Eurovision 2008 remains a controversial year for many Eurovision fans. At the contest in Belgrade Russia’s Dima Bilan took the trophy with his ballad “Believe”, finishing ahead of fan favourites like Ukraine’s Ani Lorak, Armenia’s Sirusho and Portugal’s Vania Fernandes.
The constant chatter about the 2008 result led us to make it the subject of the fourth edition of Wiwi’s Way, which has already flashed back to the 1999, 2006, and 2011 contests.
The Top Ten of Eurovision 2008
- Russia: Dima Bilan – Believe
- Ukraine: Ani Lorak – Shady Lady
- Greece – Kalomira – My Secret Combination
- Armenia: Sirusho – Qele Qele
- Norway: Maria Haukaas Storeng – Hold On Be Strong
- Serbia: Jelena Tomasevic – Oro
- Turkey: Mor ve Otesi – Deli
- Azerbaijan: Elnur & Samir – Day After Day
- Israel: Boaz Ma’uda – The Fire In Your Eyes
- Bosnia & Herzegovina – Laka – Pokusaj
We had our in-house team of bloggers re-watch the contest and vote for their favourites. These are the results.
The Top Ten Of Team Wiwi
- Portugal: Vania Fernandes – Senhora Do Mar (actual result: 13th)
- Armenia: Sirusho – Qele Qele (4th)
- Ukraine: Ani Lorak – Shady Lady (2nd)
- Sweden: Charlotte Perrelli – Hero (18th)
- Greece: Kalomira – My Secret Combination (3rd)
- Serbia: Jelena Tomasevic – Oro (6th)
- Norway: Maria Haukaas Storeng – Hold On Be Strong (5th)
- FYR Macedonia: Tamara Todevska feat. Vrcak and Adrian – Let Me Love You (DNQ)
- Iceland: Euroband – This Is My Life (14th)
- Israel: Boaz Ma’uda – The Fire In Your Eyes (8th)
Wiwi’s Winner: Portugal
In 2008, Portugal sent Vania Fernandes to Belgrade with the haunting ballad Senhora Do Mar, which means Lady of the Sea. She placed second in her semi-final and thirteenth in the grand final. It remains Portugal’s best finish of this century.
This was a huge favourite in the lead up to the contest, and that’s not surprising. Her vocals, the traditional influences on the song and the mysterious staging — it was on point.
Wiwi’s Worst: Ireland
Ireland must have been crazy in 2008, because they literally sent a turkey to Belgrade. Irelande Douze Pointe by Dustin The Turkey was a joke that only the Irish got. Well, some of them anyway.
Reader’s Way, 2008
As usual, it’s your turn to vote for your favourite entry of 2008. You can vote for as many countries as you’d like, but you can only vote one time.
[polldaddy poll=”8553097″]What Year Should We Do Next?
For the first time ever, we are giving you the chance to choose what year we should look at next! Vote below.
[polldaddy poll=”8553102″]
Kalomira. She gave the most charismatic performance of all time, and she had an inescapably catchy song. The year was full of amazing acts, though: Ani Lorak’s performance and song were just as flawless.
Sirusho is my winner!!!She’s AMAZING!!! Qele Qele is still one of the best songs I ever heard at Eurovision and Sirusho is soooo beautifull!!! Her music is soo good!!
She deserved to win that year, anyway I’m still listening to her song!!
I feel like United Kingdom was very underrated in 2008. It was a throwback disco song done well. (unlike 2010 which was done terribly.)
Sirusho is the best!!!!!Qele Qele is the my favourite eurovision song ever!!!!
PORTUGAL SHOULD HAVE WON THAT YEAR! Thanks wiwibloggs for
your support and Thanks Europe for still remember our 2008 great song!!
The best that year: Turkey, Israel, Serbia and France.
1) armenia- I love the song ooo qele ooo qele!!
2) isreal – should of won if it was a song contest.
