Nick's Eurovision winners: 1997-2016

Wivian posted her Eurovision winners earlier this week and it's safe to say that we pretty much never agree on music. My favourites win a little more than her favourites, but nevertheless, here are my winners from 1997 to 2016. Where would Eurovision have taken us, had I decided who'd win each year? You can switch between years by clicking on the page of your choice below. I love to dive into Eurovision history and this piece has been a lot of fun to do. In this journey, we'll be travelling trough Europe: from Manchester to Athens, from Warsaw to Lisbon. We'd love to hear what you think about my winners of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1997. Have fun reading! Dublin 1997: Jalisse - Fiumi Di Parole (Italy) We immediately kick off with the toughest year out there for me. 1997 was an incredibly strong year, with songs like Primadonna, Dinle or Keelatud Maa. However, there was a sacred top two there for me: the United Kingdom and Italy. Both of them feature in my all time top ten, both of them are songs that would have been my winner in 90% of the contests we've had. In the end, there can only be one winner (we've passed 1969. Sadly) and that has to be Italy for me. Fiumi Di Parole has grown to be my all time favourite Eurovision song. It finished in fourth and I am really not surprised that Italy decided to leave the contest when this didn't do better than that. Anyway, off to Milano! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S24gn5Y6wB0 Milano 1998: Danijela - Neka Mi Ne Svane (Croatia) So off to Milano for 1998. Let's hope the Italians would actually have managed to pull off a great show that year - unlike 1991. 1998 was another great contest with some true gems in there, but only one can be the justified winner here. No matter how much I love Guildo Hat Euch Lieb or Kärleken Är, I have to put Croatia's Neka Mi Ne Svane as my winner here. She finished in fifth, quite respectable, but four places too low. Danijela came up with a beautiful, haunting ballad. In the 90s, so we had to have a dress change which got the audience applauding. Would've been a much better winner. Off to Zagreb! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojVGmkYnFM8 Zagreb 1999: Rui Bandeira - Como Tudo Começou (Portugal) Zagreb would have had the honour of hosting 1999. I don't rate this year much at all. In fact, I think it's the weakest year in Eurovision history. As much as I love schlager and Charlotte Nilsson/Perrelli, Take Me To Your Heaven doesn't really do it for me. The same goes for Iceland's runner-up. My quest for a winner in this year was difficult. In the end, there are a couple of songs I quite enjoy - Bosnia's Putnici or Belgium's Like The Wind are two examples there, but after two haunting songs, I'd much prefer an easy, uptempo winner. Nothing too complicated, no big fuss, just a nice little song to end the century with. The best example in that case would, for me, be Portugal's entry Como Tudo Começou. First time in Eurovision history then, that we're really off to Portugal: Lisbon 2000, here we come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2DWFtylygA Lisbon 2000: Nicki French - Don't Play That Song Again (United Kingdom) While we're in Lisbon thanks to, what I'd like to call, an uncomplicated winner in 1999, the uncomplicated sound dominates in 2000 too. As much as I like how Denmark surprised the field and won the show convincingly, it was not my favourite. I really like Latvia's effort, but as Wivian picked that as her winner, I'm quite happy I have another favourite that year. Latvia sits in second, just ahead of Austria's All To You. The crown has to go to the United Kingdom. As I said, I really like that uncomplicated sound and Nicki French delivered. I could hear this song every day, just sit back and enjoy how this sounds. Where would the United Kingdom host the contest if they'd won it in 2000? No idea, so I'll just go with Manchester. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaeL73NgMUo Manchester 2001: Michelle - Wer Liebe Lebt (Germany) 2001 was a year of two fantastic women delivering incredible ballads in the contest. Following Rui Bandeira and Nicki French, we're definitely in need of a ballad winning. There's a choice of two here for me: Michelle for Germany and Natasha St-Pier for France. Both of these women made the same mistake: Switching to English midway through. I don't get why they did that. Ever since 1999, it was allowed to sing in a language other than your own, but these two songs show that being allowed to do something doesn't necessarily mean that you should actually do it. For once, I wish we could go back to a 1969 situation. Just let the two of them share the win, no issues there for me. I have to pick one though and in the end, it has to be Germany. Mainly because I think the song is severely underrated by the fans. Like the United Kingdom, Germany has many options to host the contest. For 2002, I'll just pick Cologne as host city. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImRLzSTZQ0s Cologne 2002: Sandrine François - Il Faut Du Temps (France) Ah, justice for the French comes in 2002. In Cologne, there can only be one winner here really. 2002 was, like 1999, an awful Eurovision year. It's just... terrible. How on actual earth France didn't win this is beyond me. It is the greatest mystery in Eurovision history. Maybe the time for French chansons had passed when Sandrine did this, but it really should have been revived right there on the spot. An impeccable voice, impeccable lyrics and, something that speaks for the French: The language. Perhaps the most beautiful language of Europe. An easy French victory here and there's no doubt that Paris should be the host city for 2003. