WatchMojo, a YouTube channel famed for churning out several top 10 videos per day, released its “Top 10 Eurovision Song Contest Songs” yesterday, covering a wide range of eras and (mostly) winners. They judged the entries on “a combination of the song’s ranking in the contest, their commercial success, and their overall audience reception”. Even though they mixed up Carola’s postcard for her winning entry — hey, it happens — we’re pleasantly surprised by the breadth of the list.

Here is their list (for all of you who read Wikipedia plot summaries before watching the movie):

10. “Diva”– Dana International (Israel 1998)

9. “Only Teardrops”– Emmelie de Forest (Denmark 2013)

8. “Fairytale”– Alexander Rybak (Norway 2009)

7. “Rise Like a Phoenix”– Conchita Wurst (Austria 2014)

6. “Save Your Kisses for Me”– Brotherhood of Man (United Kingdom 1976)

5. “Ne partez pas sans moi”– Celine Dion (Switzerland 1988)

4. “Satellite”– Lena (Germany 2010)

3. “Hard Rock Halleujah”– Lordi (Finland 2006)

2. “Euphoria”– Loreen (Sweden 2012)

1. “Waterloo”– ABBA (Sweden 1974)

Honorable mentions:

“Making Your Mind Up”– Bucks Fizz (United Kingdom 1981)

“Lipstick”– Jedward (Ireland 2011)

“What’s Another Year”– Johnny Logan (Ireland 1980)

“Ding-a-dong” – Teach-in (Netherlands 1975)

“Fångad av en stormvind”– Carola (Sweden 1991)

We can already hear some of you rolling your eyes and saying this is a list drafted by Eurovision lay people who have likely only listened to the winning songs. The list is a very good indication of Eurovision’s most famous winners, but for diehard Eurovision fans it may seem a little narrow. Mainstream fame doesn’t always equate to the best songs or Eurovision classics (looped at parties from Manchester to Minsk).

The list largely ignores non-winners (except for Jedward), and is rather heavy on Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia. Also, only three non-English songs feature. It overlooks the many songs that are adored even though they didn’t win — i.e. “L’Essenziale” and “Adio” for me, and “What About My Dreams?” and “Calm After the Storm” for others. And then there are those other amazing winners that are huge hits in their markets, even if not in the West — “Wild Dances”, “My Number One”, “Everyway that I Can”.

As our readers point out below, The Common Linnets went #5 globally with their album that featured “Calm After the Storm”. And Helena Paparizou placed fourth at the Eurovision 50th anniversary show with “My Number One.”

While we congratulate WatchMojo for quantifying the Eurovision Song Contest as best it could — they defined a formula and went for it — it’s obvious to any Eurovision fan that the list has some big holes. The beauty of Eurovision is that there is so much diversity of music and language and genre that your winner isn’t neccessary ours or hers or his.

What do you think of WatchMojo’s list? Is it a list of clichés? Do you think it accurately reflects the very best of the Eurovision Song Contest? Opine below!

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Alice
Alice
8 years ago

‘Wild Dances’ should’ve been on the list, or at least got an honourable mention. Come on, it was featured in GTA4!

And no ‘Volare’ or ‘Eres Tu’?

Jacob
Jacob
8 years ago

The best song of course is Only Teardrops!

Axie
Axie
8 years ago

Anyone who gives tacit approval to “What’s Another Year” and snubs “Hold Me Now” completely gets points in my book. [2]

Hold Me Now is BORING. What’s Another Year is brilliant.

Melissa Kutcher
Melissa Kutcher
8 years ago

The list missed two songs that were recognized by Billboard magazine, which charts popular music here in the USA. The first was Mocedades, where “Eres Tu” was recognized as one of the Top 50 Latin songs in 2008, in honor of the magazine’s 50th Anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100. But the most glaring omission was Domencio Modugno with his worldwide hit “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” from the 1958 contest. It was Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 for 5 weeks, becoming the biggest American hit in 1958. The song also won the first Grammy for Song of… Read more »

eurovision
8 years ago

This songs are all amazing.
Visit my blog
https://eurovision12points.wordpress.com/

aari
aari
8 years ago

That list is made of the basic winners that everyone who has ever heard something about Eurovision knows, and those countries above aren’t the only places good songs come from, they didn’t even mention songs from eastern european countries and a song doesn’t necessarily have to be a winner to be good

Haji
Haji
8 years ago

The best one is “Running scared” by Azerbaijan’s Ell/Nikki duo.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
8 years ago

Horrible list. I would never watch Eurovision if those were genuinely the ten best.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

“Volare” is not on the list??? Even though it was the first ever song to win the Grammy for Record of the Year???

Warrior
Warrior
8 years ago

Loreen #1

Melissa J
Melissa J
8 years ago

I have had a low opinion of WatchMojo ever since they made their “Top Anime Voice Actors” list, which only included the most current popular actors and snubbed some others who, while no longer active, were a big part of the industry. A good effort on their part, I guess, but they really should have fact checked better.

