No, I will NOT be ranking my top 100 songs here

[Citelis]

In my opinion ''We could be the same'', ''Marry me'', ''No degree of seperation'', ''Igranka'' are terrible. ''Love injected'' is among the most terrible entries of all time. Bottom5 of the decade easily.
''Rise like a phoenix'', ''Midnight gold'' and ''What's the pressure'' are extremely overrated in this ranking but not that terrible as the others.
However the rest in this top 30 are ok and also i like that 8/10 of your top 10 are females.

 

[Ana Raquel]

Legends, sebi and a million voices

 

[Ana Raquel]

but wow that lea - igranka - cleo elimination sequence was PAINFUL tbh

 

[BorisBubbles]

I've decided that I'll post my write-ups here as well instead of merely hyperlinking them. These songs deserve everyone's full attention.

10. Elina Born & Stig Rästa - "Goodbye to yesterday"
Estonia 2015 ~ 7th place

The first time we heard “Goodbye to yesterday”, we all knew Estonia had struck gold. I will elaborate later on, but I don’t think I even need to? “Goodbye to yesterday” just has it. It’s a stroke of brilliance, a gripping story, an instant hit. It is in many ways too good for Eurovision.

Therefore I could also immediately tell Eurovision wouldn’t do "Goodbye to yesterday” the justice it deserves and lo and behold it didn't. I still can’t wrap my head around why the jurors snubbed it? IS THIS BECAUSE OF THE LINNETS it’s because of the Linnets isnt it. Sure, Stigelina provided an experience eerily similar to the Linnets, but also… one much better than that of the Linnets lol? How is “G2Y is a CATS clone” even an argument against Stigelina. They are so great they put the Linnets to SHAME.

You see, “Calm after the storm” did have amazingly well-crafted dramatic tension, but it also felt a bit aloof, a bit pedantic, a bit ‘I am smarter than you’, as all current Dutch entries are (see: the Waylon’s krumping, Duncan’s ‘vintage’ piano). “Goodbye to yesterday” doesn’t have such a waft of artistic pretence clinging to it. On the contrary, it is refreshingly unpretentious, sticking to an intuitive approach to storytelling that creates organic, credible drama, which makes for much more likable end product.

From the moment Elina enters the dramatic cues ping-pong back and forth between her and Stig, and they pelt each other with sharp quotes that sting due to their realism. The story is that one giant misunderstanding after a night of passion and it’s just… heart-breaking, honestly.


So heart-breaking in fact it moved Elina to tears.

I’m not sure what else one would want, honestly. “Goodbye to yesterday” is timeless, gracious and very real. To be a part of my top ten, you need to able to freeze time, to silence the audience with epic storytelling or with great musical scores. Stigelina may be the least gripping of those still in the ranking*, and that should tell you how much quality we still have ahead of us.

*or rather: they are the top 10 song to which I'm the least emotionally attached, getting this high based on the power of song alone. How the fuck did they not outright WIN?

 

[BorisBubbles]

09. Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl - "Sebi"
Slovenia 2019 ~ 15th place

A little look

A little touch

You know the power of silence.

A lot of people make false claims that “Sebi” was really boring and it just… triggers me? HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE THESE INDIE UNICORNS OF BOREDOM!!! "Sebi” is a pearl of introversion, a subtle exploration of pure unfiltered affection. So beautiful, so touching, so fucking RAW. The romantic tension between Zala and Gašper creates an intensity vortex so pure and brittle it renders me silent and humbled every time. It is real, so so so real.

I also adore the synthpop score, an oasis of tranquility transporting me to a place of no worries, no doubts, only dreams of love and happiness, The lyrics are graceful and moving ("Look at me, there's no need for everything to have a reason / Eternity and the planet aren't friends and I am like a snowflake waiting for spring to come"). It's is poetry, a vision, a dream, a LIFE GOAL, all at once. It's "Sebi", the ultimate immersive experience.

In other words, ZalaGasper delivered exactly what I wanted (and expected they would) pre-show, where I ranked them first with zero regrets.

So what has changed between the preshow and now?

