Helena Paparizou Greece Eurovision 2005

The 2000s was a decade of change. And we’re not just talking about the creation of the semi-final round in 2004, the introduction of a second semi in 2008 or the return of the jury vote in the 2009 final. Because, bookended between Nordic neighbours Denmark in 2000 and Norway in 2009, all of the other Eurovision-winning countries this decade were first-time champions.

Regardless of your taste in music, it cannot be denied that all ten winners were iconic in some shape or form. But who was your favourite? Some months ago, we asked y’all to decide. And the results are in!

After counting 6,932 votes, we can confirm that Greece’s 2005 victor Helena Paparizou is your favourite Eurovision winner of the 2000s with “My Number One”.

Greece’s Helena Paparizou is your favourite Eurovision winner of the 2000s with “My Number One”

It’s 16 years since the Swedish born Greek superstar stormed to Eurovision victory with “My Number One”. But the love for Helena Paparizou remains as strong as ever. She secured Greece its first win in 2005 and now she’s swept to victory in this poll, taking 1,411 votes and 20.35% of all votes cast. The one-time Antique frontwoman most certainly still has it, as evidenced by her Rock The Roof performance during Eurovision 2021.

In second place we have another iconic diva, but one with a very different musical style. Marija Serifovic gave Serbia its first win as an independent country with “Molitva” in 2007. The touching ballad has proven evergreen, and it was among the song contest classics to be featured in 2020’s Eurovision replacement show. In this poll, Mairja took home 1,218 votes or 17.57% of all votes cast.

The bronze medal goes to the all-conquering “Fairytale”. Alexander Rybak won for Norway with the folksy fiddle number in 2009, breaking all sorts of records in the process. He set a new high for the number of points received, a feat that would not be beaten until a revamped scoring system was introduced in 2016. He also set a fresh record for the number of 12 points received, which remained in place until Loreen won three years later. Here, he picked up 1,195 votes or 17.24% of all votes cast.

Poll results: Who is your favourite Eurovision winner of the 2000s?

  1. 2005: Helena Paparizou — “My Number One” (Greece) 20.35% (1,411 votes)
  2. 2007: Marija Serifovic — “Molitva” (Serbia) 17.57% (1,218 votes)
  3. 2009: Alexander Rybak — “Fairytale” (Norway) 17.24% (1,195 votes)
  4. 2003: Sertab Erener — “Everyway That I Can” (Turkey) 14.53% (1,007 votes)
  5. 2006: Lordi — “Hard Rock Hallelujah” (Finland) 9.95% (690 votes)
  6. 2004: Ruslana — “Wild Dances” (Ukraine) 9.58% (664 votes)
  7. 2000: Olsen Brothers — “Fly On The Wings Of Love” (Denmark) 5.11% (354 votes)
  8. 2008: Dima Bilan — “Believe” (Russia) 2.55% (177 votes)
  9. 2002: Marie N — “I Wanna” (Latvia) 1.77% (123 votes)
  10. 2001: Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL — “Everybody” (Estonia) 1.34% (93 votes)

Total Votes: 6,932

Do you agree with the results? Is Helena your ultimate winner of the 2000s? Who did you vote for? Let us know below.

Vote in more of our polls.

43 Comments
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The truth
2 years ago

Greeks voting for Greece as usual.

Maria
Maria
2 years ago

Yes!!! Greece!

CyxCy
CyxCy
2 years ago

Uh … okay. I would say, quoting a French humorist, that the 2000s of Eurovision, for me, is really “la tristitude“. Apart from Lordi who kicked size 46 in the swarm and blew all the codes, and, come on, Alexander Rybak, nothing really memorable happened. Fortunately, after that we had Loreen, Conchita, Salvador, Netta, Duncan … And of course Maneskin.

