THE FOUR NORDIC WINS IN THE PAST 8 YEARS. IS IT ICELAND NEXT?

Eurovision is full of voting blocks and speculations, accusations of this and that, but it's also a lot of question of regional and culturas taste. It is more likely that Swedes like a Norwegian song than a Turkish one, or the Turks a song from the same region like Azerbaijan than the Icelandic one, for example. It makes perfect sense. All this put aside one "regional block" has featured well over the past years all considered, the melting pot of all that's "eurovisionesque" and schlager, that so many think Eurovision is all about. The Nordic countries.

Four out of five have scored a victory in the past eight years (Finland 2006, Norway 2009, Sweden 2012, Denmark 2013) and the odd one out, Iceland, was close in 2009 - kept away from the prize by another country from the block: Norway! Also four times in the past 8 years the Nordic countries have scored two top-5 finishes the same year.

Average score of all five of them making the final is 3,9. The worst year was 2007 when only Finland and Sweden managed to make the final (the year when the block voting speculation exploded big time) and three times all five have been present in the final (2008, 2009, 2013). Finland has missed the final four times, Iceland three times, Denmark and Norway twice and Sweden only once. Altogether they have scored 12 top-5 finishes in the past ten years. Not bad!

Even if there's an Eurovision under genre of Nordic schlager, the winners have been quite far from it really: monsters doing hard rock, Belarusian violinist telling fairytales, Moroccan mystic meets club anthem and little Danish fairy with an irish influenced folksong and stories about royal past. Will Iceland score its first victory sometime soon or complete a Nordic hat trick in 2014?What will they invent to finally make it? Something Björklike madness but with easier touch for the televoting masses?

2004

Sweden - Lena Philipsson - It hurts - 5th

2006

Finland - Lordi - Hard rock hallelujah - Winner

Sweden - Carola - Invincible - 5th

2008

Norway - Maria Haukaas Storeng - Hold on, be strong - 5th

2009

Norway - Alexander Rybak - Fairytale - Winner

Iceland - Yohanna - Is it true? - 2nd

2010

Denmark - Chanée & N'Evergreen - In a moment like this - 4th

2011

Sweden - Eric Saade - Popular - 3rd

Denmark - A Friend in London - New tomorrow - 5th

2012

Sweden - Loreen - Euphoria - Winner

2013

Denmark - Emmelie De Forest - Only teardrops - Winner

Norway - Margaret Berger - I feed you my love

Comments

Sabina Babayeva for Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani selection show for the represant was as long as the selection process for the five finalists. Kurt Calleja from Malta and Can Bonomo from Turkey were present with Ell/Nikki to see Sabina Babayeva to emerge as the winner after each and every finalist had done about zillion songs amongst other guests. Now the Azeri TV will shop around a suitable song for her.

SONGS OF THE YEAR 2015: #5 KRISTA SIEGFRIDS - ON & OFF

Krista Siegfrids is delivering nice pop tunes one after another and this one is particularly catchy and soon you will be singing along..... Hopefully her Melodifestivalen entry will be equally good!

ESC 2015 NORWAY: LISTEN TO THE FINALISTS

The Norwegian entries are now and there to listen, or here . This time Norway has only one off final with 11 songs and a live orchestra, so it will be interesting to hear how these songs will turn out as most are rather modern sounding and not so Eurovisionesque midtempo numbers. There could have been also only ten if they had dropped that joke entry from the line up. The old veterans Elisabeth and Tor have nothing to be ashamed among this lot. To be honest I didn't get excited by any of these really... Something is wrong in my books if a classic schlager like Heaven sounds almost the best... What's wrong Norway?

ESC 2016 WISH LIST: MARGARET FOR POLAND

Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?

FINLAND: LORDI RELEASES SEXORCISM - THEIR 9TH STUDIO ALBUM

Brand new studio album SEXORCISM is released tomorrow, 12 years and 5 days after their monstreous victory in Athens 2006 Eurovision song contest. It is quite possibly the most controversial Lordi album yet and already their 9th stuido album (plus three compilations and one Ep)

THE ABBA REUNION 2016 - WATCH THEM SING TOGETHER AGAIN

The 2016 Eurovision song contest organizers didn't manage it - or any of the previous ones either nor those offering them millions of dollars - but they seem to get together for birthdays, the way the old friends do. Back in 1999 they performed together in a private party for Görel Hansel's 50th birthday, and now to celebrate the first meeting of Björn and Benny 50 years ago. Venue was Stockholm's Bern's Salonger and once again in a private setting but today even they can't stop the cell phone videos and social medias. Enjoy the magic of Frida's and Agnetha's voices again.

ESC 2016 BELARUS: NAKED WITH WOLVES?

Today's funniest Eurovision related story comes from Belarus. Some sources claim Ivan wants to perform on stage naked and with live wolf or wolves. It surely would be a first on Eurovision stage! We have seen some forgotten underwear over the years, and some cardbox animals though..... Is it time to take things a bit further? No, according the rules live animals are not allowed, and Eurovision being a family show nudity won't do either. (It seems to be ok to be half naked if you are a dancer though..... )

GOODBYE, FAREWELL...

The time has come. After all these years, 5,7 million visits, 12.000 articles I guess the time has come. As much as I love and care for Eurovision it just doesn't feel the same. The Corona years took their toll and the past two years and certain decisions have helped me to mature the idea that next year I will hear the songs for the first time in semi-final just like any so called local. The bubble has burst. Add the toxicity in social medias and fandom. The arrogant teenagers who saw their first contest somewhere 2017 or even 2021 who think they know it all and only their opinion matters. Did I mention the toxic atmosphere on social medias? I'm too old for that sh*t. It's been a long ride that took me to various Eurovision on spot as a fan and tourist, as a journalist, as a delegation member. I met some great people, made memories of lifetime. In stressful, sad periods of my life this blog has been my safe place, a place to escape and forget everything else for an hour o...

ITALY: WHO ARE MÅNESKIN - EUROVISION 2021 WINNERS? CAREER IN WORDS AND PHOTOS

"Siamo fuori di testa, ma diversi da loro" they wrote in Instagram already in May 2017. The street musicians from Rome have gone a long via X Factor to Sanremo and to Eurovision in a short time. As I didn't do any artist presentations this year, and to be honest I'm not so familiar with Måneskin, let's do a short biography who they are and what they have been up to in the past few years. The band is made of lead singer Damiano David (21), Victoria De Angelis (20) in bass, Thomas Raggi (19) in guitar and Ethan Torchio (20) in drums. Novembre 2015. Damiano asked Victoria to form a band, she brought in her friend and school mate from Monteverde Thomas. Ethan was found after an ad in Facebook. The year after they took part in a competition Pulse - High school band contest and won it. The same year they had their official concert and usually they were found playing in the streets of Rome, their hometown. 2017. They took part in X Factor when they all were j...

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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