Daniel
Daniel
8 years ago

Seriously? Before going to this site I was watching this channel on YouTube. HOW DID I MISS IT?!

Nathanael
Nathanael
8 years ago

What is Emmelie the Forest doing there? :X

Chris
Chris
8 years ago

“Is it true” from Iceland 2009?

YoungsterJoey
YoungsterJoey
8 years ago

Clearly they don’t have good ESC researchers by screwing up Carola’s song.

Eh, the video couldve been better, like explaining the concept of Conchita cause lots of nonESC viewers would ask “what’s going on with the beard?” Sorta surprised to see Emmelie on the list, it was a good song but I don’t really consider it as making much of an impact like other winning songs.

Luigi
Luigi
8 years ago

They aren’t American the are Canadian!! And it was obvious that abba would first I was happy lordi was 3rd

mawnck
mawnck
8 years ago

“they made this list for Americans”

… and left off Volaré, Eres Tú, and Love is Blue. Niiiiice.

60 years of Eurovision, but as usual, the first 18 don’t count …

Deniz@TurkNL
Deniz@TurkNL
8 years ago

Lots of butthurt people commenting at that youtube video. I told them why eurovision is a good show. They can’t even respect a contest that makes Europe unite.

wozzeck
wozzeck
8 years ago

The video doesn’t feature Carola’s “Fångad av en stormvind”, but her postcard in that year’s contest, celebrated in Italy, singing “Non voglio mica la luna”.

Darren
Darren
8 years ago

Not a bad list really. My top 10 Eurovision winning songs of all time are: 1. Loreen – Euphoria (Sweden 2012) 2. Emmelie De Forest – Only Teardrops (Denmark 2013) 3. Lena – Satellite (Germany 2010) 4. Eimer Quinn – The Voice (Ireland 1996) 5. Conchita Wurst – Rise Like A Phoenix (Austria 2014) 6. Alexander Rybak – Fairytale (Norway 2009) 7. Johnny Logan – Hold Me Now (Ireland 1987) 8. Ruslana – Wild Dances (Ukraine 2004) 9. Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah (Finland 2006) 10. Marija Serifovic – Molitva (Serbia 2007) If I was to take my top 10… Read more »

JK Hawaii
8 years ago

To be fair, condensing 60 years of music into a top ten list will always come out this way—we can’t expect list makers to let their own personal biases come into play when making a list for the general (and unknowing, in this case) audience. Personally, if we’re talking about non-English entries, I would have loved to see “Poupée de cire, poupée de son” for eliciting the upbeat music we all appreciate or “Tu te reconnaîtras” for being an enduring Eurovision classic. Even “La Det Swinge” would be a good, Eurovision-y sounding entry! But I think the entries they chose… Read more »

Calvin
Calvin
8 years ago

In defense of this list, they made this list for Americans, and I don’t think I can overstate the closed-mindedness and flea attention spans of Americans. I should know; I am one. Also, lists of favorite Eurovision entries tend to defer to the classics. When I was making a top 30 list, I found myself picking the prestigious winners (Bucks Fizz, Herreys, etc.) over songs that didn’t do as well/are less well-known that I actually liked more sometimes. What was left was the most clichéd, boring list of favorite Eurovision songs ever. tl;dr Let’s see you do better. Also, they… Read more »

Easpag
Easpag
8 years ago

The fact that the Common Linnets got into the top 5 albums in the WHOLE WORLD after the contest and isn’t on the list speaks for itself…

Mario
Mario
8 years ago

4 me in every different aspects the #1 song that i have lived to the fullest is
*Everyway That I Can* ~ Sertab <3

Not only it was massive hit in clubs/radio/charts but back then in summer of 2003 it was really wonderful time.. <3
I was 17 years old..

Although in normal conditions i would write that the #1 top song of our Vision is *Euphoria* by Loreen of course..

Otna
Otna
8 years ago

Not a bad list at all if we’re dealing with winners, but yeah, so many great songs not mentioned.

AlvaRiro
AlvaRiro
8 years ago

Here is my top 60 (2006-2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6MESJMkaqM

The list is boring… always the same

Mario
Mario
8 years ago

So many songs to mention here…
Too bored to type them all! 😛

GK HELLAS
GK HELLAS
8 years ago

where is helena paparizou who was voted 4th in the 50th anniversary show and FIRST in the voting of bbc radio?You must be kidding of course….

Vladimir P.
Vladimir P.
8 years ago

No east European countries and Turkey. That says everything

europa
europa
8 years ago

Its a list of obvious clichés and thE recent winners.

Anfrufrafrafra
8 years ago

No Dum Tek Tek? Then this is sooo wrong.