At Eurovision injustices are as common as the wind machines. Every year at least some stellar songs are overlooked in the semi-finals. Others fail to do as well as they deserve in the Grand Final. Still others fare better than they deserve to on the Saturday Night stage. After intense deliberation, I can now present the Top 10 injustices at Eurovision since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2008. Have a box of tissues at the ready, y’all: reliving this trauma will get emotional!
10. Getter Jaani, Rockefeller Street (Estonia, 2011)
Getter’s Maths was a little out there. The outfit was a little crazy. The backing vocal for the last third of the song carried her. BUT godamnit she did a magic trick and for that alone she deserved the Top 10! The song was catchy, a cut ahead of most of the dance entries that year and Getter actually looked like she was enjoying herself! Where were the Douze Points Europe?
9. Emmy, Boom Boom (Armenia, 2011)
This song ended up being more Bust Bust than Boom Boom, but it didn’t deserve to be. After two average years, “Boom Boom” should have catapulted Yerevan back up the scoreboard to Sirusho’s stratospheric 4th place in 2008. There were great outfits, a decent vocal from Emmy and a gaggle of gorgeous backing dancers! She had awesome choreography and that amazing boxing glove-throne. This was surely one of the biggest shockers of the 2011 Contest.
8. Dana International, Ding Dong (Israel, 2011)
She won the whole thing in 1998, and she attacked 2011 with all she had. “Ding Dong” was a hilarious song, oozing double entendre and disco fun. I was all prepared to head to Jerusalem in 2012. She at least got that the point of a catwalk is to stomp along it for all that your worth, unlike so many that year. Somehow the hilarious song title, pleasing pop production and status of a past-winner just didn’t chime with ordinary voters though, unfairly. She was a LOT more entertaining than Izabo…
7. Pastora Soler, Quédate Conmigo (Spain, 2012)
Only Tenth Place? Less than 100 Points? Y’all have been crying out for Spain to step up its game at Eurovision and the year it does you give it the coldest of receptions! The ballad was glorious, Pastora’s vocal was mesmerising and the dress looked incredible! Madrid hasn’t been a threat for a long time, and the year they decide on taking it serious y’all slap ‘em in the face? Not cool Europe, NOT COOL.
6. Nina Zilli, L’Amore è Femmina (Italy, 2012)
This song was all kinds of amazles. Forgot “Per Semmpre”. “L’Amore è Femmina” stood out from the crowd in Baku. It was the real music entry. Nina had real dominance on that stage and sounded identical to the recorded version. Easily the strongest Big 5 entry that year she should have obliterated Roman Lob, battered Can Bonomo, struck Ott Lepland over the head with her microphone stand and slapped Rona Nishliu with her own dreadlocks because Nina was rocking y’all! The Big 5 Top 5 that never was…
5. Hera Bjork, Je Ne Sais Quoi (Iceland, 2010)
It’s rare that dance entries perform too well, and Hera Bjork belongs to the category of unfair dance dismissals. It’s impossible not to enjoy “Je Ne Sais Quoi”. There’s complete abuse of the French language, uplifting Eurodance production and a carefree message. She also had a ridiculous dress, the most hilariously awkward choreography ever and a powerhouse vocal. How she didn’t follow up Yohanna’s 2nd Place I’ll never know!
4. Gaitana, Be My Guest (Ukraine, 2012)
Gaitana bellowing, “BE MAHHH GUESTTTTTTTTT,” was a supreme highlight in Baku. I admit the song was let down by not having a crack team of backing vocalists like Zlata this year, but even so Gaitana was amazing. She had that fabulous floral headdress, hair-raising heels and those crazily dressed backing dancers. She delivered the fun factor in Baku, in an otherwise emotionally vapid hosting, and was a welcome splash of fun after two boring ballads from Ukraine. That she got handed 16th was not cool – the Top 3 should have been hers!
3. Amandine Bourgeois, L’Enfer Et Moi (France, 2013)
I adore French entries and hate to see them do badly, and Amandine had the cruellest fate of all. It’s even worse because her fate was deliberately sealed by SVT to give a real injection of energy at the start of the show. The French Fury wiped the floor with the rest of the Big 5, especially massively over-hyped Italy and she should have taken that 6th place spot from Marco Mengoni. “L’Enfer Et Moi” was sultry, dark, moody and an all-around great entry from Paris that should have seen the French in the Top 10 for the first time since 2009. Finishing beyond the Top 20 is unbelievable…
2. Ani Lorak, Shady Lady (Ukraine, 2008)
I don’t know where you are, but be ashamed Dima Bilan fans, be very ashamed. “Believe” was dull, dreary and Dima was just an idiot. He had no performer status. The choreography was dull and the ice-skater should have skated over Dima’s toes, not around him. Ani Lorak being forced into the second place spot was an outrage! I’m putting my neck on the line here – the performance of “Shady Lady” in Belgrade is the best of the 21st Century. The choreography is dazzling, Lorak’s vocal was flawless and who could fail to love that box? I don’t care if the long arm of the Russian Eurovision mafia reaches out to me – Ani Lorak should have won with an Alexander Rybak-sized margin over Dima Bilan!
