Wiwibloggs continues our series looking at the countries currently competing at Eurovision and the reasons why we love them. There must be something in the Baltic waters as Denmark continues to wow us each year with its variety of entries that would even outdo the number of flavours found on a smørrebrød.
Denmark first graced the Eurovision Song Contest stage in 1957. Since then, they have participated in the contest 46 times and had their first taste of victory in 1963. After a poor placing in 1966, the Danes pulled the plug and did not appear back on the Eurovision stage until 1978. Thankfully, since their return into the contest, they have been bestowed twice Eurovision glory — in 2000 and most recently in 2013 in Malmö. Here we share 10 reasons why we love Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest.
1. They left us with Only Teardrops
From the sounds of the flute to folksy barefooted dancing, Emmelie de Forest’s performance left us with “Only Teardrops” of joy with this Eurovision classic. Deservingly so, de Forest’s magical pop melody claimed Denmark’s third Eurovision win in 2013.
2. Their first English performance was a quintessential ’90s pop love feast
With Eurovision abolishing the language rule, which had previously required all entrants to sing in their native tongue, it made way for the Danes to make their English debut a heartfelt one. Despite it being almost a new millennium in 1999, Denmark treated us to the quintessential ’90s romantic pop ballad “This Time I Mean It” by Trine Jepsen and Michael Techl. Good thing their love did mean it as their performance finished eighth.
3. They allowed Vikings to reach Higher Ground
Just when you thought that the world had already gone Viking crazy thanks to the slew of Scandinavian seafaring-themed television shows taking over our screens, the Danes took it up a notch. They sent bearded songful raider Rasmussen on a new-age Viking quest to the Eurovision stage. Together with four other burly Norsemen, Rasmussen took Eurovision to “Higher Ground” with cementing Denmark’s flag in ninth place.
4. They brought a taste of European Vegemite to Eurovision
After Australia’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, Denmark decided it too wanted to put some Aussie flair into the competition. In 2017, Danish-Australian pop singer Anja Nissen exercised her vocal gymnastics to sing “Where I Am” in Ukraine.
5. They returned to Eurovision after a long absence
A few years after their first Eurovision triumph in 1963, the Danes withdrew from the contest after placing 14th — a record low for them. All was redeemed in 1978 when Denmark made a thunderous return back onto the Eurovision stage with “Boom Boom” by Mabel.
6. Matching gold outfits
Glossy pastries aren’t the only golden thing to come out of Denmark. In 2006, Sidsel Ben Semmane gave Goldilocks a run for her money as she took to the stage in a matching top and bottom gold outfit to perform “Twist of Love” with similarly dressed back-up dancers. She didn’t win the title but her gold knee-high boots certainly made up for the lack of a shiny trophy.
7. Proving that age is no barrier
Maybe it was a case of seeing two veteran singers strumming on guitars and bonding over love that lead Denmark to claim its second Eurovision win in 2000. Despite being much older than their competitors, the Olsen Brothers’ old-fashioned feelgood love song “Fly on The Wings of Love” was a hit with pop charts around the world, landing at number one in neighbouring Sweden.
8. Giving us a fairy tale romance on stage
It seemed as though Denmark took inspiration from its famous son, author Hans Christian Andersen for its 2010 storybook performance in Oslo. Chanée & N’evergreen lit up our hearts with their almost Disneyesque song and outfits for “In a Moment Like This”.
9. They gave us sky-high hair
With both Jedward and A Friend in London sporting highrise hair in 2011, there surely wasn’t much hairspray left in the Düsseldorf makeup room. Despite coming in fifth place, it seems as though all four of the Danish boyband members had hair better placed with this rock-inspired entry.
10. Suited up synchronised dance moves
Who doesn’t love a cliché love song with cliché pop cultural references and dance moves? Maybe not the jury and public vote but we did (and still do!) Basim blessed us with his upbeat number supported by matching back-up (and suited-up) dancers.
What are your favourite moments from Denmark at Eurovision? Let us know in the comments section below!
Read more Denmark Eurovision news here
I like your description of Only Teardrops. It’s my favourite Eurovision entry of all time. 🙂
I can’t say Denmark is among my favourite countries at Eurovision. But they’ve sent some pretty good songs. I remember 2009 and 2011, great songs.
Nothing about 1963?
I honestly think their victory is the beginning of a new era (kind of) at Eurovision as it was different (and better) than the other winners back then
Flawless entry, timeless <3
Bonus : Had Denmark qualified in the 1996 final, Michel would not have learned hiw to rock.
