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 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. Today’s question — Who is your favourite host country act at Eurovision in the 2010s?
Eurovision host country entries: 2010 to 2019
In Eurovision, at least in modern times, it typically feels like one year you’re in, the next you’re out. That’s because host countries almost always seem to have the reputation of being flops. And that’s somewhat true.
In the 2010s, five of the ten home entries finished in the bottom five — Norway, Austria, Ukraine, Portugal and Israel. However, scoreboard failure is not inevitable. Those host entries that don’t struggle are regularly found inside the top ten. Home acts which soared in this decade included Germany, Azerbaijan, Denmark and Sweden (2016). The only time the bottom five/top ten trend was bucked was in 2013, when Sweden finished mid-table.
But who was your favourite host country act? Watch and listen to all the performances below and then vote for your favourite in our poll.
2010: Didrik Solli-Tangen — “My Heart Is Yours” (Norway)
2011: Lena — “Taken by a Stranger” (Germany)
2012: Sabina Babayeva — “When the Music Dies” (Azerbaijan)
2013: Robin Stjernberg — “You” (Sweden)
2014: Basim — “Cliché Love Song” (Denmark)
2015: The Makemakes — “I Am Yours” (Austria)
2016: Frans — “If I Were Sorry” (Sweden)
2017: O.Torvald — “Time” (Ukraine)
2018: Cláudia Pascoal — “O jardim” (Portugal)
2019: Kobi Marimi — “Home” (Israel)
Don’t even have to think about it. Lena clearly stands out. For me Taken By A Stranger is much better than her winning song Sattelite.
Totally agree. It would still feel fresh in 2021 and I hope we get more like it. It felt like she did what was necessary to win in 2010, so in 2011 with less pressure we got to see more of Lena doing something fun and risky. Loved it.
(also some love for ‘O Jardim’ here – great tune and criminally underrated on the night)
Lena for me. Mesmerising and iconic.
O jardim for sure. One of the best tunes that year.
YES!!! LENA… Awesome song. Should have won in 2011. By far the best song in this list! Although I still really really like the song of Portugal 2018. Don’t hate me for it!
I Am Yours and O Jardim are masterpieces, both in my top 5 best ESC songs ever <3
O Jardim and When The Music Dies. Stunning songs.
Cláudia and Lena, definitely.
Sabina’s song 2012 was way better than the winning song year before. Her vocals and stage presence were just stunning.
Agree. Same for Germany, song from 2011 was way better than the winning song year before.
O Jardim all the way by far
A bit unrelated, but it seems to me that a country will have a hunger to win Eurovision, try a few things and eventually win- but then struggle in the following years, or enter sub-par entries. It’s like the interest and enthusiasm will fade- where do you go after you’ve won? See UK and Denmark after they last hosted (both instances for Denmark). Anyone agree
They’ve come to realise that hosting the contest is very expensive. I think that’s one of the main reasons.
Seeing the votes for “O Jardim” like:
Germany, Azerbaijan and Portugal.
And Lemme add N’lands 2020, cuz that entry would’ve been my #1.
2011 much better Lena song for me.
Seems we have the same. These are not maybe top 10 songs, but they have a personnality, a little something charming
O Jardim! <3 It didn't deserve the last place in the final!
Charts wise 2016, that was everywhere. And still can be heard.
Its one of few host entries of the decade that did really well in the contest. Host entries used to do well but now it seems to be the opposite. Dont know when that change occured..
Listen to Catch and Release by Matt Simons side by side w Sweden 2016.. poor show
11 , 16 and 18 ..
1. Sabina Babayeva – When the Music dies
2. Lena – Taken by a Stranger
3. Basim – Cliché Love song
Portugal 2018 is my my favourite by a clear mile. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking it was going to do really well, so you can imagine my surprise when it came last. In my little fantasy, it would have challenged for the win, but 2018 turned into a pretty strong year. It’s still one of all time favourite ESC songs though, and I still think it was robbed!
I really liked this one too! But looking back, I do think that the performance in the final wasn’t the best – it did feel a bit flat.
My top 3
1.Germany 2011
2.Azerbaijan 2012
3.Portugul 2018
In 2000’s host songs were better: 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
My fav host entry is The Netherlands this year, I hope you include that too even when the contest is cancelled
I liked that one too. Its ending was brilliant and beautiful
Lena of course !
For me, host entries have been an unpredictable sort, varying in impact a lot. 1. Azerbaijan 2012 – This was astonishing. Sabina performed so well and it’s a top notch song. The instrumental conveyed both warmth and coldness it was supposed to. If anything, this is the one that *should* have been their first win. 2. Portugal 2018 – A mesmerizing song due to it’s emotional impact. I get it that in a highly competitive year it might have been too low key for many viewers, but it finishing last is one of the least deserving results in the finals… Read more »
2016, followed by 2014 (why is it hard to send an upbeat song from the host nation?) and 2015.
My Thoughts: When The Music Dies: Maybe an unpopular opinion, but this is my 2012 winner. Yes, I know it isn’t euphoria (that song is my 2nd), but Sabina’s vocal and this song as a whole is something else. I only wish that they had sent this in 2011 because it is 1000000000% more deserving of a win than Running Scared. The mugham touches in this are heavenly. O Jardim: I will never ever understand how this managed a last place. Amar Pelos Dois, O Jardim, and Telemoveis should have been 3 consecutive top 10 (maybe even top 5) finishes… Read more »
Ha, we have the exact same top 3! When the Music Dies is also my runner-up of 2012, with Never Forget being my winner and Euphoria my 3rd (Yeah, I know… Euphoria really is astonishing, but I feel like some people find it unimaginable that anyone would have any other song before it). 😉
I feel like euphoria has come to be known as such a pop culture phenomenon that saying it wasn’t your winner in a eurovision space is akin to blasphemy lmao
The interesting thing is – I didn’t notice that phenomenon with any other winner. You can easily say that you have another song ahead of Satellite, Heroes, Amar pelos dois or Arcade. Some winners, like Running Scared, are even *unpopular* to put in your top 10. But Euphoria seems to be an institution like no other in the last decade. In a way, I can understand why – It was an experience on stage. It was like no song before or after in terms of composition and staging. It’s victory also helped to push the contest to be more competitive… Read more »
Yup, When the Music Dies was my number one as well for 2012. Probably my favourite Azerbaijani entry of the decade, slightly edging out 2010 and maybe 2013 and 2017.
2010 was great, but 2017 lacked something for me and 2013 was really not good at all. When Azerbaijan delivers, they deliver (see 2010, 2019, 2012) but when they flop, they flop hard (not necessarily in ranking, but in song quality, see 2018, 2008, 2013).