Ireland (1987 & 1994)
It is incredible to think that after 65 years of the Eurovision Song Contest that its most successful nation of all time is the Emerald Isle itself. So what makes the identity of an Irish Eurovision entry? Well let’s start by going back to 1987 in Brussels when Johnny Logan performed ‘Hold Me Now’ and romped home to his second Eurovision victory. The song is soft on its musical approach but creatively powerful with its image-focused lyrics and relatability which draw you in and create a true and passionate connection. Once the Irish discovered that this was their identity at the contest, they pushed the repeat button over and over again, winning a further four times over the 1990s. Arguably the most meaningful of those victories came in 1994 in Dublin when Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan sang ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids’ and not only managed Ireland’s third consecutive victory at the contest (a feat that has never been repeated) but also achieved the most comprehensive win of those three results. Admittedly, the Semi-Final era of Eurovision has not treated Ireland well but that identity of Irish entry pertains even in their modern offerings and when they get it right, it is like nothing else and audiences vote for it in their droves.
Austria (1966 & 2014)
When Austria do Eurovision, they go big or go home. Nowhere is this more evident than in their two victories. We start in Luxembourg in 1966 with Udo Jürgens and his song ‘Merci, Chérie’ which is confusingly mostly sung in German despite its French title. Nonetheless, the song builds, rises, falls as Udo laments on the end of a relationship. Almost 50 years later in Copenhagen, Conchita Wurst took to the stage and performed ‘Rise Like a Phoenix’, a song that also built, rose, fell and rose back up again to a stunning orchestral backing track as Conchita sung about coming out of the ashes seeking vengeance. And that’s just the victories! We should also take this section to highlight Cesár Sampson’s weird spaceship-like raised platform that he began his performance on in 2018 as he won that year’s jury vote or The Makemakes’ flaming piano in 2015 or whatever Alf Poier was doing on that stage in Riga in 2003. Sure, Austria have been hit and miss at Eurovision, but they have been glorious hits and fabulously wide misses that deserve appreciation and respect for bravery and effort. Austria have a great Eurovision history behind them but they will still need your votes to get out of a tricky group.
Turkey (2003 & 2004)
Despite the positive memories of Turkish Eurovision entries that many of us have, Turkey did not have the best of starts to their Eurovision existence. In fact, in the years leading up to 2003, Turkey has participated at the contest on 24 occasions and had managed 3 top 10 placements with 1 top 5 placement. Then came the contest in Riga and with it came Sertab Erener whose dancers and styling on ‘Everyway That I Can’ completely re-defined staging at Eurovision as she pipped Urban Trad and t.A.T.u. to the victory.. Then a year later in Istanbul, Turkey sent Athena and their song ‘For Real’ and inadvertently redefined performance at Eurovision in a completely different way to the year before and still coming a very respectable 4th. In many ways, Turkey quit Eurovision whilst they were ahead as they went on to place in the top half of the Grand Final results on all but two of their subsequent participations. It is unclear if Turkey will plan to return to Eurovision in the future but what is certain is that they will be welcomed back to the competition with the most open of arms from audiences across Europe. Get out your vote and show your pride for Turkish Eurovision!
Australia (2015 & 2016)
Remember when Australia at Eurovision was considered a joke, a pipe dream, ridiculous? Well nobody’s laughing now! Australia stormed through a qualification group that included Romania, Hungary, Moldova & Morocco. When Australia’s participation at Eurovision 2015 in Vienna was announced, many eyebrows were raised. How well would Eurovision fever catch on in Australia now that they were finally getting the opportunity to participate. The answer? They took on the challenge head-on and gunned for victory right from the start, something that was clear with Guy Sebastian and ‘Tonight Again’ and then again a year later when Dami Im delivered an iconic performance of ‘Sound of Silence’ in Stockholm. Now yes, admittedly the hype around Australia at Eurovision has since simmered down and Australia have moved to a national final format that may have slightly distilled the quality of act they are sending but Australia is here to stay at Eurovision and they have already given us some unforgettable moments at the contest that are certainly worth voting for.
Please vote no later than July 22nd when we will release the vote for Group G, a battle of the ages between Sweden, Spain, Estonia and Malta as they race to qualify for the knockout rounds.
This article was written by Fin Ross Russell (Internationalist Eurovision Blog)