Introduction

Ah, you thought I was done writing blog posts about Eurovision, didn’t you? Well, not quite—I’ve been meaning to make a follow-up to this post which listed my favorite entry of each country in 1956 to 1998. And now I am doing this!

One thing that’s helped me determine my favorite of each country is that I put together a Spotify playlist for the first time about a week ago. The way I react to a song coming up on my playlist helps me learn how much my heart loves it, as does whether I want to put it on my playlist to begin with. The playlist has some Eurovision songs, some others by Eurovision artists, some by bands I’ve grown up with my whole life, and quite a few songs that family or friends introduced me to.

My all-time favorite entry from a country will be colored green. My favorite from only 1999 onwards is cyan, and my favorite only from 1956-1998 is red (if it’s different from what I had initially chosen). I will include all countries that have ever participated in Eurovision in this list, except Morocco because they’ve only sent one entry, and Yugoslavia because they broke up before 1999. Once again, I’ll get some help from the recap videos by SchlagerLucas, who I actually became friends with thanks to meeting him in Malmö.

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Albania (2004-2024, 0 wins)

The alphabet of European countries begins with Albania! My favorite entry of theirs isn’t “Suus”, I can tell you that much. They have a trio of truly great Eurovision entries, all female ballads: “Ktheju tokës” from 2019, “Karma” from 2021, and “Duje” from 2023. Out of these three, 2021, Karma is the Albanian dramatic ballad formula done to perfection. Honorable mention to “It’s All About You” from 2010, a fresh and modern dancey bop.

Andorra (2004-2009, 0 wins)

I’ll go with the obvious fan favorite: 2007, Salvem el món. Andorra never qualified to the grand final, but this is the only one I feel should have. It’s such a lovely punky rock song, basically Green Day in Catalan. Though honestly, when I ranked 2006 a few weeks ago, “Sense tu” grew on me a bit too. A nice little 6/8 ballad and honest effort, but not half as good as their next entry.

Armenia (2006-2024, 0 wins)

Armenia has a trio of truly awesome ethno-bops: “Without Your Love” from 2006, “Jan Jan” from 2009, and “Jako” from 2024. Out of these, 2024, Jako is definitely my favorite. I’d go so far to call it the absolute perfect Eurovision ethno-bop. I love how this compilation of Armenian entries starts and ends with a delightful ethno-bop that got 8th place. In 2024 Armenia remembered what they were good at all along! Will they send an ethno-bop just as good in 2025? One can only hope.

Hm, what’s the best Armenian entry that’s not at all ethnic? I think I’ll go with “Snap” from 2022. There’s just something honest and comfy about the song, though I’m biased because it reminds me of the radio station I grew up with that no longer exists.

Australia (2015-2024, 0 wins)

I’m thankful Australia has sent one song to Eurovision that I truly adore, which is 2023, Promise. My second favorite of the year, behind none other than “Cha Cha Cha”! The others range from kinda good to utterly dull. “One Milkali” from 2024 really had a lot of potential; the vocals just weren’t good, and it didn’t help that it didn’t click culturally with Europeans.

Austria (1957-2024, 2 wins)

For me, one Austrian 21st century entry is far beyond the rest, and it’s 2016, Loin d’ici. Since it’s in French, it’s not the first song that comes to mind when I think of Austria in Eurovision, but it really is a delight and I don’t get why the juries did it dirty. As you can tell from the green coloring, it’s also my favorite Austrian entry of all the time. My second might just be the catchy bop “Who the Hell Is Edgar” from 2023.

Azerbaijan (2008-2024, 1 win)

Not a hard question, since most Azeri entries are overproduced Swedish-written pop intended solely to score well. Even though the title of this post would imply my favorite Azeri entry is “Cleopatra” from 2020, my favorite of them is now the homegrown 2024, Özünlə apar. If I was Azerbaijani I’d have been so proud that my country was finally representing their language, and heartbroken they didn’t qualify.

Belarus (2004-2020, 0 wins)

The only Belarusian entry that I truly love is 2020, Da vidna. It’s a delicious dancey bop that shows off the oft-forgotten Belarusian language perfectly.  My second favorite is probably “Like It” from 2019, a fun brainless bop. “Mum” from 2006 deserves shoutouts too, it’s actually a lot better than I remember it being.