Well, not much in terms of live performance. The live in Tel Aviv was an improvement over the EMA one on all accounts (vocals, staging, camerawork, interaction, lights, sound quality), but my opinion of “Sebi” has remained stagnant for the past few months. The only reason they’re now my #2 for 2019 is because NOTHING’S HOLDING KATE DOWN, which is for another update.

However, what has changed is that I now have more insight on what Zala and Gašper are like ~as people~ and both have have proven that they’re kick-ass humans in their own individual right.

Zala I think we can all agree is a highly relatable MOOD. Her off-stage muteness only adds to her mystique as she conveys so much meaning with merely her face and b-lang.

GODper otoh, is the opposite, a hilariously blunt, socially-malajusted but well-meaning dork, who provided at least two laugh-out-loud interview moments that I will now share:

~Silencing Wiwi at the red carpet~

Gašper: “You look tired! You should sleep more.”
Wiwi: “what is your #1 tip to sleep better?”
Gašper: “To have sex "
Zala: “…”

Wiwi: “…oh… yeah… it’ll try that :breaks off interview:”



-Clapping back at bad journalism at the press conference-

Hostess: “What half would you like to perform in?”
GODper: “it’s exactly boring questions like that which make us want to go home. xslap”

DEITY He is right of course, it was boring AND stupid question (ebit a: literally every other qualifier answered that exact same question with a variation of “dunno / don’t care”)


Of course this makes it seem as though ZalaGasper considered themselves ~above~ Eurovision, but they were more like AWS than Salvador, tbh. They entered EMA to showcase their music and won by accident. (Literally. Lea Sirk admitting off-mic that the pro-RAIVEN riggage failed and the Slovenes hating her for it ANGELS) ZalaGasper never expected to do Eurovision, nor did they ever expect to qualify (omg epic interview moment #3: Gašper admitting to someone (Deban?) that he didn’t expect to qualify and therefore had to cancel all the sight-seeing trips he and Zala had booked during the finale week, including the night of the Grand Final. 333445567899). Yet, they went to ESC and bonded with their fellow cast (Let me just mention the everpresent but never remarked on ZalaGasper/Serhat/Katerine bitch coven. Like the three would often gossip in the background as other people were getting interviewed lol ) but always remained grounded and never put themselves ~above~ the rest. They were two delightfully down-to-earth non-ESC people thrusted into the crazy camp carnival we all adore and all of this makes them nothing less than precious. ^_^

 

[Ezio]

Bobby is such a romantic

 

[BorisBubbles]

Ha! I matched a fellow ESC-obsessed dude a few weeks back and on our date, after I had downed two ciders and I had roughly explained who my faves were, he straight up asked me if I was a hopeless romantic. I don't think I need to state what my answer was; it should be obvious from my posts.

08. Blanche - "City lights"
Belgium 2017 ~ 4th place

~Ol aloing indu daignur zoin~​

I can’t think of a hook more appropriate for Blanche because her journey was such a thriller.

But let us first discuss the obvious: “City lights” is nothing less than a brilliant song. It’s a dark, moody, innovative synthpop masterpiece. Like “Sebi” and many others in this higher-than-high section, it is a touching, immersive trip through the best modern music has on offer. Blanche is perfectly cast, providing an ethereal yet deep voice that conveys pure vulnerability. As the Polish commentor reportedly pointed out, ‘you can hear the tears in her voice.’


It also features SuRie’s voice for that extra bit of kickass:

However, we are mostly here because of the journey, one which, I think we can agree, wasn't anything less than epic: From scalping ALL of Europe once her song was leaked, to a series of calamitous rehearsals, Blanche experienced a huge rise and an even bigger fall in the span of a full month. People turned on her left and right, as they normally do whenever they smell defeat.

​

But remember, what do we say to the god of death? Not today.

Right at the very last moment, Blanche found her courage, found her voice, found herself as a performer and turned it around completely. You can actually pinpoint the exact moment where she experiences the epiphany in the SF, which I’ve gif’ed for convenience:

It was STILL a thriller going forward, but once she qualified she was back on the map as a serious contender. However she had become an underdog instead of an overdog. She wouldn’t win, but nevertheless made everyone who believed in her proud of being a Blanche fan.


