It’s quickly become a Eurovision tradition that’s almost as eagerly awaited as any of the preview parties. And on Friday, Lys Assia — Eurovision’s first ever winner — kept the custom going for another year, when she revealed her top 20 favourites for the upcoming contest in Kyiv.
Taking to her Facebook page, the 93 year-old music veteran crowned Italy’s Francesco Gabbani her Eurovision 2017 winner. Pouring praise on the use of Italian in “Occidentali’s Karma”, she casually mentions her own success with the language at Eurovision.
The Italian language is such a beautiful one. It reminds me of the time I performed the ever green “Giorgio” at the Contest of 1958. I ended up in 2nd place.
Portugal, Belgium, Austria and the United Kingdom round out her top five. Branding them strong song choices, she adds that “they celebrate diversity with their unique genres, lyrics and compositions”.
She concludes by confirming that she’ll travel to Kyiv for next month’s contest. See you there!
Lys Assia’s Eurovision favourites — 2017
- Italy
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Austria
- United Kingdom
- San Marino
- Switzerland
- France
- Australia
- Denmark
- Armenia
- Czech Republic
- Macedonia (FYR)
- Croatia
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Malta
- Bulgaria
- Russia
- Ireland
Perhaps anticipating the inevitable fan furore, team Assia stress that the list isn’t a prediction.
With this Top 20 Miss Assia isn’t predicting any results. She just wishes to let her many fans know which songs are, to her, the most qualitative, touching, inspirational end/or moving.
Lys Assia’s Eurovision favourites 2014-2016
Ahead of Copenhagen 2014, Lys selected Belgium’s Axel Hirsoux and “Mother” as her number one. The song failed to qualify for the grand final, finishing 14th in its semi. She ranked Austria — the ultimate winner — fourth.
In 2015, she backed Norway’s “A Monster Like Me” by Mørland & Debrah Scarlett. They finished eight. The actual winner Sweden came a lowly 19th on her list.
Last year, Eurovision’s grande dame lent her support to Malta and Ira Losco’s “Walk On Water”. The Eurovision returnee didn’t fare too badly in Stockholm, coming 12th. Coincidentally, eventual winner Ukraine appeared at 12 on Lys’ rankings.
What do you think of Lys Assia’s Eurovision 2017 rankings? Do you agree with her number one? Let us know in the comments or react using the wiwibloggs app.
The Portugal song is magnificent! I’m completely in love with her. This song is unique and timeless. And as the 2009 ESC winner Alexander Rybak said (it’s a song sung with true HEART, it’s a song that stirs our FEELINGS is pure magic). This year I have many hopes that Portugal will pass to the Final of ESC 2017, and if I pass I have a lot of faith in a good result. But regardless of what might happen, this song will be forever etched in my memory and in my heart.
Her top 3 are my favorite.
Wish Parque das naçoes Meo arena host Esc next yr.
https://youtu.be/uE6TCoXtZ7Y
https://youtu.be/0_v-sQGeaB0
@ Kiev
She is not predicting, these are just her favourites!!
And anyway, Francesco really has big chances of winning it all!! So please stop being envious, he is clearly the favourite, deal with it!
For the first time, I’m agreeing with Lys on putting Italy, UK, Switzerland and France on the Top 10. Most especially, I agree with her that Italy must win.
I’m surprised Finland and Estonia weren’t among her top 20.
San Marino, 6th?! It’d be front page if they even qualify with that song…
…But 6th? Only if Loreen were singing for them.
Lys Assia’s fav things! Oprah of Eurovision!
Who cares about a crazy old woman’s list and her old fashioned musical taste? Next year I want article about my personal top 20!
Thank to god that she always fails predicting the top
OMG… Why is everybody so angry?… And why do we all have to like the same things?… And why is it a problem if the lady prefers Western European songs?… Ask any old lady from a country in Eastern Europe what do they prefer… Show some respect and don´t forget the ages groups that actually watch the show on a saturday night…
oh god not again….. I am fed up with lys ass ia weird top 20 every year and it doesn’t match with scoreboard in the end, what is this to announce her top 20 to give them credit which is to discredit other entries?????…Ridiculous
Some people here need to chill. Her top is not due to her age or anything…that is just what she really likes and that’s okay! I swear some fans get atrocious when you don’t think like them….I respect her top 20. Heck, over the 5 years that I have actually made a list, my top 20 has not always agreed with fan fanvorites. Like, this year, I have Portugal as my winner and Italy 9th. Last year, I thought Ukraine Armenia and Serbia should have rounded out the top three (one of them did) instead of Russia and Australia because… Read more »
Thank god Lys Assia doesn’t follow this bunch of pussy millennials. Not everything has to be trendy because it somehow feels “modern”. What a great list (notably the top 3) unlike the self-important ones from brats of Youtube. Well done!! 😉
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this the first time her favourite was the fan favourite?
ALBANIA will WIN, all we will be SUPRISED
Italy do not like, although the text of song is very good. Interesting Russia, Bulgaria, LatviaTriana Park, Belarus. In this year Eurovision is medium.
@Eve:
Of Course, I was tickled by her favourites and felt the need to answer, due to the non sense hate spreading about her age and tastes! 😉
If she put Chad and Zimbabwe first it would have been the same, honestly… It’s not that important who she likes, at all! Ah ah ah! Irrilevant if you take it as it is.. But at the end of the day, she has had a career in music, let’s see how many of these “pure talents” (IT and POR included) will beat the proof of time….