Belgium (1956-2024, 1 win)

Belgium’s entries in Eurovision usually weren’t that good until the 21st century, and the first Belgian entry of the century that I truly love is my favorite of them all: 2003, Sanomi. It has an unusual imaginary language gimmick and it’s a genuinely great piece of music with beautiful melodies, so really it’s a perfect Eurovision entry. Honorable mentions to Hooverphonic’s entries in 2020 and 2021, which both have a totally different personality yet the same melancholy mood at heart, and the uplifting gay bop “Because of You” from 2023.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993-2016, 0 wins)

This one is obvious: 2006, Lejla is by far the best Bosnian entry. It’s also the best of Željko’s five entries, because it has the absolute perfect buildup to hit me right in the feels. Whenever I listen to it, I’m blown away by how intricate the composition is. Have I mentioned yet that Željko is my hero yet? Because he is absolutely my goddamn hero.

Bulgaria (2005-2022, 0 wins)

This time it’s a duel between my niche pick “Samo shampioni” from 2013, and the more widely known fourth place “If Love Was a Crime” from 2016. I’ll go with 2016, If Love Was a Crime because the song really is easy to like, and Poli Genova performs it like a queen.

Croatia (1993-2024, 0 wins)

Let’s get this out of the way because it’s super obvious: 2024, Rim Tim Tagi Dim. It’s head and shoulders above all other Croatian entries and a massive fan favorite for good reason.

Cyprus (1981-2024, 0 wins)

Man, a lot of countries still haven’t won Eurovision even once! Anyway, for Cyprus I’ll make the obvious pick of 2018, Fuego. I can’t help myself, it really does hype me up, and obviously I’m not alone in that. Honorable mention to the lovely minor key ballad from 1982 that I forgot about till I ranked the year a few weeks ago, “Móno i agápi”.

Czechia (2007-2024, 0 wins)

Even as recently as a month ago, I would’ve immediately and proudly said “My Sister’s Crown” from 2023. But I have both this and “Pedestal” on my Spotify playlist, and I know which of the two excites me more when it comes up: 2024, Pedestal. I think this is the biggest shift in opinion I’ve ever had on a Eurovision entry!

Denmark (1957-2024, 3 wins)

Even though I liked “Where I Am” from 2017 enough to put it on my hidden gems list, to find my favorite Danish entry post-1998 we have to go near the start of this era of Eurovision, and settle for 2000, Fly on the Wings of Love. It really is a sweet song and has just the right amount of instrumental depth to appeal to me—definitely the right first winner of the new millennium. I also have a soft spot for “Twist of Love” from 2006, it’s one of few Eurovision entries that sounds American in a fun way and not in a “ugh America is infiltrating European culture” way.

My favorite Danish entry of all time is way older; I don’t think it’s “Vi maler byen rød” from 1989, but a song with a way easier to pronounce title: 1963, Dansevise. Danish words are never quite pronounced like they look like they should be, so I’m relieved that the word “dansevise” has only one letter that sounds differently from what I’d have expected: the letter A, pronounced as “e” in English “dress”. According to Google Translate text to speech, it seems to be pronounced /ˈdɛnsəvisə/ (I hope you can read the IPA). Anyway, about the song, it always moves me and has great melodies, but what I love most is the German version, “Der Sommer ging vorüber”. Grethe sings in German very well with just a mild Danish accent, and the lyrics I find incredibly pretty. I’m especially tickled by the line “tief in meinem Herzen voll Sehnsucht und Schmerzen” (deep in my heart full of longing and suffering), it’s such an amazingly perfect line. I also love how just from seeing the title “Der Sommer ging vorüber”, the starting melody plays in my head. It matches so perfectly with the rhythm. This German version of a Danish song is way better than most Eurovision entries sung in German, lord help me.

Estonia (1994-2024, 1 win)

For one of the longest-running eastern European countries in Eurovision, it’s very easy choose my favorite Estonian entry: 2009, Rändajad. If I was Estonian, I would have absolutely exploded with patriotism when writing that review—it’s just so gorgeous and intricately composed. If there’s any other entry of theirs that deserves honorable mention, it’s “it (sure) is a pain in the ass to type the title of (this) song” from 2024. At this point, that song is the first thing to come to mind when I hear the Estonian language, which isn’t all that often.

Damn, now I’m imagining what my entire Eurovision blog would look like if it were written from an Estonian perspective. Or that of an American with an Estonian parent. Personally I love how Eurovision reviews read totally differently depending on what country the reviewer is from. I also love reading people rant about their country sending a generic slop song.

