The Best of the Eurovision Song Contest

The Best of the Eurovision Song Contest

You might be shocked to learn that the Eurovision Song Contest is currently taking place in the Netherlands.

The pandemic understandably ruined plans for the competition in 2020, but given most nations had already chosen their artists and songs, the decision was made to instead postpone until 2021, and there has been virtually no exposure for us Aussie fans in the lead-up.

Montaigne was selected to fly the Australian flag at Eurovision 2021, having won ‘Australia Decides’ with her song ‘Technicolour’. Unfortunately, Europe did not rate the tune in the early hours of this morning, and we’ve already been eliminated at the Semi-Final stage!

Regardless, there’s still terrific value to be found in Eurovision betting, where giants Italy and minnows Malta currently share the top line at odds of $3.50, ahead of France ($4.50), Iceland ($12) and the Ukraine ($13).

As is the case at the Song Contest each and every year, there is a genuine case to be made for several nations, and you can check out Eurovision’s official YouTube channel RIGHT HERE before making your selections at Neds.

Rather than previewing this year’s cohort, we thought it would be far more entertaining to take a look back on some of the crazier and more memorable moments from the Eurovision Song Contest vault.

In no particular order, here’s the sort of thing we can expect to see this weekend:

Toy – Netta (2018)

Not since Ed Sheeran first toured has a loop pedal been used so effectively.

This song bloody won in 2018!

You Are The Only One – Sergey Lazarev (2016)

You Are The Only One opened favourite in betting for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, for Russian entry Sergey Lazarev.

At the time of the competition, tensions were high between Russia and several other nations, namely the Ukraine, whom the public instead voted into the winner’s stall.

There is absolutely no denying how much of a banger this song is – real shame for Sergey that he didn’t salute!

Space – Slavko Kalezic (2017)

This is one of the best performances, songs and enigmas to ever grace a Eurovision stage.

Most entries into the Eurovision Song Contest take colour, visuals and sexuality to new levels, but Montenegro’s Slavko Kalezic (complete with six-foot top knot) took it a step further in 2017.

The song opens with the lyrics “Linen is covered with feathers, wet dreams, wild nightmares, I surrender!” and boasts a double-entendre chorus of “I have my suit on, no need to worry, Give me you body, let’s write a story. Our body language, Rocket to the stars.”

Absolute travesty that Space didn’t even make through to the GF!

Rise Like A Phoenix – Conchita Wurst (2014)

Conchita Wurst recorded a dominant win for Austria at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with her song ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’.

The song would not have sounded out of place at the beginning of a Daniel Craig Bond film, and remains one of the highest scoring songs in the contest’s history.

Hard Rock Hallelujah – Lordi (2006)

Pop isn’t the only genre explored at the Eurovision Song Contest – there’s even space for Nordic Death Metal, played by god-knows whatever these blokes are supposed to be.

Another enigmatic winning entry, and it’s really not hard to see why!

Waterloo – Abba (1974)

Let’s not forget that Eurovision launched one of the world’s most successful ever pop bands onto the global stage in 1974.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpKs_dt9KEM

Jaja Ding Dong – Fire Saga (2020)

They ended up playing some other heartfelt garbage in the final, but I’m confident in saying that Iceland’s Fire Saga would have swept the votes last year if they’d instead played Jaja Ding Dong 😉