1. Rona Nishliu, Suus (Albania, 2012)
I don’t care what the rest of Team Wiwi or Europe say about Rona Nishliu. The woman COULD NOT sing. She could screech. She was on the Olympic scale of screeching. If this were the Eurovision Screech Contest we’d have been in Tirana for sure. And I can only think that there was some sort of brainwashing undertone laced in “Suus” that convinced you all, for a brief period when voting lines opened, that you were watching a Screech Contest. Her hair was supremely off-putting, that dress was hideous and WHO uses a dreadlock as a necklace? I was completely staggered it actually got any points! “Suus” more than any song in the history of the contest screamed nil points. That it got four sets of 12 points is unbelievable to me.
Angus Quinn contributed this report from the U.K. You can follow him on Twitter at @Angus_Quinn17. Then like our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with all the latest news and gossip.
Photo: Eurovision.tv (EBU)
Good piece here, and I’m going to value your opinions but here are mine, lol: 1) Valentina should’ve been on this list. 2) “Rockefeller Street” is overrated. Not that great. 3) Marco Mengoni deserved Top 10 in 2013 (as he did), but so did France, both great songs. 4) Spain’s Pastora could have done better but, hey, we should be happy it landed Top 10, best rank for Spain in years. No complaints here. 5) Israel’s “Ding Dong” just wasn’t that good. Catchy, yes. Definitely a grower. But wasn’t finals worthy, but I will say I was still shocked Dana… Read more »
Rona Nishliu is a wonderful singer. Period. No argument. Though I supremely agree that poor Amandine was robbed this year. This was definitely a much better entry than many in the Top 20.
While I do agree that there are many injustices the latest years, I disagree with most of the examples on the list. The biggest one for me though is without a doubt Croatia 2010 (Lako je sve). Amazing song and performance which Europe completely ignored and kicked out from the semi. I also think Portugal 2008 (Senhora do mar) should have been much higher.
Where is Valentina on this list???????? That’s the most obvious one!!!! Disagree with 10, 9, 6, 5, 4, 1, and STRONGLY disagree on 1. Rona was dazzling. Yes, her pitch was off on the final note of the part where she was in her whistle range, but it’s forgivable considering what she was attempting, which I would be willing to bet no other vocalist that night could have accomplished. Otherwise, she was fine. I don’t get all the hate towards that one! So things got emotional, oh well! 4 – Gaitana had the worst song that year. The televoters were… Read more »
But where is Charlotte Perrelli – Hero ? That’s the biggest injustice in history of Eurovision…you know a shit!
The Rona Nishliu thing makes me angry. The word she is using, quite emotionally, is ‘cry’. How was she supposed to convey that emotion? With a wimper? A lame sing songy dancy note. The injustice is that she didn’t do better, not worse. The true worth of a song is to give it to a capable singer (Zlata Ognevich as an example) and have her sing it – how would it be? Most likely exactly the same.
Sorry but your opinion about Rona is silly..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goPyq99A4KI.Rona is just amazing.Eurovision shouldn’t stay a festival where the top 5 can achieve just the tra-la-la-la and la-la-la songs.Goodbye wiwi bloggs!
1. Urban Symphony – Randajad
Should have won the whole thing.
2. Pastora Soler – Quedate Conmigo
Top 5 without a doubt.
3. Malcolm Lincoln – Siren
Yes, way too experimental and raw for a Eurovision entry but a Grand Final wasn’t that much impossible.
4. Dima Bilan – Believe
Shouldn’t even be in the Top 10, let alone winning the coveted trophy.
5. Eldar & Nigar – Running Scared
Top 3 at best but not a winning song.
Elnur & Samir ! Day after day!!!
And I’m so sorry about my english.
Concerning Pastora, she was amazing but she screamed a bit the song in last part of the song, and there were better songs, so 10th place is very good. Nina Zilli : The vocal was amazing and the song was great (I only agree with you about this one) for me she deserves 3th place after Sweden and Serbia. Gaitana : her song was pretty lame (for me she didn’t deserve to in the final very overrated by juries). Amandine : the song was bland and the performance was very average (but she was better than Anguun). Ani Lorak :… Read more »
I completely agree with Getter Jaani, that girl was ROBBED Emmy was amazing, I loved ‘Boom Boom’ and everything about her performance. Really, you should’ve seen my face when I saw that she didn’t move on to the finals. I thought the four horsemen would come and the Earth would just explode. Utter terror… Personally, I liked Izabo way more than Dana, Izabo had that cool alternative/weird vibe, Dana was just eh, a little too bland. Sorry, but Pastora Soler is my least favourite representative from Spain of all time 😛 Now, Nina Zilli was definitely the best Big 5… Read more »
What about Anggun’s entry for France in 2012? The song was amazing, the vocals were good and the scene was gay but not that bad. And also Tooji (Norway, 2012), yeah I know, just a Eric Saade’s copy, but what the hell, it was way better than popular! And we can not forget Charlotte Perrelli in 2008 and Moran Mazor and Valentina Monetta this year…
I don’t even want to get started on Eric Saade. He didn’t deserve to qualify, much less place 5th.