So ultimately, “City lights” is much more to me than just a really good song. It’s a mesmerizing tale -a passion in the biblical sense- of someone so crippingly shy and perfectionistic she almost succumbed to the massive pressure and just like that, turned it around into something golden. You may not like that a shy 17 year old with negligable experience lacks the confidence of the others and if you don't, it’s your loss! Out of all the contestants on this list, it is Ellie "Blanche" Delvaux that I’m the most proud of.

 

[Ezio]

City lights is everything but it also made Belgium complacent - at least by the looks of what they sent 3 years in a row. An introvert teen with minimal staging. Blanche's choreography was already slightly awkward, but in a cute and relatable way. I love her hand moves although there is not much to it. But Sennek and Elliot shows were utter cringe. 2020, Belgium needs a reset.

Anyways, I dig their "I am not smarter than you and have confidence issues" approach. So relatable.

My favourite gif is this though. love!!

And Taurus is hopelessly romantic, so why not.

There is a switch in my head that whenever "What do we say to the god of death?" comes up, Xtina comes up....
"Not toniiiiiiiiiiite"

 

[BorisBubbles]

07. Poli Genova - "If love was a crime"
Bulgaria 2016 ~ 4th place

THEY WILL NEVER BREAK US DOWN!​

Lol I realize Poli hasn’t officially come out of the closet yet, but come on this is a Coming Out Anthem, right? “If love was a crime, then we would be criminals, locked up for life, but I’ll do the time ;-)” mhm yesssss get that tit’n’clit, girl. The only context where such a song would be more at place at is a Rainbow Pride Parade.

All of this pro-LGBT empowerment jazz is AMAZING obviously, but we mustn't forget that at its core, “If love was a crime” is an amazing, flamboyant party song. It is a great composition that builds up its fiesta momentum at a *lightning fast* pace and never lets go of its tempo. Add in a wonderful dork dance,

a bit of airstrip apparel,

and an EPIC final chorus,

and indifference becomes an impossible feat. “If love was a crime” is stupidly good at being fun and frankly puts every other funmonger to shame.

Not to mention that Poli herself is AT HER BEST. This performance stands out as her most magnetic one, including her excellent JESC hosting stint. Not only is her song a near-religious revelation, she also has immense fun while performing it, pulling you into an experience of endless gaiety. *That* is the difference between a merely great entry and an all-time best one. OH DAI MI LYUBOVTA, BABY.

 

[BorisBubbles]

06. Kate Miller-Heidke - "Zero gravity"
Australia 2019 ~ 9th place

Hey you!

It’s me again, and I bring good tidings. After five years, Australia have finally blessed us with a fantastic entry.

This is actually an understatement though. While I had *some* positive expectations for everyone’s favourite spunky space princess, I absolutely did NOT expect Kate to be out-of-this-world brilliant. “Zero gravity” was a weird baroque blend of opera, punk and EDM. A Frankenstein’s monster sown together from genres that had no business interacting with one another, plus a weird momentum-slaying key change. It had a touching and personal anti-depression message, but was otherwise impossible to take seriously.


But then,

NOTHING HOLDING HER DOWN​

NOTHING HOLDING HER DOWN​

NOTHING HOLDING HER DOWN DOWN​

NOTHING HOLDING HER DOOOOOOWN​

Kate was bitten by the staging wonder microbe that normally only affects Moldova and it launched her deeply into All-Time Greatness. The key change is perhaps the biggest shock I ever had while watching live, even though I was fully aware of what was going to happen. I needed a BREAK to process all of this mindblowing awesomeness. (which I of course didn’t get because lmfao Hatari were on right after)

Sixth overall may be generous because as a whole since I’m not as fond of “Zero gravity” as a song, but I don’t think it should matter here. The whole of “Zero gravity” is so astronimically superior to the bare sum of its parts. Now that all the stardust has been settled, I think we can agree that Kate’s spectacular act stands out as one of the biggest glow ups of all time.