Finland (1961-2024, 1 win)

I have a trinity of Finnish entries that I love the most: “La dolce vita” from 1989, “Työlki ellää” from 2010, and “Cha Cha Cha” from 2023. I’ve talked your ears off about all three in prior posts, so let’s just cut to the chase: which of these is my favorite? I’ll go with the obvious choice of 2023, Cha Cha Cha. It is absolutely unreal how fucking addictive that song is, and it brings me joy that it became such an overwhelmingly huge fan favorite.

France (1956-2024, 5 wins)

For the 21st century I’ll go with the obvious choice of 2021, Voilà. I can’t help myself—as stereotypically French as it is, it really does give me the shivers, and the same goes for “Mon amour” from 2024. Honorable mention to “J’ai cherché” from 2016 for being refreshingly modern and upbeat for a French entry, “Et s’il fallait le faire” from 2009 for being pure French class, and “L’amour à la française” from 2007 for being exactly the sort of stupid shit that cracks me up.

But my favorite French entry of all time is easily 1991, C’est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison. No other French entry, and almost nothing else in Eurovision history, inspires this much fierce passion in me. It is three minutes of absolute musical perfection. Her voice sounds more restrained in the studio version, but just as gorgeous and expressive, and the instrumental sounds every bit as rich and beautiful. I can’t get over those lovely Middle Eastern string riffs!

Georgia (2007-2024, 0 wins)

There are two contenders for my favorite Georgian entry, both great examples of their quirky style: “For You” from 2018 and “Lock Me In” from 2022. I think I’ll go with 2018, For You because I’ve been coming back to it fairly often lately. Those harmonies are to die for!

EDIT (Nov 25, 2024): I changed my mind, “Lock Me In” is my favorite after all. It’s one of those songs that I turn WAY up when it comes up on my Spotify playlist. The same goes for “Europapa”, or “Hypnodancer” by Little Big—the latter is the song I turn up the loudest of all.

Germany (1956-2024, 2 wins)

Und jetzt kommt mein Land! It’s no secret that I don’t like most German entries, but thankfully at least a few of the songs after 1998 are good. The question of my favorite German entry gets a lot more interesting if you forbid anything before 1999, and luckily I’ve had time to think about it. This honor has to go to 2023, Blood & Glitter, an awesome synth metal song that should NOT have gotten last place, seriously that pisses me off so fucking much. Honorable mentions to “No No Never” from 2006 (a sweet country song that gets me excited when it comes on my playlist), Lena’s entries from 2010 and 2011, as well as “Wadde hadde dudde da?” from 2000 which is an entry that only Germans like and everyone else thinks is stupid trash.

It’s also no secret that my favorite German entry of all time is 1979, Dschinghis Khan. Most German entries don’t make me feel proud of my country, but that one absolutely does. It’s an absolute German classic that got a healthy amount of popularity in Europe and even overseas.

Greece (1974-2024, 1 win)

This one should be obvious: 2013, Alcohol Is Free is easily the best Greek entry. I absolutely adore it and my face lights up every time I listen to it. As I’ve said before, in my heart it’s the real winner of 2013—it’s head and shoulders above everything else that year. Honorable mentions to their second best entry, the delightfully bonkers “Opa” from 2010.

Hungary (1994-2019, 0 wins)

Not a hard choice: 2019, Az én apám is dearest to my heart out of all Hungarian entries. They’ve sent a few other bangers, including “Forogj, világ!” from 2005 and of course Joci’s other entry “Origo” (2017), but “Az én apám” is the one I love most staunchly. It’s the kind of song that both leaves a great first impression and grows on me further the more I listen to it.

Iceland (1986-2024, 0 wins)

This is a tough choice because three songs side by side are clamoring for my attention. The crazy techno song “Hatrið mun sigra” from 2019, and the indie synth pop songs “Think About Things” and “10 Years” from 2020 and 2021 respectively. I love all three equally, but if I had to choose one… let’s go with 2021, 10 Years. I love Hatari’s entry, but I’m not always in the mood for their screamy techno, whereas I’ll happily listen to either of Daði Freyr’s entries any day, and his sound is a tinge more mature in 2021. Honorable mentions to two non-qualifiers by cute blonde ladies that are both dancey bangers: “If I Had Your Love” from 2005, and “Power” from 2023. Both of them are so underrated!

