Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

While waiting for the entries for UMK2023 aka Finland's national selection for Eurovision song contest let's look back at some of the best non winning ones from yesteryear. While we are at it, let's take yet another Petri Laaksonen's entry. In 1988 he teamed up with Eurovision 1983 veteran Ami Aspelund and created this very catchy, very Eurovision at the time arrangement with a touch of Slavic male choir with Southern European cliches but it works wonders but sadly placed only third. Ami never recorded this one but Amor Amor reappeard of another Eurovision veteran Sonja Lumme's album a few years after with a tuned down arrangement . And yes, you guessed it. Finland's winner Boulevard placed second to last with 3 points in Dublin. No comment. 

Yle organized among its other consolation Eurovision 2020 programming also a voting to find out the most loved Finnish entries of each decade ( here ). The 1980s were certainly a real rollercoaster giving us some of the best and some of the worst entries ever. Sata salamaa took a clear win, no doubt helped by Antti Tuisku's recent cover that brought the song to new generations.  1987 Virve Rosti - Sata salamaa  34,8% 1989 Anneli Saaristo - La dolce vita  19,6% 1985 Sonja Lumme - Eläköön elämä 16,9% 1984 Kirka - Hengaillaan  12,1% 1983 Ami Aspelund - Fantasiaa   5,7% 1981 Riki Sorsa - Reggae OK  3,3% 1980 Vesa-Matti Loiri - Huilumies  2,7% 1986 Kari Kuivalainen - Päivä kahden ihmisen 2,3% 1982 Kojo - Nuku pommiin  1,9% 1988 Boulevard - Nauravat silmät muistetaan   0,6%