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 Eurovision runner-up of the 2000s?
Eurovision second place acts: 2000 to 2009
During the 2000s, the second-place spot was dominated by three countries. Ukraine, Russia and Malta all took home silver twice. Aside from this trio of nations, other countries that came painfully close to nabbing the top spot were Denmark, Belgium, Serbia and Montenegro and Iceland.
But which 2000s runner-up was your favourite. You can watch and listen to all the entries below and then vote in our poll.
The best ones: 2000, 2004, 2008, but if I have to choose one, then it’s 2000
The most overrated one: 2007
The worst one: like the winner as well, 2001
Has to be Shady Lady, never seen a sultry song being performed so well on stage despite the somewhat perceived oversexualization but Ani definitely slayed and she slayed so good. Many wigs were probably thrown out that day of 2008. I still don’t get to this day how Russia won back then, were people really that blown away by an ice skater?
Honourable mentions to Sanomi, I mean, wow what a hypnotic and trance-y song despite being sung in literal imaginary gibberish. And obviously, to the one and only, Verka Serduchka.
Iceland 2009 all the way. But Verka will win because of the novelty factor.
Yohanna by a mile for me. What a voice and amazing key changes.
Wow Never Let You go is so underrated
they’re all excellent omg… solo and shady lady are my faves !
I wish everyone would stop banging on about Verka this and than, sick of him.
Sanomi is an underrated classic. Shame it isn’t on Spotify.
Oh early 2000s Eurovision, always stay your cringy self.
I very nice selection of songs. The runner ups of the noughties were generally good in my book. I voted for my top 3 but could’ve easily voted for more: 1. Belgium 2003: stunning melody and great performance. 2. Malta 2005: Chiara at her best. A very moving ballad and a captivating performance. 3. Iceland 2009: Classy and very catchy, much better than Fairytale if you ask me. 4. Malta 2002: The only one who actually is my winner of their year. Very fitting for its time, feel good and sweet. Still can’t understand how Latvia won. 5. Serbia and… Read more »
Definitely Belgium 2003: if they had had juries in 2003, Sanomi would have won easily. And obviously Ukraine 2007, Verka is a Eurovision legend.
Wow, amazing that Malta were 2nd twice in the same decade, but still haven’t won!
My favourite songs here are 2003 and 2009. I voted for 2009.
I said Sanomi but I could’ve just as easily said Lane moje or Dancing Lasha Tumbai. By and large, with a couple of exceptions, the runners-up in the ‘00s were better than the winners (my exceptions are 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2009, and even then I love Is It True).
I voted for 2001. The Danish version of that track is my go-to feelgood song. I still can’t believe Estonia won, with so many other great songs in the competition that year. Denmark, Greece and Slovenia would have made fantastic winners that year.
Such a shame Slovenia didn’t deliver live .. the staging was a mess , then again the whole staging of 2001 was a mess tbh ..
Dina every time. Yohanna and Zjelko were pure class, Verka great fun but the contest would be destroyed if a silly song won, but Dima is a class apart and the song is on my playlist to this day. He wuz robbed!
Absolutely 2008 .. such a great performance, excellent staging and the camera angles were on point .. sheer perfection .. lyrically very simple and cliche but still probably one of my all time favourite eurovision enteries ..
also loved Russia 2000, Alsou was much better than Dima . Along with Denmark 2001 and Belgium 2003 and Serbia 2004 ..
Never understood the appeal of Iceland 2009 ..
It’s Verka for me, such a happy, fun and subversive tune. Still makes me want to get up and dance after all these years!
Zeljko and Yohanna, two of my favorites ever.
I vote for urban Trad’s Sanomi. If I say Lordi’s Hard Rock Hallelujah is the ultimate example of how doing something different can grant you a great result in the contest, then I consider Sanomi as the precursor.
Verka is the most iconic, Ani is the most stunning, Yohanna is the most touching, don’t how to pick …
Shady Lady – amazing song, stunning performance and staging.
1. Ukraine 2008.
2. Iceland 2009.
3. Serbia and Montenegro 2004.
4. Denmark 2001.
5. Russia 2006.
6. Malta 2005.
7. Malta 2002.
8. Russia 2000.
9. Belgium 2003.
10. Ukraine 2007 – overrated as hell.
Solo and Saanomi is really underrated in the poll rn. I’m glad to see Is It True on the top tho
When you have the masterpiece of Lane Moje, there is nothing more to say
Yes, it should have been the first of three winners for Serbia
Ukraine and Iceland. Voted for Ani.
VERKA-freakin’-SERDUCHKA
yall are sleeping on alsou
Lane moje by far!
Seriously l’d like voting for Malta 2005, but his bad-boy shirt is so lovely, so I have to vote for Dima Bilan. Greetings from Italy. 😉
URBAN TRAD!! One of those rare new age gems at the ESC.
2008 and 2009 <3
As with Fuego and Follia d’amore later on, runner-ups of 2000s have sometimes even been better than the winning song. Such instances happened in 2004, 2005 and 2008, even if not always by a lot. Chiara is one of my absolute winners of generally good 2005, as is Zeljko for 2004 (even if the field there wasn’t as strong). Ani and Verka both gave their iconic stamps to the genres they performed in and both are in my top 10s for their years. Yohanna’s ballad is also quite lovely and is in my early teens of 2008. Aslou and Ira… Read more »
I feel that Lane Moje was somehow revolutionary at that point, after which many more ethno balads followed. That is the single entry in ESC history that costed me the biggest phone bill hahaha. The performance is forever carved in my memory <3
Yohanna (Iceland).
Sanomi is such a unique song, it’s one of my favorites from Belgium (and one of their best results, as well).
Ukraine should have won in 2008. and Iceland in 2009.
Voted for SCG 2004 and Malta 2005, too.
Obviously 2004. It’s one of the best ESC songs ever!
Lane Moje and Shady Lady!
Is it True is also a really good song.
I voted Lane Moje
ukraine 2007 is obivously going to win this one, but belgium 2003 is the one i voted for. the fact that a song sung an in ”imaginary” language made it so far to be only three points from winning is very impressive in my book
100% Iceland!
NOTHING CAN TOP ICELAND 2009