10 Best Eurovision Song Contest Winners Of All Time

Eurovision, the longest running international TV-contest that brings Europe, and even Australia, together every spring is spreading the message of unity and peace across borders, tracing back to 1956 when the first contest was held in Switzerland. Over the years, Europe has witnessed many great performances, and we decided to put together a list featuring some of the best winning songs and performances of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Alexander Rybank – Fairytale (2009)

🇧🇻 Fairytale by Alexander Rybank, a young Norwegian violinist and singer, scored the highest-ever points since the inception of the contest, winning the 2009 Eurovision with an astounding 387 points. The song sold gold in Norway and Finland and received a platinum certification in Russia.

Conchita Wurst – Rise like a Phoenix (2014)

Brotherhood of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me (1976)

🇬🇧 Here’s a classic 70s hit for the list. UK entered the contest in 1976 with a song by Brotherhood of Man; Save Your Kisses for Me, that prior to the 1976 Eurovision was already a big hit in its home country! After the contest, the song not only topped the charts in the UK but also became a hit in the rest of Europe, the US, and even occupied high rankings in Australia.

Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah (2006)

🇫🇮 Heavy metal band Lordi, consisting of five monstrous musicians, is Finland‘s only winning performance at the Eurovision song contest, up to date. Lordi won in 2006 with 292 points, scoring highest of all winners until 2009, when Aleksander Rybank took over with his impressive 387 points. Over 70,000 people gathered in Helsinki to sing along with the group in a huge public karaoke to celebrate the band’s victory in the contest.

Loreen – Euphoria (2012)

🇸🇪 Euphoria by Loreen scored an impressive 372 points in 2012, becoming the second highest scoring song in the history of the Eurovision song contest. The song was praised by critics and it was certified with platinum nine times – the track became Sweden’s best selling Eurovision song of all time, even beating ABBA’s Waterloo.

Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan – Rock’n’Roll Kids (1994)

🇮🇪 Rock’n’Roll Kids, performed by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, was the first male duo ever entering the contest and brought Ireland its sixth victory in the Eurovision Song Contest. Scoring 226 points, it was the first song to have received over 200 points in the history of the Eurovision. The performance was unique due to the fact that there was no orchestral accompaniment involved – the lyrics were supported by the singers themselves; Harrington playing piano while McGettigan was on guitar.

Emmelie De Forest – Only Teardrops (2013)

🇩🇰 Considered as one of the best entries to the competition in recent years, Emmelie De Forest’s Only Teardrops was already a hit in Denmark before the contest and when it was re-released afterwards, it reached #1 on the Danish charts. At the competition, the song won with an impressive 281 points.

Celine Dion – Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (1988)

🇨🇭 The winning song in the 1988 Eurovision contest; Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi performed by Celine Dion achieved victory by the narrowest of margins: it scored one point higher than the UK’s entry ‘Go‘ performed by Scott Fitzgerald. Dion’s performance remains well respected, and partly due to her international fame the song is considered one of the most prominent winning performances of all time.

ABBA – Waterloo (1974)

🇸🇪 Sweden‘s entry to the 1974 Eurovision contest introduced ABBA, who brought the victory home with their worldwide hit Waterloo. The song became one of the best selling singles of all times, also charting in the US top ten list. In 2005, when the Eurovision Song Contest was celebrating its 50th anniversary, Waterloo was chosen as the best song to enter the contest since its inception. What do you think?

Isabelle Aubret – Un Premier Amour (1962)

🇨🇵 Singer Isabelle Aubret entered the contest in 1962 representing France by performing Un Premier Amour and won the seventh Eurovision with her charismatic voice. The contest looked and sounded slightly different in its earlier years but one fact is for certain – the winner certainly knew how to interpret the song, had stage charisma and most of all, knew how to sing. Lets hope this fact, as well as allowing talent to outshine favoritism and good looks, will stay constant in the future Eurovision Song Contests. Happy Eurovision watching everyone!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.