3)Ukraine!! Shaaadyyy ladddie her performance was amazing!
4) norway I loved it. It was like christina Aguilera. Soo good
5) my secret combination its mystery for you! Use your imagination I’m not easy but im true!!! Haha La Greeeeceee
ISRAEL — no question!!!
and Hungary also deserved to be in final, for me that was one of best song from Hungary at Eurovision , i also like 100 % hungarian version of song.
My TOP 5
1.Ukraine
2.Sweden
3.Portugal
4.Iceland
5.Israel
Deserved to be in final Bulgaria, Switzerland, Lituania and Andorra
Sweden, Iceland, Turkey, Armenia, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Andorra, Ukraine, Albania, Georgia, Latvia, Belarus, Switzerland.
2008 was a great Year, so many great up-tempo songs. My biggest favourite was Ukraine. Russia was for me overrated. Turkey and Israel were also AMAZING.
Dima Bilan, the crappiest thing I’ve ever seen on TV. Literally a dozen acts from 2008 deserved the victory more than him (Portugal, Norway, Armenia, Greece, etc.). Had the juries been in place in 2008, he would never have won. Dima Bilan is the ultimate proof that we need juries in the ESC.
Russia is capable of sending hidden gems like Polina Gagarina to the ESC, why on Earth did they curse us with that dreadful Dima and his horrible song?!
From Greece (loved Kalomira for us!) This year for me had a few really amazing songs, a LOT of ok songs, and a couple bad ones. Jovana and Zeljko were awesome hosts and I liked the stage.
1 Armenia
2 Ukraine
3 Serbia
4 Portugal
5 Turkey
Definitely Armenia, Ukraine, and Portugal for me!
srsly, how come I’m blocked from commenting? WTF?
who thought this was a good idea? srsly wiwi, I never mess with anyone and yet I’m here blocked out of nowhere.
Eat my ass, sincerely
my number one goes to Ukraine 🙂 I loved Any so bad, and since I’m not here to throw shit to Russia, Dima is my number 9, not a winner for sure but an OUTSTANDING performance.
2008 will forever be remembered as the year Romania “missed” the chance to send a guaranteed winner in Biondo’s “Shine”… Otherwise, Finland and Turkey had the best entries, by far. France’s was great, too. They weren’t your typical eurotrash, however, so their chances to win were nonexistent…
Sirusho’s Qele Qele is my fav from 2008 and my second favourite from 2008-2015!
Portugal of course. One of the greatest ESC songs of all time.
Dustin the Turkey is also a GreAtY hot babe 😀 <3
My top (from Belgium):
01. Russie – Dima Bilan (I think he deserved it, the staging was great)
02. Greece – Kalomira (the whole family supported here)
03. Iceland – Euroband (really loved it!)
04. Israël – Moaz (beautiful voice, just one mistake)
05. Sweden – Charlotte Perelli (powerful)
06. Norway – Maria (good)
07. Armenia – Sirusho (good but a bit too repetitive)
08. Serbia – Jelena (good)
09. Azerbaijan – Elnur & his evil friend (just funny but catchy)
10. Latvia – The pirates (it was soo funny)
Worst: Ireland (definitely !)
Israel, you are my number one of 2008!!
Tereza and Boaz!
Also…
Ireland was amazing lol, I watch that performance whenever I need a good laugh
Sirushooo without a doubt <3
But I think Believe was a worthy winner as well
How did Russia win? :X
France was by far my favourite in 2008 although I always knew Sebastien didn’t have any chances.
2008 is similar to this year because I don’t really have a favourite. Greece, Ukraine, Armenia, Norway and Serbia make my top 5 in any order. Russia was definitley NOT the best performer but was a deserved winner. I also really like Israel, Macedonia, Sweden and Portugal.
the GreAtY hot babes of Kreisiraadio from Estonia gets my vote… 😀 <3
Ukraine and Georgia <3
Switzerland had one of the best songs in ESC history. I love how it starts out like a sad ballad but then the energy kicks in and it sounds very inspiring. I also like Russia’s winning song. Greece was pretty good (the song itself, not the staging).
