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    Best Eurovision songs

    Seeing as that event is coming up again soon, I've been spending some time for blogging purposes sorting out Eurovision songs that I like. So, shall we have a Top-5-off of favourite Eurovision Song Contest songs? Shall we take "Waterloo" as a given?

    Mine:

    1. Katja Ebstein - Wunder gibt es immer wieder (West Germany, 1970)
    2. Vicky Leandros - L'amour Est Bleu (Luxembourg, 1967)
    3. France Gall - Poupée De Cire Poupée De Son (France, 1965)
    4. Gildo Horn - Gildo hat Euch lieb (Germany, 1996)
    5. Sandie Shaw - Puppet On A String (Great Britain, 1967)

    Much as most Eurovision entries were (and still are) objectionable rubbish, there are a few gems that transcend the kitschy Schlagerness of Eurovision (if one takes these songs for what they are). So I could have easily made a Top 10 of songs that I genuinely like. Of course, from the around thousand songs that have competed, that's not a very high strike rate.

    Probably at #6 would be the best song to finish in the bottom three, Germany's Joy Fleming and Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein: German soul, with soul singer (and Dusty Springfield pal) Madeline Bell on backing vocals. The video of the performance is worth it just for the excited leaping of the conductor, who's really into it.

    #2
    1. Sébastien Tellier - Divine

    That's it.

    EDIT: Not really, but it makes me laugh. TLMG is at pains for me to tell you her favourite, which is:

    Tu te Reconnaîtras - Anne-Marie David
    Last edited by Toby Gymshorts; 21-04-2018, 21:39.

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      #3
      Plus, I must take issue with "Schlagerness". Schlager is great.

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        #4
        Dude, you did not grow up in the Land of the Schlager! But if you like Schlager, you'll dig this.

        "Tu te Reconnaîtras" would very likely make my top 10. Lovely song.

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          #5
          So no love for Waterloo?

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            #6
            It's right there in the OP, Stumpy.

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              #7
              Fruit Eating Bears - Door In My Face

              Not especially great, but was in A Song For Europe in 1978 and was a refreshing change. Didn't get many votes.

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                #8
                One Eurovision song still echoes around football grounds after half a century, and has been a hit for umpteen performers since the original.

                Volare wins.

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                  #9
                  This is all a bit western-europe-centric I feel

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                    #10
                    Brainstorm - My Star (Latvia).

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by ad hoc View Post
                      This is all a bit western-europe-centric I feel
                      Well, in my case that would be because I watched most of my Eurovision at a time when Eastern Europeans weren't taking part. Having said that, I can't remember many Eastern European entries that I have seen and even remembered.

                      The USSR staged its own international song contest. I seem to remember that one singer took part in both Eurovision and the Eastern Bloc contest, possibly representing Finland.

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                        #12
                        Man, Zdob si Zdub, Moldova's finest, didn't even register? Even though they were in it twice? It's a disgrace I tell you.

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                          #13
                          First person to say Hard Rock Hallelujah dies.

                          (That's me, then.)

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                            #14
                            I've always had a soft spot for Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit.

                            Eurodisco is preferable to windy power ballads every time.

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                              #15
                              I thought Why Do I Always Get It Wrong by Live Report in 1989 was pretty good and Nicole's A Little Piece wasn't bad just as the Falklands was kicking off, although I often confuse it with 99 Red Balloons, which was just a naff bit of pop that I think Peel promoted for some odd reason.

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                                #16
                                Nena was very big in Germany, with the cool young people. That’s her poppy hit.

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                                  #17
                                  The B side of 99 Red Balloons (Ich Bleib' Im Bett, IIRC) was far superior, IMO. At least it was whenever my big sis deigned to let me play it (as it was her single).

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                                    #18
                                    Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post
                                    I thought Why Do I Always Get It Wrong by Live Report in 1989 was pretty good and Nicole's A Little Piece wasn't bad just as the Falklands was kicking off, although I often confuse it with 99 Red Balloons, which was just a naff bit of pop that I think Peel promoted for some odd reason.
                                    Peel championed Nena's 99 Red Balloons? News to me...

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                                      #19
                                      Paul Oscar - Minn Hinsti Dans (Iceland) (song starts at about 1:09)

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by MsD View Post
                                        Nena was very big in Germany, with the cool young people. That’s her poppy hit.
                                        She was big before "99 Luftballons" that already, initially as the singer of a group called The Stripes (see poster from 1980). And "99 Luftballons" is as fantastic song. A great riff, a catchy melody, tempo changes, Nena's voice... plus the option for a juvenile joke at the end (she found a balloon and "lass ihn fliegen" -- let it fly. Change "ihn" to "ein", and you have the German equivalent of letting one rip).

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                                          #21
                                          From the early years The Allisons' Don and Phil imitation (or proto-Peter and Gordon) on Are You Sure impressed my sister who promptly rushed out and bought it (she was only ten)



                                          Al di La probably deserves a shout if only for the number of cover versions it spawned in the US.

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                                            #22
                                            The Swarbriggs-That's what Friends are for. It's the basis for the "My lovely horse" video. It's worth watching for that alone

                                            What's another year No.1 for two weeks in the UK. which is unusual for a song that's actually about a pensioner missing his wife.

                                            The man in the white suit was back in 1987 This only made it to No. 2 in the UK, You'll love this G-man. Germans can't get enough of Johnny. He's like a european david Hasselhoff.

                                            I'm not saying that Ireland benefited from Being the country allowed sing in English that wasn't called the UK, but It's worth noting that we've barely made the top 50 since everyone else was allowed sing in english too.

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                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by Jah Womble View Post
                                              Peel championed Nena's 99 Red Balloons? News to me...
                                              On checking, the German version was in a Eurochart rundown he did on a 1983 TOTP and I may have mixed this up with the radio show.

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                                                #24
                                                What's Another Year is a great song, regardless of connotations.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Johnny Logan seems to be quite good craic. Much like Joe Dolan he was big in Germany and Turkey.

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