Sot
Sot
2 years ago
  1. Greece 2005 (rightful winner of the 00’s)
  2. Ukraine 2004 (Ruslana makes me dance every time)
  3. Serbia 2007 (one of the best debuts EVER)
  4. Finland 2006 (so glad Finland still send rock to ESC)
  5. Latvia 2002 (guilty pleasure, gotta say)
  6. Turkey 2003 (a decent winning entry, though Urban Trad were better)
  7. Russia 2008 (cute song but a winner? No…)
  8. Denmark 2000 (same with Russia, no winner vibes whatsoever)
  9. Norway 2009 (sorry but Rybak ANGERS me)
  10. Estonia 2001 (Greece, France, Denmark nooooo)
Charles the III
Charles the III
2 years ago

Even on that Eurovision, Shiri Maimin was better than Paparizo

PP77
PP77
2 years ago

My TOP 5

1.Turkey 2003
2.Denmark 2000
3.Serbia 2007
4.Norway 2009
5.Finland 2006

HarpyDarper
HarpyDarper
2 years ago

I get the impression that most fans don’t look back so fondly on the 2000s? Like it’s badly dated or now considered tasteless? And these feelings extend to most 2000s pop culture- is this accurate?

Charles the III
Charles the III
2 years ago
Reply to  HarpyDarper

Worst Eurovision decade. As detached from contemporary music as it could have.
Terrible cliché songs, poorly sung, poorly produced.
And the East European block above all.

Peter
Peter
2 years ago

Sorry but before 2000’s and the bad decade you mention with bloc voting, eurovision had become an event with little appeal to the wide audience due to the fact that all songs were ballads or slow songs and people wanted also something more upbeat. In 2000s eurovision was reborn as people could decide the result and as a result it became more lively and fun as an event.

Azaad
Azaad
2 years ago

Helena Paparizou is still a successful singer in the Greek music scene. Before Maneskin she was probably the most successful ESC winner of the 21st century in terms of post show commercial success.

Alex
Alex
2 years ago

Helena<3 Even though i loved her entry, she had better English songs like The Light in Our Soul, Gigolo and Mambo. I never got why she did not enjoy chart success in Europe after Eurovision (except for Balkans/Sweden/Greece, Turkey, Cyprus

Alex
Alex
2 years ago

Latvia had a great performance when most of the performances were boring that year. The song wasn’t the best for sure.

Nils
Nils
2 years ago

Olsen Brothers only in 7th? Looks like many on here are too young to remember …

Alex
Alex
2 years ago
Reply to  Nils

I never got the appeal of them. Russia was better.

Colin
Colin
2 years ago
Reply to  Alex

Latvia is my 2000 winner, but both Russia and Denmark are easily within top 5.

Nils
Nils
2 years ago

I’d say it’s quite obvious Latvia only won for the striptease.

PP77
PP77
2 years ago
Reply to  Nils

Latvia 2001 is like UK 1981. Both countries won thank more to clever staging then song.

Okan idu?
Okan idu?
2 years ago

I would take the result seriously if Last Dance didn’t came first in every poll this year. Greeks are known to take these polls too seriously.

Top 3 are Sertab, Lordi and Rybak for me with Molitva close 4th

vetrina
vetrina
2 years ago
  1. Sertab
  2. Lordi
  3. Marija Šerifovi?
  4. Olsen Brothers
  5. A. Rybak
  6. H. Paparizou
  7. Ruslana
  8. “Everybody”
  9. “I Wanna”
  10. “Believe”
sam
sam
2 years ago

unpopular opinion incoming but honestly helena is one of my least favorite favorite winners… i find the song monotonous and annoying. it sounds like a song that would be played on a vacation timeshare commercial

anyways molitva goes unmatched

PP77
PP77
2 years ago
Reply to  sam

Agree. For me Helena more deserved to won in 2001 with Die for you. Greece was better than Estonia and Denmark that year. Slovenia was best in 2001.

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
2 years ago

Alexander Rybak underrated. His 2018 song was average, but Fairytale was by far the best song of the 2000’s.

Boreal
Boreal
2 years ago

Whatever…

esc_fl
esc_fl
2 years ago

Molitva is my first, followed by Fairytale and Fly on the Wings of Love (I Wanna is my guilty pleasure).

Anhel
Anhel
2 years ago

I don’t agree with these results at all, but I’m glad Molitva is second, it’s deserved.

Dandi Dansa
Dandi Dansa
2 years ago

Since the 90’s we’ve had three nordic winners each decade, and if we predict future by previous years here’s the order of the nordic winners from my crystal ball (Hello Perrelli!) for this decade:

1991: Sweden
1995: Norway
1999: Sweden

2000: Denmark
2006: Finland
2009: Norway

2012: Sweden
2013: Denmark
2015: Sweden

202_:Norway
202_:Finland/Iceland
202_:Denmark

Raoul
Raoul
2 years ago
Reply to  Dandi Dansa

I hope this decade will bring us a first Icelandic victory. Recent years have been promising.