Oh yeah, I’ve changed my mind about my favorite Icelandic entry of the 20th century: it’s not “Nei eða já” from the boring year of 1992, but rather 1996, Sjúbídú. I can’t believe I see so many people hating on that fun and inviting smooth jazz song with great harmonies. You are all so wrong!!! The more people insult this song, the more staunchly I will defend it.

Ireland (1965-2024, 7 wins)

Picking my favorite 21st century entry from Ireland is tough, because most of them are forgettable drivel. The obvious pick would be “Doomsday Blue” from 2024, which is their biggest fan favorite entry since at least “Lipstick” from 2011; maybe even since 1996, the last time Ireland won. As I’ve said before, as well put together and elaborate as “Doomsday Blue” is, and as thrilled as I am that Ireland has finally given us a fan favorite, I don’t come back to it all that often because I find it too screamy. Instead I’ll go with a hipster pick that one of my commenters loves: 2009, Et Cetera. When he made a review of 2009, I decided to give “Et Cetera” another chance and it’s a surprisingly solid rock song with great vocals. Yet it didn’t even qualify.

I think my second favorite 21st century Irish entry is “Doomsday Blue”, and my third is “Lipstick” from 2011. But my favorite Irish entry of all time is still 1993, In Your Eyes. I normally don’t love Irish ballads this much, but there really is something special and moving about it.

Israel (1973-2024, 4 wins)

In 21st century Eurovision, Israel hits all the most polar extremes: they’ve sent some of the best entries of the century and some of the absolute most hated. Not to mention some of the most controversial. The best of these is without a doubt 2020, Feker Libi, an awesome fusion of styles that all blend together like a multilayered cake. And I’d like to give an honorable mention to “There Must Be Another Way” from 2009, an activist entry that does everything right and is an honest, sweet song.

In retrospect, I don’t think “Shir Habatlanim” from 1987 was their best entry of the 20th century. The fan favorite 1991, Kan was right there and I didn’t choose it?! Shame on me!

Italy (1956-2024, 3 wins)

Most of the modern Italian entries don’t click with me, so let’s go with Måneskin, why not? I think 2021, Zitti e buoni is the best Italian entry since their 2011 comeback (and of all time), plus I really do love their style of music. The others that I like the most are the moving activist tune “Non me avete fatto niente” from 2018, and the Italian counterpart to “SloMo”, “La noia” from 2024.

Let’s also give a shoutout to Italy’s first ever winner, “Non ho l’età” from 1964. It took a while for me to gain proper appreciation for this simple, elegant classic, but once I watched grown-up Gigliola Cinquetti perform it when reviewing 2022, I was fully sold. I think “Fiumi di parole” is still their best 20th century entry though.

Latvia (2000-2024, 1 win)

I’m sure you guys won’t be surprised that my favorite Latvian entry is 2018, Funny Girl. I’m a little biased because I fucking love Laura Rizzotto, although this isn’t even her best song—I already wrote a deep dive into her music in this post. Still, there is something about her music (including this song) that tugs right at my heartstrings. She’s really good at writing and performing moody romance songs. I’m not saying I automatically love every song of Laura Rizzotto’s; there are some songs of hers that don’t do much for me. Still, she’s a brilliant musician and seems like a really fun and friendly person.

Honorable mentions go to “Aijā” from 2023, a lovely indie rock song that proudly rests on my Spotify playlist, and “Eat Your Salad” from 2022 for being stupid in a good way.

Lithuania (1994-2024, 0 wins)

Lithuania had only one entry before 1999 and it was an average ballad that got zero points, which for a debut entry is really sad. This means that their best entry ever will have to be afterwards, and I don’t think my choice will surprise you. The honor goes to 2022, Sentimentai by lovely Monika Liu. It’s so addictive and always makes me smile and bop my head. I really ought to check out more of her songs—perhaps someone out there can give me a starter kit of her works? Honorable mentions go to the Roop’s entries from 2020 and 2021, “Luktelk” from 2024, and the underrated joke entry “Eastern European Funk” from 2010.

Luxembourg (1965-2024, 5 wins)

2024, Fighter is the only Luxembourgish entry of the 21st century so far, so it’s by definition their best. I’m happy to give shoutouts to it here, because it’s such a fun bouncy song that I can bop my head to! Their finest effort overall would still have to be the absolute classic, 1965, Poupée de cire, poupée de son. Sometimes I worry I might be overrating that song, but I hum it to myself quite often and have a great time, which must mean the song is doing something right. My second favorite entry from Luxembourg would be “Après toi” from 1972. Vicky looks absolutely beautiful with her hairdo and black dress, possibly the most well-dressed contestant in Eurovision history, and the song is as gorgeous as her.