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Abg3Tv8so Paris 2003: Ich Troje - Keine Grenzen - Żadnych Granic (Poland) Paris would have delivered one of the most epic Eurovision Song Contests in the history. With France being excellent for the third year in a row (Monts Et Merveilles), with Latvia maintaining a great streak of awesome songs (Hello From Mars), with Portugal perhaps sending their best entry ever (Deixa-Me Sonhar). In more recent times, one other song has captured me and it has defeated all the others for me. We don't even need to discuss Turkey's song as I don't like it. It's Poland for me. Ich Troje delivered a peace song like we haven't seen them before. Just the way I like it: A distinctive voice, a bit of German. It's a package you can't forget. Warsaw 2004 then? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nGZAzG429w Warsaw 2004: Ruslana - Wild Dances (Ukraine) Well have you ever. After travelling to countries we've never visited for Eurovision (Portugal, Poland), I finally seem to agree with the winner Europe picked. It is the first winner I can remember to actually see the full show for. In 2004, my father watched Eurovision. And that in itself was something unique - he normally stays far, far away from the television when that happens. On this night in 2004, my dad sat in front of the television and told us all that he wanted Ukraine to win. And that Ruslana was actually going to win. We however had already settled for a win from Serbia-Montenegro or Sweden. The surprise was really pleasant when Ruslana was actually crowned the winner. And please note: In 2016, my dad thought Hungary would win. He's not often right. So Kyiv stays Kyiv for 2005. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10XR67NQcAc Kyiv 2005: NOX - Forogj, Világ! (Hungary) The mid-00s are often seen as a time for ethnic flavoured pop songs: Turkey originally winning in 2003, Ukraine winning in 2004 and that was followed by a Greek 2005 victory. No matter how much I love Paparizou, her entry was a little too calculated for me. Instead, it's finally time for one of my favourite Eurovision countries to shine through. They withdrew after 1998 and returned with a bang: Hungary. This absolutely fits the bill of ethnic entries, but unlike Turkey 2003 and Greece 2005, it comes across as genuine and honest. As if we're properly in the middle of a Hungarian country town, where the local group is performing this. I'm loving this from start to finish. Please, bring us to Budapest soon. Anyway, for now it's Budapest 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib-HrBr169A Budapest 2006: Anna Vissi - Everything (Greece) I have a thing for picking winners who wouldn't compete the year after, it seems: Italy in 1998, Portugal in 2000 and now Hungary in 2006. In 2006, I have a horrifying time picking a winner. Horrifying? Yes. Finland is in my all time top ten, as is Germany. Just behind them it's Sweden. But none of those three is my all time #2, because that's Greece. Anna Vissi, an icon in Greece and Cyprus, was picked as the original host entry to wow her own audience. And she did that really well. How this ever finished ninth - it's a crime against humanity. 2006 was a strong year, it has to be said, but let's give Greece this victory. Time for us to travel to Athens. A year late, I know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJDqzQ_GlW0 Athens 2007: Hanna Pakarinen - Leave Me Alone (Finland) It's like I pick in trends: From haunting ballads to uncomplicated uptempo, through to female power ballads and peace songs, kicking off the ethnic trend. And now we've arrived at the age of women performing rock songs. Anna Vissi was the first in this category and here's the second. Like Hard Rock Hallelujah, Leave Me Alone makes it into my all time top ten. It's a song which has got me through some bad times. Hanna delivered on the night and she would have been my ideal winner in 2007 - just ahead of Iceland and Cyprus. Time to travel to Helsinki! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZLrKXU3MRQ Helsinki 2008: Maria Haukaas Storeng - Hold On, Be Strong (Norway) After two women doing rock, I'm in need for a calmer and more soothing song. 2008 was a year where Eastern Europe ruled the scoreboard. They sent some of their biggest stars and got some of the best songs to represent them. In that thunderstorm, only one entry held on and stood strong: Hold On, Be Strong. Looking a bit like Mariah Carey and delivering a song that just works from start to finish. It was thought out to perfection and it feels as if Norway knew exactly what they needed to stand strong in 2008. It is my favourite Norwegian entry in the contest and would have been a very deserved winner. After two years of being a year later with a host city, we're now a year early: Oslo 2009! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x6pYjILUXc Oslo 2009: Patricia Kaas - Et S'Il Fallait Le Faire (France) Originally in 2009, Norway ruled the competition. 387 points for Alexander Rybak - a song I somehow don't really understand... For me it's a year where I discovered one of my favourites out there: Patricia Kaas. She delivered experience, a fantastic performance, a vocal that can't be reached. France made a perfect decision to send this to the Eurovision Song Contest: sheer perfection. The top three would've/should've been completed by Sweden's La Voix and - shock horror - Slovakia's Let' Tmou. We were in Paris in 2003, so let's be off to Marseille for 2010! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3eYBMYeUE8 Marseille 2010: Lena - Satellite (Germany) I don't know what it is, but from the first moment Lena hit the stage in 2010, I was sold. She did whatever she wanted to do and, in my eyes, was one of the most spontaneous winners we've ever seen in the contest. And that's why I'm keeping her as a winner. I've listened to her song an incredible lot since 2010 and when Germany won, I was cheering along with them. It was like a dream come true: I didn't really expect my favourite to actually win the show, so when it happened, I was baffled. Quirky, fun, spontaneous: That's what Lena's Satellite was to me. As it's the actual winner, the choice of host city is easy: Düsseldorf 2011! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QM9GIUAmjo Düsseldorf 2011: Kati Wolf - What About My Dreams? (Hungary) Another Hungarian return and another homerun if it were up to me. Very much a formula with the bilingual schlager, but nevertheless an eternal favourite of mine. Kati Wolf delivered her song with excellence. For those who don't know me: Hungary is a country which almost always ends up being one of my favourites in the Eurovision Song Contest. 2011 was no exception there and I really like what they did that year. The formula worked for me - I wish it would've worked for Europe too. Budapest has hosted before, so in need for another venue, we'll be going to Debrecen in 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuGUz1ExflY Debrecen 2012: Kaliopi - Crno I Belo (Macedonia) It's been female power in Eurovision since 2004 for me and 2012 will not provide any exceptions. It's the year where my top three is more solid than it has ever been: Spain, France and Macedonia. In the end, I am opting for a Macedonian victory. It would not have created the hit that Sweden did with Euphoria, but it would've made me a very happy man. In 2016, she did the scream when no one needed it, but in 2012, it was the highlight of my Eurovision. That note alone makes her the winner. That means we'd be off to Skopje in 2013! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSuCdNEy9w0 Skopje 2013: Bonnie Tyler - Believe In Me (United Kingdom) And here's where I expect many of you to shake your heads if you haven't done so already (I know for a fact that Wivian has indeed shaken her head), but there's a story to this one. Bonnie Tyler in what should've been Skopje 2013. Bonnie Tyler is a legend. Together with Tina Turner, she is possibly the biggest icon for me in music history. All of her songs are pure excellence and even though she doesn't have the voice she had in the 1980s, she still manages to get me cheering for her. With Kaliopi, Anna Vissi, Patricia Kaas and to some extent, Kati Wolf, Bonnie Tyler joins a list of really experienced women taking the crown for me. This little country number still features on my playlists. As Bonnie is from Wales, we're off to Cardiff! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-agn-ERgTXA Cardiff 2014: The Common Linnets - Calm After The Storm (The Netherlands) We had a soft introduction to country music with Bonnie in 2013, but we need some more country music. Ilse DeLange is my favourite Dutch artist, so when she was selected, I was ecstatic. The fact she took Waylon with her is slightly disappointing as I'm no fan of him at all. Their first performs of Calm After The Storm was a downright disaster and it took until the first rehearsals for this to click. When I saw it on television, I got it, I understood what they were doing. It quickly became my favourite Dutch entry and it made me proud to be Dutch. I loved the winner, but this topped everything. The venue would've been an easy pick for 2015: the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWe8PRsW4T0 & Amsterdam 2015: Marta Jandová & Václav Noid Bárta - Hope Never Dies (Czech Republic) Can I have two winners? Just bring back 1969 again... 2015 is another year where I really cannot choose between two entries. It really took me a while to choose between Sweden and the Czech Republic in this. In the end, I picked the Czech duo. Måns Zelmerlöw won the contest fair and square - a fantastic winner with a fantastic performer. The package worked for a full 100% and it really became a song I play and played a whole lot. However, the Czechs really ruled the show for me in the semi. Both Marta and Václav were proud to represent their country, they gathered a lot of points (for the Czech Republic's standards) and they had fun in every second of their Eurovision adventure. Just to point out how insane I thought it was that this didn't qualify: the Czech Republic as my winner. A Czech victory means the contest would've been stage in Prague in 2016! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLz6VeSPXjA Prague 2016: Amir - J'Ai Cherché (France) The fan favourite of 2016 is also my favourite for the should've been Prague contest. I knew Amir from his song Oasis, released before the contest and when he was chosen for France, I was quite curious what his song was going to sound like. When he then brought this earworm, this brilliant piece of bilingual pop music - I was one happy man. The stage performance wasn't quite what I had hoped for and that ruled it out of contention for victory, but nevertheless, the French delivered for 2016. They did exactly what Europe wants to see from them and what Europe needs. Until doing this post, I wasn't quite as aware that France regularly does well for me: Aside from their 2002, 2009 and 2016 victories, I had them high up my lists in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015 too. The French are a force for me. So we've been to Paris, we've been to Marseille. With this summery song, we'd better be off to the south again: Toulouse 2017! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aLPsiyavcU Toulouse 2017 Of course we can't have a winner for 2017 yet. I'm hoping that my favourite will once again do really well and there's hope for some countries to get their act together in order to take the crown in 2017. There are plenty of countries out there hoping to get that first victory.

Helsinki 2008: Maria Haukaas Storeng – Hold On, Be Strong (Norway)

Nick van Lith

Comments on Nick's Eurovision winners: 1997-2016

Helsinki 2008: Maria Haukaas Storeng – Hold On, Be Strong (Norway)

Nick van Lith

Comments on Nick's Eurovision winners: 1997-2016

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