Kirby
Kirby
2 years ago
Reply to  Raoul

I dream of a Eurovision edition in Iceland!!!

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
2 years ago
Reply to  Raoul

I want to see Iceland win eurovision for the first time. Let’s hope they have a great national final full of winner options

Eugenie
Eugenie
2 years ago
Reply to  Raoul

I think Iceland can give us first electronic music victory. If we take a look on their entries, they usually contain electronic element or are electronics. And this genre never won ESC before.

Erik
Erik
2 years ago
Reply to  Dandi Dansa

Too bad the 2020s songs never got the chance to compete. Think about things was a clear winner to me.

Cocooo
Cocooo
2 years ago

I still hear Helena’s song on radio here, even though it’s been 16 years since she won. My Number One is one of those few songs that could be released in 2021 and still become a hit. Well deserved!

Steven
Steven
2 years ago

Marija Serifovic and Sertab are my all-time favourites

Phillybear
Phillybear
2 years ago

1. Greece
2. Turkey
3. Russia
4. Finland.

L’oiseau
L’oiseau
2 years ago

Looking at the majority of the winners, I can only say that Marija, Sertab, Helena, and Dima (by this order) were the beacons of light of a very very dark decade…

Eugenie
Eugenie
2 years ago
Reply to  L’oiseau

Totally disagree. Lordi were amazing! Stylish, authentic and unique. Bilan is one of the most boring winners ever. Predictable Swedish pop with cool , expensive staging and sexy performer to make teenagers drool. Helena was amazing on stage, but the song itself wasn’t. It’s forgettable to me. For me the best winners of decade were Lordi and Marija.

L’oiseau
L’oiseau
2 years ago
Reply to  Eugenie

Well, as I said, that was a very dark era for Eurovision and except for Marija all the others I mention were okeyish. I do agree that Nr 1 has not aged very well and also that Dima’s song is nothing special for today’s standards (polished Swedish pop tunes were still something new back then) but very well performed. On Lordi, well, I beg to differ. That was a very very all time low point for ESC in a terrible year. It pushed the circus element beyond any limits and the song is actually very standard pop. This was really… Read more »

Anhel
Anhel
2 years ago
Reply to  L’oiseau

What a classic example of someone who takes their own opinion as fact. I personally love at least half of these winners.

L’oiseau
L’oiseau
2 years ago
Reply to  Anhel

I never said it’s a fact. It’s obviously my opinion. Here we have a classical example of someone that can’t stand different opinions, I’m afraid, especially if they deviate from the majority.

Eugenie
Eugenie
2 years ago
Reply to  L’oiseau

If we’re talking about pop-side of Lordi, I agree with you,but I think there are some important nuances too. First of all, Lordi was first rock victory ever, which opened the door for other genres. Secondly, Lordi is a 70s styled hardrock band, so it’s kinda vintage and close to mainstream, cuz this era was. And third of all – I’m gonna be downvoted now – that’s strange to think that ESC can give non-mainstream rock victory. Both, Lordi and Maneskin, are 70s style bands and , I guess, it’s important to mention that this period is “rock is new… Read more »

L’oiseau
L’oiseau
2 years ago
Reply to  Eugenie

I agree on everything, especially the last part, except on Lordi and their influence in the ESC. I still think it was staging over music. Also I think that Zitti e buoni is a much better song. But that’s diversity: difference of opinions

Eugenie
Eugenie
2 years ago
Reply to  L’oiseau

DISCLAIMER:Extra-downvote ready comment. You will hate me right now. : I think both are good songs comparing to other ESC entries but as rock songs compared to other rock songs they’re average. Not bad, not good. Lordi sounds like a pop-version of pre-heavy metal 70s era when things started to get heavier, but still weren’t as heavy as Black Sabbath , for example. Maneskin is a typical example of 70s glam-stuff with modern production. Sometimes it feels really Queen-ish , but I’d rather compare it to Alice Cooper’s 80s pop-era with songs like “Spark in the dark” , “Bed of… Read more »

L’oiseau
L’oiseau
2 years ago
Reply to  Eugenie

Oh, agreed and upvoted. I also think that Zitti e buoni is ok but not a game changer in the genre. The difference between me and you is that you accept Loris’s song as a decent one and I don’t 🙂