Malta (1971-2024, 0 wins)

Let’s see, which Maltese entries 1999 onwards have redeeming qualities? Maybe that’s harsh, but I did just see a YouTube video where a Maltese guy ranted about his country’s poor approach to Eurovision and national final drama, and wished their entries would represent the country’s culture better. I felt for him so hard because I have the exact same attitude towards German entries. And yeah, most Maltese entries are ballad slop, Eurodance slop, or most recently girlbop slop. The one Maltese girlbop I do love is easily my favorite from the country: 2019, Chameleon. That girlbop actually works because it varies the structure and rhythm a lot.

Moldova (2005-2024, 0 wins)

It hurts to have to choose between the two absolutely most delightful Moldovan entries: “Hora din Moldova” from 2009 and “Trenulețul” from 2022. Both are amazing danceable bops that fill me with joy every time I listen to them, so how am I supposed to choose just one? Luckily, I have an excuse to pick one over the other: 2022, Trenulețul has genius lyrics and tells a clever story about a train route connecting Moldova with Romania, which is why I’m choosing it as my favorite Moldovan entry. It’s not just an amazing song, it’s also a story in musical form.

… Aw, don’t be sad, Nelly Ciobanu! I love your song just as much, I promise.

Monaco (1959-2006, 1 win)

I always forget Monaco had a three-year comeback in the 2000’s. Their only redeemable entry of the three is 2005, Tout de moi. And my favorite entry from Monaco as a whole is still 1960, Ce soir-là, a lovely understated minor key ballad.

Montenegro (2007-2022, 0 wins)

Not a lot of good options here… I think I’ll have to go with 2015, Adio because it’s Željko, and despite being the weakest of his five entries I still enjoy it a lot. My second favorite might be “Euro Neuro” from 2012, because like “L’amour à la française” it’s the type of stupid shit that cracks me up.

Netherlands (1956-2024, 5 wins)

Since I love hectic crazy dancey music so much, you might think my favorite Dutch entry is “Europapa” from 2024, but in reality it’s 2014, Calm After the Storm. Everything about that song is absolutely perfect and it always hits me right in the heart and makes me want to cry. Honorable mention goes to “De diepte” from 2022, which is the best possible type of moody ballad and a perfect return for the Dutch language.

North Macedonia (1998-2022, 0 wins)

Honestly, North Macedonia doesn’t deserve such a bad reputation in Eurovision. Most of their entries aren’t bad at all, they just tend to have bad luck. Some of them are even great. The only really crap North Macedonian entry is “Sto posto te ljubam” from 2000, and even then, the live performance is so bad it’s good and the studio version is genuinely good. That said, for me one North Macedonian entry stands out far beyond the rest: 2020, You. Most fans never talk about the song, which means I get very passionate talking about it. I’m excited for Erica to reach 2020 in her blog and restate my opinion on the song word-for-word.

Norway (1960-2024, 3 wins)

This is one of the toughest countries to pick a favorite, because they’ve sent a lot of different entries that I like about equally. Let’s start with my favorite of the 21st century. I think that honor would go to 2006, Alvedansen, a gorgeous and utterly Scandinavian tune with the best violins and groovy basslines that add it some 2000’s flair. I did it so dirty in my review of 2006 and almost want to rewrite it, but nah. Honorable mention to the irresistible boppy bop from 2023, “Queen of Kings”, plus the full version of “Ulveham” from 2024 which feels like the Eurovision version has been released from a cage.

I had initially listed “Intet er nytt under solen” from 1966 as my favorite 20th century Norwegian entry, but I think that’s changed. It’s a lovely song with a gorgeous voice, but you know which song is even more gorgeous? 1993, Alle mine tankar, my new favorite Norwegian entry of all time. It was the studio version that really won me over to this, since it’s longer and has more minimalist instrumentation. The studio version sounds like a heartfelt, improvised love letter to the singer’s crush and it’s absolutely jaw-dropping. The live performance in Eurovision is great too, but I’m particularly amazed the studio version sounds so impromptu as well. I think my second favorite Norwegian entry ever is “I evighet” from 1996, another song with an even better and longer studio version (Bettan can really sing), “Alvedansen” is my third, and “Intet er nytt under solen” is my fourth.

