We’re continuing our ranking of songs that were popular in the televote but sadly missed out on qualifying due to a low jury score. Most of the time the jury and public agree, but every year there are a few songs that the public like a lot more than the jury. We’re ranking the songs that didn’t make it out of the semi-finals but still were placed in the top ten with the televote.

Note: we’re looking at songs from 2010 onwards, when the televote-jury split was first made public. To determine the ranking, we’re looking at the televote top ten placings, using the percentage of available points for tie-breaks. In the case of songs from 2013, when the split scores were not made public, we’re just using the rank and our general wiwi instinct for any tie-breaks.

10. Anna Bergendahl – “This Is My Life” (Sweden 2010)

Televote: 9th place, 64 points
Jury: 11th place, 76 points
Overall: 11th place, 62 points

“This Is My Life” is the one blemish on Sweden’s otherwise flawless qualification record. It was a very close non-qualifier, placing ninth with the public and 11th with the jury. But it served as a wake-up call for Melodifestivalen, resulting in Sweden reestablishing itself as a power player of modern Eurovision.

9. Kaliopi – “Dona” (FYR Macedonia 2016)

Televote: 8th place, 54 points
Jury: 11th place, 34 points
Overall: 11th place, 88 points

In 2012, Kaliopi’s dramatic rock ballad “Crno i belo” was a fan favourite that placed 13th in the final. In 2016 she returned with the more gentle “Dona” that sadly didn’t have the same appeal. But it was still popular enough to place eighth in the televote, with the jury’s 11th place making it a close non-qualifier.

8. InCulto – “Eastern European Funk” (Lithuania 2010)

Televote: 8th place, 65 points
Jury: 13th place, 27 points
Overall: 12th place, 44 points

There was a lot going on with InCulto’s “Eastern European Funk”. It started a cappella and moved into a big funk number, and used singing and rap with tongue-in-cheek lyrics that described Lithuania’s place in modern Europe. While it didn’t impress juries much, it was more of a hit with the public, placing eighth in the televote. Perhaps it was the mid-song trouser removal that sealed the deal.

7. Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala – “Ljubav je” (Bosnia and Herzegovina 2016)

Televote: 8th place, 78 points
Jury: 14th place, 26 points
Overall: 11th place, 104 points

“Ljubav je” was Bosnia and Herzegovinia’s first ever non-qualification, but it was close. The dramatic examination of the ins and outs of love placed eighth in the televote, and overall made it to 11th place.

6. Emmy – “Boom Boom” (Armenia 2011)

Televote: 7th place, 75 points
Jury: 15th place, 33 points
Overall: 12th place, 54 points

“Boom Boom” marks the only time when Armenia failed to qualify for the grand final, with Emmy’s boxing-themed performance failing to win over the jury. But the sight of Emmy emerging from the giant glove was a hit with viewers, who ranked her seventh.

5. Suzy – “Quero ser tua” (Portugal 2014)

Televote: 7th place, 72 points
Jury: 16th place, 17 points
Overall: 11th place, 39 points

To call “Quero ser tua” a fan favourite feels like an understatement. The song remains a beloved fave — and it was the perfect choice to kick off the #wiwijam. In Copenhagen, the jury weren’t feeling it, ranking Portugal last, but viewers enjoyed Suzy’s sunny grooves, ranking her seventh.

4. Kuunkuiskaajat – “Työlki ellää” (Finland 2010)

Televote: 6th place, 69 points
Jury: 15th place, 37 points
Overall: 11th place, 49 points

The Finnish duo Kuunkuiskaajat brought the quirky folk song “Työlki ellää” to Oslo. They placed sixth with the televote and overall placed 11th, with only three points between them and the tenth-placed SunStroke Project.

3. Elitsa and Stoyan – “Samo shampioni” (Bulgaria 2013)

Televote: 6th place, 7.44 average rank
Jury: 17th place, 10.75 average rank
Overall: 12th place, 45 points

Elitsa & Stoyan originally represented Bulgaria in 2007 when their song “Water” gave Bulgaria a fifth place finish. They didn’t have the same luck with their 2013 entry, “Samo shampiono” which blended percussion, electro styles, Bulgarian traditional sounds and a bagpipe. This didn’t impress the jury, who ranked Bulgaria last, but “Samo shampioni” still earned an impressive sixth place in the televote.

2. Takasa – “You and Me” (Switzerland 2013)

Televote: 5th place, 7.00 average rank
Jury: 16th place, 10.65
Overall: 13th place, 41 points

Switzerland sent Takasa, a Salvation Army band, with their uplifting song “You and Me”. The band, which featured 95-year-old Emil Ramsauer, was a hit with viewers and earned fifth place in the televote but resulted in an overall 13th place.

1. Who See – “Igranka” (Montenegro 2013)

Televote: 4th place, 7.33 average rank
Jury: 14th place, 10.16 average rank
Overall: 12th place, 41 points

Only Montenegro could deliver two rapping astronauts and a wailing space alien lady, together producing one of the most spectacular Eurovision entries ever. The bombastic “Igranka” won over Europe, with the dubstep extravaganza placing a very impressive fourth in the televote. But sadly, the jury did not have similar feelings — their low ranking dragged “Igranka” down to an overall 12th place.

