic
@SassenachCJ Haunting and unforgettable. Ireland's Leonard Cohen.
and Father Dougal McGuire
yes, Nocturne 1995 was also with a singing part. But the moste was instrumental.
the 1995 winner Norwegian Secret Garden with Nocturne does actually have lyrics, just that it just in the first part and last part of the song and both parts contain just 24 words in total and the long middle part is pure instrumental.
it so instrumental that the Swedish judges refused to give it any points refusing to call it a song... but the Swedish people had a completely different opinion and slammed the vote button like a lot of other countries.
2 fun facts.
1. the person composing the song is the same guy that composed the winner of 1985... yeah, "Bobbysocks! - La det swinge" and "Secret Garden - Nocturne" is both composed by the same guy, Rolf Løvland. he had actually no plans to make an entry that year but the national broadcaster NRK asked him to give an entry as a gesture that it was 10 years since last time we won and he had just composed this song for the new age group Secret Garden and put that into the national contest with "it would be different than most other"... and it sure was.
2. most Americans have actually heard the melody of this song though most would not remember it as it was featured in the first Shrek movie. (for example when Fiona goes out in the forest and sings so loud that she makes a bird go *poff*)
😂 My mum loved Eurovision, and because of her I watch it, now my kids love it! Its good to see the progression of music and dance moves 😂 I didnt realise the UK had come runner up so many times! 🎉 Yeh anyone can sing for a country, they dont need to be from there.
1995 was not purely instrumental but almost. Just a couple of lines repeated a few times. I was watching the contest that year (I usually don't) and absolutely loved this song. It's still on my alltime-favorite-playlist. It was a very unusual song to win but it stood out so much while many of the other songs just sounded alike and not special.
I think it also helped that it did sound a bit Irish as well :)
@doughnutdoney997 I do not think sounding a bit Irish has anything to do with its win. It is an amazing song! It would stand out anyway . I am Greek . I have never thought it sounds Irish until I read your comment ! The music and the voice of the singer make you close your eyes and just absorb it and travel with it . Beautiful, fantastic piece !
23:58
No. This Song Is One of the most successfull ESC winners of all time. It's very beautiful, and the message is incredibly positive. It won by more than any other Song in the History of the contest.
Celine Dion is Swiss/Canadian, that’s why she competed for Switzerland
If you guys want a good song to kinda sum up eurovision I highly recommend Love Love Peace Peace by Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw.
They were the hosts in Sweden one year and did an amazing job, and it's in English so you'll definitely understand the lyrics 🥰