Good list.
I agree 100% about Rona Nishliu (there’s a fine line between high notes and screeching – and she went waaaay over that line).
Same with Pastora Soler – she should have been 2nd, or tied for 1st.
You totally forgot about Magdalena Tul. I was expecting her to make the top 10, not last in the semis.
Oh and I also didn’t include Natalia Kelly because just talking about her not making the final puts me in a really bad mood. LITHUANIA OVER THIS MASTERPIECE?!?!?!
Cool opinions! 🙂 Here’s my own personal top 12 (I have a few that NEED to be included but wouldn’t fit a top 10 ha-ha)! PS: Ani isn’t included because everyone knows she deserved more. 12. San Marino 2013-I loved Valentina’s entry, however I do think all the hype was a bit premature. It was easily one of the classiest 2013 entries, but on the live show her long note at the end was flat, and it hurt her score. She should have qualified regardless, Hungary was not better than her, he was off key the whole song. 11. Ukraine… Read more »
Cezar- It’s My Life should be at least in top 10 and it could reach a higher place, without the strange “expert juries” votes. He was on the first place after televoting in the second semifinal. It wasn’t fair at all.
Totaly agree with bots Jordans. There has been a lot of Injustices in Eurovision history. What about Moje 3? I expected to see them somewhere on the list. Insted of Gaitana, for example. I really didn’t like her. :3 And I totaly agree with Nina Zilli. I’m still listening to her song. Not to mention Amandine and L’enfer et moi. It was beautifull and it still is.
Dana and Emmy? Seriously? These were awful songs. Nina’s song was good but was such a blatant copy of Amy winehouse, that’s why it didn’t do so well. The less said about Gaitana, the better. A shocking song!
Stella mwangi and our Valentina (2013) for me are the singers that have been wronged the most over the last few years along with Krista from Finland
Jordan, I completely agree. I cannot believe Lithuania, Belgium, Iceland, Armenia, Hungary, Greece and Estonia made it to the Final in 2013,
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Serbia, San Marino, Israel, Macedonia and Switzerland should have made it through as opposed to those seven who did. Slovenia did not deserve last place either.
Note: I’ve been watching the Eurovision Song Contest since 2005, so the following entries (by year) is just what comes to mind, they are not supposed to be in order. 01. Cascada – “Glorious” (Germany 2013) It should have made the top 5. 02. Valentina Monetta – “Crisalide” (San Marino 2013) It should have qualified to the Grand Final. 03. Moran Mazor – “Rak Bishvilo” (Israel 2013) It should have qualified to the Grand Final. 04. Ryan Dolan – “Only Love Survives” (Ireland 2013) It should have made the top 10. 05. Krista Siegfrids – “Marry Me” (Finland 2013) It… Read more »
Edit: I know you could class Finland as a Scandinavian country, but it had won “quite” recently, so Sweden wanted to eliminate that chance too, I suppose.
(all this is my opinion, it is not factual)
L’enfer Et Moi!
France’s best entry if you ask me, such a shame about the running order. I predict that Sweden wanted it to be in a Scandinavian country and gave all the main competition bad performance positions. To name the ones I’m thinking of:
France, Spain, Finland, Moldova, Russia, Belgium, Belarus, Malta and Germany.
the other injustice of eurovision
Valentina Monetta (this year,San Marino should have qualified)
Moran Mazor (Israel should have qualified)
Cascada (should had won)
Lena (2011,should have been in top 5)
Who See (should have qualified)
Urban Symphony (should have won)
Whilst i was sad Moran Mazor’s Rak Bishvilo wasnt on this list, im so glad Be My Guest was there. If it was performed as good as the studio version, it would have soared in the contest 🙁
I liked Izabo more than Dana…Izabo were at least cute 🙂
Jonathan you’re right. Portugals 2008 and 2010 entrie were both at least one of my personal top 3!
I only agree with your statements for Amandine and Gaitana. Your opinion isn’t so realistic. Top 10 – She was annoying as hell, the song si suitable for children’s ESC. Top 9 – A copy, of a copy, of a copy, of a copy Top 8 – Ding dong lol, what the fu**? Is this song so 90’s? Or older? Top 7 – Too tense, makes you wanna commit a suicide. I mean, it’s a nice ballad, but I don’t like the language at all so lol. Top 6 – I agree, she should’ve won. Top 5 – NO! Top… Read more »
And I also think that all of Portugal’s entries since 2007 (apart from 2011’s disaster) are severely underrated!
I think that one of the biggest injustices of the past few years has to be Finland in 2010. Seriously, they sang well, their song was fun and the audience loved it! I was so shocked when they didn’t qualify! And I’m also shocked that Valentina Monetta didn’t make it into your list! Poor Valentina 🙁
I dont agree at all. yelling and singing is a totally different things, and your first sentence on the review about Rona seemed to be very frustrating. The girl is famous in her country, she has a song that is not definitely “Kalomira- Greece” Style, and thats the reason she got her points. I am not saying you dont have to say your opinion, but cmmon, the whole Europe cannot be dumber than you .:))
Respect,