Random Eurovision Thoughts
- Thread starter NecessaryVoodoo
- Start date
The fact that the two biggest semi-final upsets came in back to back years....
Especially frustrating in Kate's case since we are stuck with the dodgy camera angle for her one Eurovision appearance.
Especially frustrating in Kate's case since we are stuck with the dodgy camera angle for her one Eurovision appearance.
The 2000s were truly dire for Irish entries, spoilt for choice when choosing the worst one. The shopping trolley turkey from 2008? The manic brother and sister duo in 2005? The woefully out of tune Dervish from 2007? The 80s dirge from 2001? The fashion disaster that was 2004?
Only the 2003 and 2009 entries were passable.
Only the 2003 and 2009 entries were passable.
Today is the 25th anniversary of Eurovision 1996, when Gina G gave us this Grammy-nominated eurobop
And Aurélia of Love Actually scored Portugal's best result before he-who-shall-not-be-named.
And Aurélia of Love Actually scored Portugal's best result before he-who-shall-not-be-named.
It is something of a solace that the UK won the following year but Just A Little Bit was such a missed opportunity for the Contest as a whole. It would have been a worldwide smash and it would have made the Contest contemporary and cool.
Well, it still did very well commercially, hitting #1 in the UK and Israel, top 10 in Australia and numerous European countries and the US top 20, and its contribute to update the contest was clear, after a musically conservative 1st half of the decade. In the following years, we already saw more contemporary sounds.
God Bless Gina G
Just one year ahead of her time, as the advent of Televoting started to come in the following year in 1997, and I reckon we'd have had a bit of a better result in that case. Stuffy old jurors (as they were back then) didn't really go for bops back in the day so much.
7 year old me is still sobbing as her not winning...
Just one year ahead of her time, as the advent of Televoting started to come in the following year in 1997, and I reckon we'd have had a bit of a better result in that case. Stuffy old jurors (as they were back then) didn't really go for bops back in the day so much.
7 year old me is still sobbing as her not winning...
RIP Franco Batiatto (1945-2021)
In 1984, he represented Italy in Eurovision, alongside Alice.
In 1984, he represented Italy in Eurovision, alongside Alice.
Oh wow didnt know this! Also Im pretty sure that the whole debacle with such a contemporary pop song losing to a traditional Irish orchestral ballad led to the introduction of televoting the next year.
The irony of the 1996 preliminary round being created so Germany wouldn't be relegated after placing last in 1995, only for Germany to be cut out of the final show anyway.
Last edited:
You could see the immediate effect of televoting in 1997 with the risqué Icelandic entry. It went down like a lead balloon with the national juries but scored 8 points from Sweden and 6 points from the UK, both of which used televotes.
On the other hand the Croatian Spice Girls did pretty middling, with their best score of 8 points coming from the Maltese jury, while two of the five televoting countries gave them nothing.
The Dutch Spice Mums did dreadful despite a very spirited performance. I expected them to have picked some points up from the televoting countries purely based on geography / language similarity, but they got zero. Their highest score, aside from the 1 point they got off Turkey, was a 4 from the always-contrary-in-the-90s Maltese jury.
Overall the televoting trial in 1997 matched up to the jury votes. I think it's worth bearing in mind that those who voted were likely older / a different demographic than the average Eurovision viewer in 2021.
On the other hand the Croatian Spice Girls did pretty middling, with their best score of 8 points coming from the Maltese jury, while two of the five televoting countries gave them nothing.
The Dutch Spice Mums did dreadful despite a very spirited performance. I expected them to have picked some points up from the televoting countries purely based on geography / language similarity, but they got zero. Their highest score, aside from the 1 point they got off Turkey, was a 4 from the always-contrary-in-the-90s Maltese jury.
Overall the televoting trial in 1997 matched up to the jury votes. I think it's worth bearing in mind that those who voted were likely older / a different demographic than the average Eurovision viewer in 2021.
I always thought the Spice Mums were pretty good, I loved the slight James Bond influences in the song.
Speaking of Gina G just found this pic Im guessing from the dress rehearsals?
Love how Malta, Poland and Denmark yesterday shared the iconic 80s design of the 1988 Contest.