Bye
I agree with Pierre… Levina is totally underrated found a good video from london
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwT85PKF1kc
@HI
You don’t want Italy to win or Portugal to be second…. I have a solution for you, we’ll put Portugal first and Italy second, problem solved lol
Thank you for that. And EXACTLY 50 year’s today SANDIE SHAW.Won Eurovision for the very first time in Vienna, with Puppet On A String ????????????????
How lovely she is! I adore her! Please don’t forget: “With this Top 20 Miss Assia ISN’T PREDICTING any results.” She just wants her fans to know which are her favourite entries! That’s it! Definetely Italy is the winner for me too! But she’s not right about the winner for many years. Having said that, I hope this breaks this year and see Italy winning the trophy! And yes, Italian is such a bautuful language! Another thing: France only 9th! This should be top 5 in May! I probably wouldn’t put Portugal 2nd, but it’s in my top 10 for… Read more »
A legend stanning for a legend <3
She is a 100% right!
The winner will be Italy or Portugal.
Kisses and good luck to all.
Great picks, the woman has great taste 😉
Italy is my winner too, UK and Austria are in Top 5 to both of us. Also glad she included Ireland and Malta. She only missed Finland and Poland to have a ‘full set’ like mine.
Thanks for the 14th spot from Croatia!
@ Elle – hahaha, I wonder if you say the same story if she choose different top 2! (btw, Italy and Portugal are also my winners). You said well- PERSONAL, so these lists are irrelevant!
i’m really missing germany. levina deserves a top 20 rank. i know the song isnt the best, but her voice is amazing. the vocals are good and she looks beautiful. in my opinion is she one of the best live-performer (better than Alma or Blanche, on a level with lucie). hopefully she will get support from a big-band.
p.s. the version from london was better than the first version of the song. a little faster and the instrumental was little different. the similarities to titanium are nearly out.
12 points from france
Where the heck is Azerbaijan?!
P.S.
I forgot… NATIVE LANGUAGES!!! One hundred points of advantage, to me 😉
To some people: Personal opinions?! Never ever heard of this weird entity??? De gustibus non est disputandum… (google it and make up some culture) RESPECT for a life-long music professionist, I aim to end up like her at 90, still brain-working, ah ah! Anyway… Alert: personal opinion! To me, this year the ONLY contestants who truly deserve victory ara Italy and Portugal, I’m totally ok with one them winning, I only root For them. I truly like them, hope Sobral will come in Italy one day, with an album to present, I’ll be there. As a televoter I already chose… Read more »
ok, we all know she put San Marino so high because of Ralph Siegel.. it is ok to have your favourites, but why you give media space to biased lists of this lady, this is direct influence on fair competition?! Her last year winner Malta, lol. Just hope she won’t bring bad luck to Francesco, geez..
Portugal second. OMG what an old fashioned song. This would score very well in the 60, but not in modern time. For the rest I agree with the top 3. But it will here old age why she put portugal so high.
This old hag has always puts in her list weird songs. Her list should be called list of shame. Most of the countries included will not even pass the semifinal…. She is not objective at all, annualy she includes in her list songs composed by her lifetime friend, Ralph Siegel…. Meh, it makes me sick…
Belgium and FYR Macedonia are in her list, just wondering for latter if it’s because video sets special meaning. Glad to see she sends some love to Portugal.
Interesting. The only Scandinavian country in this list is Denmark and she has always picked a winner judging by her last three lists, however the winner was never her number one.
At least my number one is on this list (Portugal) and four out of my top 5 are there (Australia, Russia and San Marino).
She has a horrible top apart from Italy in 1st place. Any Top 5 with no France, Bulgaria and Sweden is a bad top imo
Just a word to you ageist toddlers; taste in anything is subjective, there are no criteria on which to base what an individual likes or dislikes. It has nothing to do with being old or young or middle-aged. I only hope that in 32 years time, I’m still compos mentas enough to choose my top 20 let alone travel to the contest.
Great to see that the UK is her 5th!
Her list makes sense. She’s an old woman anyway. I can’t understand all these f**ktards who judged her..
She has’nt pick the Winner for many year. This is’nt the list hos its gonna be the13 of mat. I hope Italy not gonna Win, and Portugal are NOT gonna be 2nd.
I would like to see all Italian winner on fhe stage in 2018
You have to be on her list to win, any place is good even 20th. Well, Sweden isn’t on the list, so bye bye Sweden for the win this year. Matches also its underwhelming live performance as shown in concerts lately. Belgium is out too if live performance is a factor and it is.
Well that’s an old womans taste.. Some of the songs she’s chosen are crap ballads. Like the UK and Malta. The Italian language is beautiful, yes, but did she like the SONG? That is actually competing..
The Goirilla shirt you keep advertising does not seem to be available for purchase 🙁 (and I want it)
In other news thanks Assia for rating the UK
Hos mutch Money did she got, from Italy and Portugal to Putin them 1st and 2nd.
Wow, one of the Eurovision pioneers!!
Her top 10 are all Western European countries… how original… but of course what can you expect from a dinoseur…. You should have asked a couple of tough questions on diversity, Padraig. That is, assuming you care about it. Ireland just hit the bottom of my list.
Her top three is my top three YAS.
These are the songs that are the best FOR HER…. let’s respect… And certainly her list is much better and makes much more sense that a bunch that we see everywhere….
stopped reading her top after #6.. girl really?
but yeah, i agree with italian being a beautiful language. i’m not a language nazi like some people but certain countries like italy and france are compulsory to send songs in their language!
@Esc Bear
More respect please