@Mar I can see how 2008 was a terrible first impression of Eurovision. Despite a few bright spots, I would have been ashamed to introduce other people to the contest as a whole given the number of horrifying acts.
Oh i forgot Armenia & Russia that i also like..
I liked Serbia’s song too..
1) SWEDEN
2) ICELAND
3) NORWAY
4) UKRAINE
5) GREECE
6) ISRAEL
7) SLOVENIA
8) ALBANIA
9) PORTUGAL
10) SAN MARINO
Greece
Armenia
Israel
Serbia
Albania
Ukraine
Moldova
A very nice year. The quality of youtube videos of ESC 2008 is a total shit. Sad.
ps: wow, the one and only year when Azerbaijan had their own production))
GREECE CLEAR WINNER.KALOMIRA WAS FULL OF ENERGY.SHE MADE ME HAPPY.FOR ME TOP 3 WAS
1.GREECE-KALOMIRA
2.ARMENIA-SHIRUSHO
3.UKRAINE-ANI LORAK
2008 was the first Eurovision I ever watched and it horrified me. France, Spain, B&H, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Ireland: they all scarred me for life. Why I kept watching it, only God knows.
Dima is still my favourite from that year, followed by Norway, Serbia and Ukraine.
Thank you Wiwi! My country should be the winner, I’m waiting for Portugal send a sound like and better (of course) like 2008! 😀
Poland!!! Isis Gee was the best on 2008. Beside her my top 10;
1. POLAND
2. NORWAY
3. SWEDEN
4. CZECH
5. ISRAEL
6. UKRAINE
7. CROATIA
8. ARMENIA
9. ICELAND
10. GREECE
I was actually listening to Hero repeatedly last night. I voted for Sweden and Portugal.
SHADY LADY-UKRAINE
Lots of novelty acts which thankfully didn’t really happen in the 2015 contest.
Dima’s 2006 song was better than 2008.
Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Norway, Armenia, Sweden, Iceland, Switzerland, France and Serbia are among my favorites from this year. Since 2008 I’ve grown tired of most of the entries, but it was still a nice year, although pretty heavy with all the joke acts and over-the-top performances. Serbia had the best song, in my opinion.
1982 next! Anyone with me?
France was the best – if Tellier didn’t want to take the mick out of the contest, he probably could have ended up higher.
Oh shoot! I forgot to mention Azerbaijan! That goes between Sweden and Iceland on my list!
Railing against 2008 used to be one of my pastimes, but that’s not fair to it; there was a lot of great stuff. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
1. Macedonia
2. Israel
3. Sweden
4. Iceland
5. France
6. Slovenia
7. Georgia
8. Ukraine
9. Malta
10. Ireland (yes, really)
Honorable Mention: Bosnia & Herzegovina
Ukraine deserved it.
Sirusho – had the best song. Come on – come qele, move qele.
Ani Lorak and Kalomira – had the best overall staging.
Portugal and Sweden – should have done much much better
Russia – Did not deserve to win.
1. Armenia
2. Ukraine/Greece
4. Portugal
5. Serbia
6. Norway
7. Sweden
8. Israel
9. Turkey
10. Maybe Russia
I voted for Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, and my personal winner Serbia.
This was by far, the worst Eurovision ever. Too many novelty, joke acts and the bloc voting had taken its toll one everyone. Stage wise, it was smart and the arena looked good and I’m sure Belgrade was a beautiful host city, but song wise, it was just too much. There were some good songs though but they were few and far between. My favorites of 2008 were: (in no particular order) 1. Denmark 2. Serbia 3. Norway 4. France ( was so weird, but I loved it) 5. Ukraine 6. Greece 7. Bosnia & Herzegovina (catchy song, dont know… Read more »