Which is your favourite non-qualifying televote favourite?

Have your say in our poll and vote for your fave. You can vote for as many acts as you like, but you can only vote once so make your vote count!

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What do you think? Were any of these songs robbed of a rightful place in the final? Share your thoughts below!

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29 Comments
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Markuz
Markuz
7 years ago

“You and me – Takasa” is and will always be the most underrated esc song of all time!

Vlad
Vlad
7 years ago

Belarus(2011, 2016), Sweden(2010), Finland(2010, 2016), Montenegro(2013), F.Y.R. of Macedonia(2016), The Netherlands(2012).

Jamei
Jamei
7 years ago

@Irene
If you read the comments..it was mentioned in the comments by two people which is why I mentioned it.

I was not throwing shade..I even like the song. I was simply commenting on why I don’t think it was an injustice as the live presentation didn’t connect with either televoters or jury.

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

My favorite here is by far Bulgaria 2012. Love that song! <3

Irene
Irene
7 years ago

@James Why the sudden need to throw shade at a song entry that no one even mentioned?

As for me, I liked Takasa and Igranka, voted for Igranka. That was one of the most special songs I have heard. Wasn’t too keen on the space suits tho. I liked this year’s Montenegro entry too, I guess I like experimental music.

James
James
7 years ago

Mei Feingold didn’t come anywhere near the top 10 in either televeote or jury, so even tho it might have been a “fan favourite” it’s hard to see it is an injustice. Good studio song, terribly performed with bland staging. Easy non-qualifier on the night.

Jake
Jake
7 years ago

it’s interesting how many of the songs on the list are in a non-English language…it’s almost viewers are more open to non-English entries than the juries which tend to prefer something that is less ethnic and more broad

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
7 years ago

All of them should’ve qualified. Justice for all of them tbh, especially Sofi Marinova!

Antonio
Antonio
7 years ago

Just one of these songs should have qualified. “You and Me” by Takasa

Aaron GR
Aaron GR
7 years ago

Montenegro always gets points for going against the stream, and Igranka was one of the boldest, freshest presentations the contest has ever seen. It gave me and my friends goosebumps – that never happens. Such a shame.

Amor Amankwah
Amor Amankwah
7 years ago

I loved Ingranka!

Chance
Chance
7 years ago

Can’t stand Igranka, Boom Boom, Samo Shampioni

Denis
Denis
7 years ago

Don’t see the tele-vote appeal with most of these entries, to be honest!

Ewan
Ewan
7 years ago

Igranka missing out is still one of the top injustices in history.

While most entries on this list deserve to stay in the semis, some of the higher ranked songs make a strong argument for a televote-heavy split system (e.g. 60/40 or 70/30) or an increased number of musically diverse jury members being a fairer option.

To me the latter would be preferred, as the first is more controversial and hard to implement. But no one seems to disagree that the juries right now are too small and one-minded, which makes the latter please everyone.

cheesecake
cheesecake
7 years ago

Interesting list.
And although I’m a supporter of juries, I find it incredibly harsh to send songs home that finished in their semi’s top 5 with the viewers…

Ryan
Ryan
7 years ago

Israel 2013 + 2014 underrated by both jury and televote 🙁

ESC2016IL
ESC2016IL
7 years ago

Mei finegold 2014!

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
7 years ago

Igranka is one of the best ever.
This list is much better than the first. Some really good songs in here.

KennyESC
KennyESC
7 years ago

*so much. (Juries,not songs)

KennyESC
KennyESC
7 years ago

Dona, Igranka, Ljubjav Je…juries always bury songs liked by televote in the semi. I hate them.

AzeriBoy96
AzeriBoy96
7 years ago

Good ranking! Sweden 2010, Montenegro 2013, Macedonia 2016 and Switzerland 2012 got my votes.

Nahapa
Nahapa
7 years ago

Boom Boom was actually really catchy.

Kris
Kris
7 years ago

Love the list…..could you make one the other way round…..as in jury babies dumped by the televote?

Leaf
Leaf
7 years ago

Suzy should have qualified !!!!!!

Elitza and Stoyan deserved to stay in the semi with that song ….. “Voda”was my winner in 2007 but “Samo Shampioni” is probably the only eurovision song I never managed to fully listen to.

I was thrilled Emmy failed to qualify with her Boom Boom Kitschy Chaka ….

Montenegro was underrated in 2013 since they brought it ….. Probably my favorite song they ever sent.

Taksa with “You and Me” should have sneaked through ……. I love the song, so uplifting and fresh.

nicola
nicola
7 years ago

+Robyn Gallagher. SAME:(

Comi
Comi
7 years ago

Montenegro 🙁

JUJU
JUJU
7 years ago

I LOVE part 2 ‘s jury.

Ben Rafter
Ben Rafter
7 years ago

I think the jury is still needed, Cyprus televote will always vote Greece, so would Moldova to Romania and Portugal to Spain. Contest was kind of terrible from the late nineties to 2008. Jury needs more than 5 members though.

Nitzan
Nitzan
7 years ago

Well frankly, in most cases, the Jury were right.