Erratum: “…Michael would not have learned how to rock. ”
🙂
Birthe Kjær deserved a number on this list. She was a Queen of 80’s
My Top 5 song from Denmark
1. 1992 (deserved to be in TOP 5)
2. 1981 (deserved to be in TOP 5)
3.2000
4.1988
5.1963
Underrated in 11983,1992,2002,2017
Overrated in 1984,1986,1987,1989,2001
They deserved to qo to final in 1996 , song was TOP 5 material for me.
I feel like they’re a country that has never taken any risks. Especially since 1999, they’ve been sending various versions of the same song with very few exceptions–guitar-driven generic pop midtempo. Their songs are always very vanilla, and it’s usually up to the staging to elevate the song, like in the case of Higher Ground. I’d love them to select something riskier next year, but it’s usually DR’s fault for only selecting basic pop tracks.
Most of their songs in their national finals are really quite bad, the eventual winner often being the only half-decent one.
Heart-Shaped Hole being a big exception…!
I take offense with vanilla being used to discredit something. Plenty of vanilla stuff can be good if it’s done well. The term to describe DR’s song choices is irrelevant. Their songs are irrelevant and sometimes they get lucky with that.
Vanilla is used to describe bland things it wasn’t a reference to your nickname lmao
I understood you correctly. Vanilla is used to describe ordinary, simple things and simplicity isn’t necessarily bad. Or bland. Irrelevance is. At least at Eurovision, I would think.
They should have taken the risk and sent Sannie with Boys On Girls this year. It is a fantastic LGBT-anthem 🙂
My favorite entry from Denmark is Anja Nissen’s Where I Am. I love the topic, the melody and her performance with the fire in the background. Every time the choir starts with “Laying down my armour, laying down my gun” I get chills 🙂
I don’t know why but I normally find Danish entries very bland (apart from this year’s)
Well, this year’s song was bland, it could’ve been on a Disney soundtrack–but the image it promoted and the staging were just too good and gave it that extra valued that made us all love it!
This medley from the 2014 Danish national final is reason enough to love Denmark. Don’t you dare turn off before Queen Birthe Kjær arrives onstage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLd9fAQBUOY
Dansevise from 1963 by Grethe and Jorgen Ingmann is my favourite winner and in my opinion one of the best (if not the best) winner in ESC history. Such a classic with unexpected twist and turns and psychadelic elements that The Beatles used similarly years later. Olsen Brothers are classic as well, but after that they kind of lost me.
Also it fit so well with the Bond-inspired opening sequence of 2014!
So these posts are literally just a “our favorite 10 entries of the last 10 years” post… as u literally just mention 10 songs as reason to love a country to be in the contest. No substance….
Exactly. Not everybody is capable of substance. Sometimes we have to make our own substance. 😉
I feel like Denmark was the hardest country for them to find ten things they love about, because their Eurovision experiences, from the song to the artists, are always very bland and vanilla…
My favourite from them is 2005: Talking To You
Hi, Azerbaijan’s brother!
Oh oh, it just hit me. Of course, it is unbelievable that this is not included in the top 10 reasons of this article: The message of the Danish lead singer in 2011 to the Dutch (I think) spokeswoman. 🙂
My favorite Danish entries are older than I am: The smooth Fra Mols til Skagen from 1995 and the iconic Vi maler byen rød. I for one adore the Danish language and think it sounds just lovely in songs. A song in Danish at Eurovision probably never going to happen again but there is no good reason why not. Clearly, they are not that concerned with winning after 2013, otherwise they would search harder for better song material for the national final. As a diligent broadcaster, DR “should have known better” particularly in the case of Anja Nissen and never… Read more »
Denmark are often very sincere in their entries, and I find that really endearing. They don’t usually send novelty acts (save for the awesome Stemmen i mit liv from 97, which you need to look up right now), but they have a ton of fun, bouncy pop songs. There are a bunch this article didn’t get to, but I’m giving special mention to all the entries by Tommy Seebach, with an emphasis on Disco Tango (which became a European hit) and Under stjernerne på himlen (a beautiful song that was incredibly underrated to the degree that it got Denmark relegated… Read more »
I’m glad that Rasmussen did so well with the televote. Before the contest, haters were all ‘it’s too serious, only juries will like it’. But you don’t mess with vikings.
People thought Rasmussen would do well with the juries? He was the OBVIOUS televote winner from his semi-final, the public goes crazy for stuff like that.
Rasmussen was a clearly televote player this year.
Like Austria 2016 or Croatia 2017 and these kind of memorable enjoyable performances + it was catchy or course and family appealing.
It had a strong concept behind so ofc it did well with people.
The juries argument might have been just because it was Denmark. The whole entry was too entertaining for boring juries.