Australian audiences have always been mad about the Eurovision song contest. So much so in fact that we’ve been regular participants in the Eurovision final since 2015. But how well do you know your Eurovision history?
Eurovision’s winning entries aren’t the only songs that go down in history. There’ve been multiple instances of unsuccessful entries gaining pop-cultural significance following the contest. Take for example ‘Genghis Khan’, by the West German group Dschinghis Khan.
They failed to make the podium, but ‘Genghis Khan’ has been lionised on various Eurovision compilations and medleys in the years since. It’s also been covered by Finnish singer Frederik and Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo. But do you know what year it was when Dschinghis Khan debuted the song at Eurovision?
The Finnish have given us loads of great Eurovision contestants over the years. You might remember Darude represented the Nordic nation in 2019. No, he didn’t do ‘Sandstorm’, as the rules prohibit the performance of anything that came out more than eight months earlier.
Though, Finland has won the contest just once, in 2006. The winning song was ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’, which sure lived up to its title. But what was the name of the band who performed the song?
2006 was also the year that brought us ‘We Are the Winners’ by LT United. The self-congratulatory song fell short on its titular promise, with LT United finishing in sixth place. But can you recall what country they came from?
Eurovision’s quirkier moments form a key part of its appeal, but let’s not forget that some genuinely big names have competed over the years. Cliff Richard represented the UK twice while Celine Dion won the contest for Switzerland as a 20-year-old. ABBA are also past Eurovision winners – in what year did they top the poll with ‘Waterloo’?
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QUIZ: Can you match the Eurovision song to the year?