Watching a recap of Norwegian entries, one thing is clear: the country has sent pretty much every type of Eurovision entry under the sun. I love some of their entries and hate others, but one thing for sure is that they’re never become stuck in a Eurovision comfort zone, and for that you have to give Norway some respect.

Poland (1994-2024, 0 wins)

Now here’s a country that sent a bunch of forgettable entries and a few great entries, so it should be easy to pick their favorite. From 1999 onwards, 2022, River is on a higher standard of quality than all the others, especially the songs that my resident Polish commenter calls “slop ballads”. I also have a soft spot for “Keine Grenzen – Żadnych granic” from 2003, but more for the message than the music.

But the best Polish entry of all time is without a doubt the classic with those lovely mysterious melodies, 1997, Ale jestem. That is the standard of quality I wish Poland hit more often.

Portugal (1964-2024, 1 win)

Remember when I said “Amar pelos dois” from 2017 was my second favorite Eurovision song of all time? Upon further consideration it isn’t, because even though I do really love it, I need to be in the right mood to appreciate its musical beauty. There are several other Portuguese entries that I’m always in the right mood to listen to, and the crown jewel of them is 2022, Saudade, saudade. Insanely beautiful and always makes me want to cry.

And remember when I chose “Silêncio e tanta gente” from 1984 as my favorite Portuguese entry of the 20th century? I think that honor now goes to 1996, O meu coração não tem cor. It’s just so cheerful and fun and throws so many surprises at me! Plus, the singer is a total cutie.

Romania (1994-2023, 0 wins)

I’m going to cheat for this one. If Azerbaijan can get away with cheating in Eurovision, then I get to cheat in my blog too. 2016, Moment of Silence was rejected as a punishment for TVR falling behind on their payments to their EBU and it’s so sad because it’s such an awesome dramatic rock ballad. If you insist that entry shouldn’t count, then let’s go with “Don’t Break My Heart” from 2003, a punchy drum and bass tune that I have a soft spot for.

Russia (1994-2021, 1 win)

I’m not a fan of most Russian entries, because the country was so obsessively focused on trying to win Eurovision rather than showing us what Russian music is actually like. The one time they truly struck gold with me was when they sent 2020, Uno by the geniuses named Little Big. Lord help me, their music is so goddamn addictive. Honorable mentions to “You Are the Only One” from 2016 for being a rightful Eurovision icon, and “Russian Woman” from 2021 for ending Russia’s participation on a high note.

San Marino (2008-2024, 0 wins)

I’m not a fan of most of San Marino’s entries, especially the ones Ralph Siegel wrote, but there is one that I truly adore: 2021, Adrenalina. I can’t get over the fact that even San Marino sent a properly competitive entry in 2021, which is proof that it was a truly special year.

Serbia (2007-2024, 1 win)

Since this country has sent so many great memorable tunes to Eurovision, it may surprise you that my heart is easily set on choosing a favorite: 2021, Loco Loco. It’s such an addictive trio girlbop and I love everything about it. Yet it’s only my seventh place of 2021, which should tell you how awesome that year is! Honorable mentions to the joyful underrated “Čaroban” from 2011, the fresh intriguing ethno-ballad “Nova deca” from 2018, and Hurricane’s other entry “Hasta la vista” from 2020.

Serbia and Montenegro (2004-2005, 0 wins)

There are only two options to choose here, three if you count their rejected entry from 2006. Let’s just go with Željko’s debut entry, 2004, Lane moje, and acknowledge that their 2005 entry is a banger too.

Slovakia (1994-2012, 0 wins)

It’s not a controversial opinion to say 2010, Horehronie is the only good Slovak entry. I’d say the second best entry is the rock song “Don’t Close Your Eyes” from 2012, but I relistened to it just now and it’s not as good as I remember it being. But it checks out, because in my 2012 review the most praise I gave it was calling it “not bad at all”.

Slovenia (1993-2024, 0 wins)

The jazzy chords in 2022, Disko are to die for. That’s all the justification I need to choose it as my favorite Slovenian entry. And the more I think of it, the more my second favorite is “Here for You” from 2015 with the pumping beat and violins… at least from the 21st century.

Although I’ll always have a soft spot for “Tih deževen dan” from 1993, I think my favorite entry of theirs from the 20th century is now 1995, Prisluhni mi. I normally don’t love romantic ballads this much, but I’ll make an exception for this just like I do for “In Your Eyes”.

