The only name induced by fans (usually when defending Eurovision to skeptics) is Abba. It is generally followed by a long pause, letting the argument sink in, before the word Waterloo is uttered. This is the ultimate of ultimate Eurovision songs (it won the Contest that year and launched Abba's global career). I'm going to follow long-standing Eurovision defenders tradition and say no more:
2. Gigliota Cinquetti singing Non Ho L'Eta for Italy (1964 Copenhagen):
I've mentioned this song in Italy's intro entry, but didn't get into the subtle raciness of the lyrics (suggesting the 16 year-old singer was turning down a love proposal from an older interested party...I mean, the song ends with "I'm not old enough...for you!") This was the first of Gigliota's Eurovision entries, and quickly hit the top of the charts in several countries (including number in Italy, Belgium and France), launching Gigliola's career and becoming a Eurovision classic:
3. Gali Atari & Milk and Honey singing Hallelujah for Israel (1979 Jerusalem):
Presented and winning on home-turf, Hallelujah made Israel the third country to win while hosting (Spain was the first with wins in 1968 and 1969 and Luxembourg accomplished the feat in 1972 and 1973). Even with the boycott of the broadcast from Jerusalem by Israel's Arab neighbors, the song became an instant Eurovision classic in Israel and all over Europe:
4. Celine Dion singing Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi for Switzerland (1988 Dublin):
Long before becoming the world-wide sensation (and avid shoe-collector and frequent husband referencer..."ah, my husband Rene"), Celine Dion was a French-Canadian rising star, who qualified to represent Switzerland through her grandfather's Swiss heritage and won the Contest for the country for the second (and last) time. The song is beloved by the chanson fraction of Eurovision and for good reason...it accurately represents the spirit of Eurovision (and the mood of French music of the late eighties):
5. Lena singing Satellite for Germany (2010 Oslo):
This song is the reason that Germany (and indeed most of Western Europe) started taking the Contest seriously again, after almost a decade of wins all over the Eastern part of the Contest's map that turned Eurovision into a farce in the minds of viewers. Commentators called it catchy and cute (agreed!), this song also proved wrong my contention that good songs can and do not win the Contest ("That song is too good to win Eurovision. If it wins, I'm coming to watch in Germany next year" were the exact words I wrote to a friend watching the show in Germany. Needless to say I lost the bet, got to experience the show in person in Dusseldorf and have my faith somewhat restored):
6. Vicky Leandros singing Apres Toi for Luxembourg (1972 Edinburgh):
Scoring the third win for Luxembourg (whom she had also represented at the 1967 Vienna Contest), catapulted Greek-born Vicky Leandros' career into overdrive (she has hit songs and albums in eight languages all over the world). Long before launching into politics (she was the deputy mayor of Piraeus, the port and twin city of Athens, until recently), and before competing in the national selection contest in Germany (coming in fourth) in 2006, Leandros left marks on Eurovision hearts with this timeless ballad commenting on life after ending a relationship with the love of your life:
7. Johnny Logan singing Hold Me Now for Ireland (1987 Brussels):
The man is one of the legends of Eurovision, and this was his second win (his third would come in 1992 in Malmo as songwriter) and this was the song that solidified Ireland as a force to be reckoned with at Eurovision. The country has lived up to the expectations (seven wins, anyone? Oh yeah, the closest are still two wins behind), and Johnny Logan's ballad has proved that it is for all time:
8. Secret Garden singing/performing Nocturne for Norway (1995 Dublin):
Beautiful in its simplicity and relying mostly on the sounds from the instruments, this song almost gives you a fresh breath of nostalgia, by making you forget the standard gymnastics and pyrotechnic background performances du jour. Nocturne started a trend in Norway (and some other Nordic countries) to showcase the music from traditional instruments prominently (this tactic worked again for the country in 2009 in Moscow) and bring that flavor onto the Contest stage:
9. Riva singing Rock Me for Yugoslavia (1989 Lausanne):
If this song does not represent the European pop scene of the late eighties, then I honestly don't know what does. And the fact that it took a Croatian band from the then-Yugoslavia to point it out to Europe (and Eurovision) is delicious in an entirely otherwise satisfying way. One of the last successful songs in the national language, though the former republics of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Croatia most prominent among them) continue the tradition, this is a catchy tune that we were faking our way through in elementary school in Turkey (I age myself, but it was a necessary reference):
10. Loreen singing Euphoria for Sweden (2012 Baku):
This song (along with Lena's Satellite) is one of the best performances in recent Eurovision history and was the runaway winner in last year's Contest in Baku. It is already mentioned as a classic, though it has only been around for a little more than a year, and it would be hard to imagine covers or variations of the song being performed by anyone other than Loreen. Take a look:
[UPDATE: To see the first piece of proof of just how incredible a different version can be, see the opening act performance from the First Semi Final on May 14th - now archived at www.eurovision.tv's Photo & Video section].
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