Twelve polls of Christmas: Who is your favourite Eurovision runner-up of the 2010s?

This year at wiwibloggs we are celebrating the festive season with a series of different polls. For the next few days, we’re going to stuff your stockings with a selection of end-of-decade Eurovision votes. Consider this a unique riff on the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you can join us and let us know your thoughts for each and every poll.

Eurovision second place acts: 2010 to 2019

They say that history is written by the winners. And for Eurovision that is mostly the case. The victor gets the trophy and reprises their entry, while the whole shebang arrives in the winning country approximately twelve months later.

But that doesn’t mean that we forget about everyone else. Often, some would even suggest that the best songs always come second. We couldn’t possibly confirm or deny such a theory. However, we’re more than happy to put it to the test and look back at all of the runners up from 2010 to 2019.

Which second-place act is your favourite? Vote in our poll and then share your thoughts in the comments.

Eurovision 2010: Turkey’s maNga with “We Could Be the Same”

This alternative metal attempt won Turkey its second-best result ever. It was also the country’s best result this decade, albeit it’s been absent since 2013. maNga were one of the top contenders in Oslo and put up a serious fight on the scoreboard. But in the end it was Germany’s Lena who got the win with “Satellite”.

Eurovision 2011: Italy’s Raphael Gualazzi with “Madness of Love”

It’s the runner-up nobody expected. On the night, Italy was 20th in the betting odds. But after missing 14 consecutive contests, Raphael Gualazzi’s bilingual ballad delivered the Italians one of the most spectacular comebacks in history. Not quite a victory, but surely the next best thing.

Eurovision 2012: Russia’s Buranovskiye with “Party For Everybody”

Probably the craziest runner up since “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” in 2007, this iconic performance is one to remember. It might have lost to Sweden’s “Euphoria” by a considerable margin, but it remains a favourite in the Eurovision bubble. The “baking grandmas” even won themselves a mention in “Love Love Peace Peace” — the self-deprecating interval act from 2016.

Eurovision 2013: Azerbaijan’s Farid Mammadov with “Hold Me”

“Hold Me”, Azerbaijan’s only second-place finish in the contest, was notable for its staging. While Denmark was the hot favourite to win, there were plenty of other acts that seemed like strong contenders, including Azerbaijan. However, Denmark was the clear winner and Azerbaijan had to settle for silver.

Eurovision 2014: The Netherlands’ The Common Linnets with “Calm After the Storm”

The Netherlands shook everyone by taking second place in 2014. It was only one year after the nation qualified to the Eurovision final for the first time since 2004. The Common Linnets’ soft folk song won hearts, and for a moment it almost looked like victory was in their sights.

Eurovision 2015: Russia’s Polina Gagarina with “A Million Voices”

In a year in which the televotes and the jury couldn’t agree on anything, Russia profited and almost won. During the voting procedure, Russia held on to a lead until very late in the show, but Sweden took gold eventually. “A Million Voices” by Polina Gagarina remains a personal favourite for many.

Eurovision 2016: Australia’s Dami Im with “Sound of Silence”

In only its second year competing, Australia sashayed straight into the top two. Dami Im’s “Sound of Silence” won the jury vote and was seemingly on the way to a landslide victory, but eventually finished second, a tiny margin behind Ukraine’s “1944”.

Eurovision 2017: Bulgaria’s Kristian Kostov with “Beautiful Mess”

The top of the 2017 scoreboard was a beautiful mess of different genres. The winner from Portugal won the jury vote and the public, with Bulgaria’s Kristian Kostov finishing second in both. Kostov not only got the highest score ever for a non-winner, he also got the second-highest score of all time. Furthermore, just one year after Poli Genova secured Bulgaria’s top score in the contest, Kristian smashed it and then some.

Eurovision 2018: Cyprus’ Eleni Foureira with “Fuego”

In the days leading up to Eurovision 2018, fans became more and more convinced that Cyprus would win it. But in the end, as Eurovision 2019 host Assi Azar would say, they didn’t. Despite that, the song still became a staple choice for fan favourite all-time tops and achieved widespread success across Europe. We even saw it performed by Måns Zelmerlöw on the Tel Aviv stage.

Eurovision 2019: Italy’s Mahmood with “Soldi”

Mahmood’s win in the Sanremo Festival 2019 came as a surprise to many. But then, in the months leading up to Eurovision, the unique Italian R&B song grew on Eurofans. After Tel Aviv, “Soldi” charted in 24 countries in Europe.

Who is your favourite Eurovision runner-up of the 2010s?

Poll closed.

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