Spain (1961-2024, 2 wins)

I’ll go with the obvious choice of 2022, SloMo as the best Spanish entry of the 21st century and of all time. I called it a girlbop that makes me want to cry, after all. Honorable mentions go do “Brujería” from 2005, the ska bop that’s like a proto-“Alcohol Is Free”, and “Baila el Chiki-Chiki” from 2008 for being an unironically good joke entry.

Sweden (1958-2024, 7 wins)

I had previously chosen “Den vilda” from 1996 as my favorite Swedish entry of the 20th century, and I still stand by that. Lovely song with great melodies that feels very Scandinavian. But my favorite Swedish entry overall is 2018, Dance You Off—the entry that I shocked all my commenters by choosing as my winner. I know I normally don’t praise modern swedo-pop entries, but the song really is fun to jam out to and Benjamin Ingrosso seems like a lovable guy.

Another nice thing about the song I hadn’t mentioned when reviewing 2018 is the lyrics. “Dance You Off” covers a topic that normally only women sing about from a male perspective: the struggle of getting over a breakup with a nasty ex. It’s kind of the opposite of “Funny Girl” in that sense. I find the song’s lyrics great because he comes off as honest about his emotions without being an exaggerated sadboy, which not enough male songs do. I especially love the lines “don’t act like I’m the cruel one when I know you know better” and “I used to think that you were worth my every night”. He’s struggling to get his ex out of his head and wants to clear his mind from her by dancing.

~~~TANGENT TIME~~~

Now if the juries in Melodifestivalen 1997 didn’t throw away two amazing songs that would’ve made a PERFECT successor to “Den vilda”, then my favorite Swedish entry would instead be “Där en ängel hälsat på”. It would also be my winner of Eurovision 1997. It’s an absolutely beautiful choral tune with folk elements, lovely timpanis and flutes, and would fit into Eurovision 1997 like a glove since that year was full of atmospheric songs that make full use of the orchestra. It’s also very well staged, with a charming lead singer in black, two energetic  backing singers in white who mirror each other’s moves, and three instrumentalists, which adds up to six performers in total—the maximum amount that Eurovision allows on stage.

“Där en ängel hälsat på” also has amazing buildup and some pretty cool 1990’s production that feels a tad retro, in a good way. Everything about it is just amazing. I even love the key change near the end from C major to E♭ major, which is by an unusually high three semitones—that’s the biggest leap key changes normally go. This song made me realize something about key changes: I’m perfectly OK with them if the song itself is actually good. I just hate cheesy key changes if the song is mediocre, especially if it’s outright bad. That may also be why I love the key change of “Loco Loco” so much. I think this song could’ve landed at least in the top five of 1997, maybe even top three. It probably wouldn’t have won over “Love Shine a Light” though. I’m thankful this song is available on Spotify, since I always get excited when it comes on my playlist.

The other great song from Melfest 1997 that the juries threw away is “En gång ska han gråta”. It’s more openly ethnic than the other song I talked about and it’s just as great. It reminds me of “Alvedansen” from 2006. It’s got mysterious verses with guitars, percussion, and a heavy bassline, then it gets all rousing and melodic in the chorus where the Swedish violins and percussion sounds. This right here is exactly the kind of verse/chorus contrast that I adore. It might just be, but I think the chorus sounds a lot like Irish folk music. It wasn’t actually on Spotify till November 1, 2024, which is extremely lucky timing!

As you can probably tell, I’ve become a little bit obsessed with Swedish-language music. I still can’t speak the language, but my exposure to it from Swedish friends means I actually can understand words in it sometimes, or if I’m lucky even a whole sentence. We all know that in Eurovision, Sweden is obsessed with not singing in Swedish, but if you dig around the history of Melodifestivalen, you’ll find it’s a great way to discover Swedish-language musicians. Don’t even get me started on Sylvia Vrethammar! I discovered her music thanks to “Trivialitet”, a delightful bossa nova tune that competed in Melfest 2013 (with a not-so-delightful dress). But I’ve gotten way too carried away with this tangent, so let’s just move on to the next country.

Switzerland (1956-2024, 3 wins)

