The Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 65th anniversary this year. In a major online competition, ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’ was voted the most loved entry of all time. Sweden takes the entire top three, but with Sandra Kim, Loïc Nottet and Blanche there are also three Belgians in the top 50.
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No fewer than 355,000 people from 14 countries took part in an online vote organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest. There was no doubt about the winner: ‘Waterloo’ by ABBA, the Swedish entry from 1974, was the favorite of the Belgian, Dutch, German, British and of course Swedish public (unlike at the real festival, you could also vote for entries from own country). ‘Waterloo’ is the oldest song in the top 10 and together with Johnny Logan’s ‘Hold me now’, the Irish entry from 1987, the only song from the 20th century.
Sweden is the Eurovision country par excellence, as the rest of the top three proves: ‘Euphoria’ by Loreen from 2012 and ‘Heroes’ by Måns Zelmerlöw from 2015. More recent songs clearly have an advantage, because ‘Arcade’ by Duncan Laurence and Mahmood’s ‘Soldi’, the winner and runner-up of the last festival in 2019, is in the top 10, alongside Eurovision phenomena such as Alexander Rybak, Lena, Conchita Wurst and Lordi.
Sandra Kim, the only ever winner in our country, is here too the highest Belgian candidate: with ‘J’aime la vie’ from 1986 she ended up in 37th place, just above ‘Rhythm inside’ by Loïc Nottet from 2015 and ‘City lights’ by Blanche from 2017. Three Walloon songs, which again prove that the most successful Belgian entries ever to the Eurovision Song Contest without exception were sent by the French-speaking broadcaster.
To Hooverphonic, the VRT candidate, to prove next week that Flanders can also score high at the festival.
Here the full top 20 (and our Belgian participants):
1 ABBA Waterloo Sweden 1974
2 Loreen Euphoria Sweden 2012
3 Måns Zelmerlöw Heroes Sweden 2015
4 Alexander Rybak Fairytale Norway 2009
5 Duncan Laurence Arcade Netherlands 2019
6 Mahmood Soldi Italy 2019
7 Lena Satellite Germany 2010
8 Conchita Wurst Rise Like a Phoenix Austria 2014
9 Johnny Logan Hold Me Now Ierland 1987
10 Lordi Hard Rock Hallelujah Finland 2006
11 Eleni Foureira Fuego Cyprus 2018
12 Katrina and the Waves Love Shine a Light VK 1997
13Céline Dion Don’t leave without me Zwitserland1988
14 Nicole A little peace in Germany 1982
15 Il Volo Grande amore Italië 2015
16 Salvador Sobral Amar for the two Portugal 2017
17Johnny Logan What’s Another Year Ierland 1980
18 The Common Linnets Calm After the Storm Nederland 2014
19 Olsen Brothers Fly on the Wings of Love Denemarken 2000
20 Brotherhood of Man Save Your Kisses for Me VK 1976
37 Sandra Kim I love life België 1986
39 Loïc Nottet Rhythm Inside België 2015
40 Blanche City Lights Belgium 2017
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