Two Swiss entries in the 21st century soar far beyond the rest for me: “Tout l’univers” from 2021, and “The Code” from 2024. I absolutely love both, but 2021, Tout l’univers just strikes a slightly greater chord with me. It’s also easily my favorite Swiss entry of all time. The only 21st century Swiss entries that deserve honorable mentions are “She Got Me” from 2019, a perfect gender-swapped “Fuego”, plus the predecessor to my favorite ever Swiss entry, “Répondez-moi” from 2020.

Also, why the hell didn’t I put “Swiss Lady” from 1977 on my hidden gems list?! That’s still my definite favorite Swiss entry of the 20th century.

Turkey (1975-2012, 1 win)

Not a hard choice: for Turkey the honor goes to the jaw-dropping rock song, 2010, We Could Be the Same. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of honorable mentions: “Every Way That I Can” from 2003 is their well deserved first winner, “Dinle” from 1997 is a classic ethno-bop with a miraculous third place, “İki Dakika” from 1991 is an underrated happy song, and I wouldn’t dare forget their debut entry from 1975, the lovely melancholic ballad “Seninle Bir Dakika”.

Ukraine (2003-2024, 3 wins)

Congratulations to Ukraine for having my favorite Eurovision entry of all time, which is 2007, Dancing Lasha Tumbai. A lot of their entries deserve honorable mentions: “Wild Dances” from 2004 is a 21st century “Dschinghis Khan”, “Razom nas bahato” from 2005 I’m still defendant of, “Show Me Your Love” from 2006 is a 2000’s girlbop done to perfection, and then, hm… the next truly great Ukrainian entry is their second winner “1944”. Both of Go_A’s entries, “Solovey” and “Shum” from 2020 and 2021 respectively, are boppy folksy works of genius, and “Stefania” from 2022 is an overly obvious winner but really is joyful to listen to. Ukraine is just too good at Eurovision, I’m telling you.

United Kingdom (1957-2024, 5 wins)

Time for another obvious pick. 2022, Space Man is by far my favorite British entry not just of the 21st century, but of all time. It’s just such a goddamn awesome song, on a completely different plane of existence from everything else the UK has sent this century.

In the 20th century, I no longer think “Making Your Mind Up” from 1991 is the UK’s best entry: instead, it’s the infectious Eurodance song 1996, Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit. I get excited whenever that song comes up on my Spotify playlist, more than any other 1996 entry, so I’m starting to question whether it should be my new winner of 1996. But she sings noticeably off-key in Eurovision, and the orchestrations of “Den vilda” and “I evighet” are both so gorgeous, so I’m really not sure.

It’s hard to pinpoint why I hate most Eurodance entries but love “Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit” and “No Rules!” so much. Maybe it’s simply because those two are actually good Eurodance songs, not cheesy trash. I wish I could go into more detail though.

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Statistics for fun

Out of the 50 countries I featured in this list, my all-time favorite entries break down by language as follows:

• Native (including UK, Ireland, Australia): 28 songs
• Mixed native/English: 4 songs
• English (non-native): 15 songs
• Other: 3 songs

Just to clear up ambiguity: Austria, Belgium, and Ukraine are the songs I classified as other. Andorra, Azerbaijan, Portugal, and Spain I classified as mixed. And the rest, I think you can deduce which category they went in. Over half the entries in this list are native-language, which goes to show how much of a language nerd I am. Out of all the national languages of Eurovision countries, the only ones I’ve never heard a good Eurovision song in are Latvian and Maltese—Luxembourgish too, if that counts. For Macedonian we have “Crno i belo” from 2012, and for all the other languages we have songs mentioned either in this post or in my conclusion post. The good news is, if I want to hear a great song in Latvian, I can just explore the discography of Sudden Lights.

And here’s how the years break down (adding Yugoslavia):

• 1960, 1 song
• 1963, 1 song
• 1965, 1 song
• 1979, 1 song
• 1989, 1 song
• 1991, 1 song
• 1993, 2 songs
• 1997, 1 song
• 2003, 1 song
• 2004, 1 song
• 2006, 1 song
• 2007, 2 songs
• 2009, 1 song
• 2010, 2 songs
• 2013, 1 song
• 2014, 1 song
• 2015, 1 song
• 2016, 3 songs
• 2018, 4 songs
• 2019, 2 songs
• 2020, 4 songs
• 2021, 6 songs
• 2022, 6 songs
• 2023, 2 songs
• 2024, 4 songs

I hope you don’t think I am simply biased towards recent Eurovision entries. As someone who’s seen every single Eurovision Song Contest, I truly believe that Eurovision after COVID is the best the contest has ever been. But I also care about giving love to the old years—for proof of that, see this post.