 

[BorisBubbles]

05. Tinkara Kovač - “Round and round”
Slovenia 2014 ~25th place

Tinkara in my top five? With a Hannah Mancini song? You don’t know you don’t know, is it love, is it hate?

​

Welcome to the only ranking that considers Tinkara Kovač a top five entrant of the 2010s. You may think I rank her this high *just because* I think she’s really, really, really underrated (which she is) or because it's yet another Slovene entrant I have irrational love for (which is also true!) but the reality is a lot more complex than a fanboy story gone awry. She has shown me how to breathe, she has shown me how to LIIIIIIIVE

I’m gonna hold your heart and haaaaaaaaand

Yeah I’m gonna make you understaaaaaaaaand.

You don’t know you dont but can you feel it inside? Not the roses, nor the pride but this feeling of utter satisfaction? “Round and round” is, if anything, a force of overwhelming wholesomeness. Everything in this little song just flows together in total serendipity. The more thought I put into, the more things I discover about "Round and round" that just click together. For instance, its lyrics may look a bit silly on the outside, but “Is a moment just a circle, just a song you play on repeat?” is a perfect line for a song which operates like a loop, ending exactly how it started. It is that very circular rhythm that makes “Round and round” infinitely replayable for me. I’ve listened to it times beyond count, and feeling completely satisfied afterwards EVERY time. Frankly, this is the best trait one can find in music. Quality and our perception if it may be different for each of us, but I don’t think anything speaks for “quality” more than coming back for more of the same. Nothing.

Having said all of that, all of this would’ve been merely “very good” if it weren’t for musical virtuoso TINKARA KOVAC, heiress of the Ravenclaw Empire. Don’t tell me you don’t see it!!! Brandishing her magical flute our Slovene sorceress cast a spell of delightfulness over the entirity of Copenhagen, enchanting us with mesmerising floortile sorcery.

From the very beginning Tinkara grabs our attention, overeagerly promising us to share her profound wisdom on how we can change our lives by listening to her and well, she ain’t wrong, but lmfao bless 333 It isn’t exactly arrogance though. Tinkara is merely a band camp geek who is extremely passionate about her song, and she just geht looooooooooß. So uninhibited, so dorky, so incompetent, so Tinkara.

However, there is also a personal motive to ranking Tinkara in my top five and not, say, 25th. The early 2010s weren’t the greatest time for me. I had been suffering from depression and extreme self-loathing for several years until I finally got over my mental health issues the late spring of 2014. I am not saying that Tinkara cured my depression, but my own realizations that I have merit as a person happened around the same time I listened to “Round and round” on a daily basis, usually hours at a time. She was a source of happiness at a time where they were in short supply, and one that has endured all the way until now.

Um also, she was my fave and shock-qualified on my birthday.

To quote the actually great Slovene lyrics:

When the sky won’t cover our dreams / we’ll find that out we are reborn / when the sky won’t have any real ideas, / it’s going to be our time again to shine / Everything will become how it’s supposed to be / let bygones be bygones.

Tinkara Kovač was my summer of 2014 and I’ve grown to associate her with the happiest moments in my life. The only reason why she isn’t #01 is because putting her first doesn’t feel like a satisfying end to my ranking, as she objectively offers the least of my top five. Still, I adore her very much and it is for underrated gems like such as "Round and round" that I’ve taken up writing about the Eurovision Song Contest.

PS: Before I started posting here and on tumblr, I used to write on different message boards under a different alias. Apparently it was my 2014 Eurovision ranking on one of those other fora (a ranking that Tinkara won, d'uh) that inspired established ESCUTD poster ~lavieenrose~ to start posting here. Yet another think we should thank Tinkara for

 

[BorisBubbles]

04. Polina Gagarina - "A million voices"
Russia 2015 ~ Runner up

Wait hang on? Did I just rank a Russian peace anthem fourth on my list? Well yes, I did. And I don’t regret a thing. :twisted:

I will not deny the obvious: Polina ranking so close to the top is a statement. Heaven knows how often Russia have subjected us to personalitiless robots to bring us complacent "peace" messages. They are FAKE. FAKERTY McFAKEFAKE!! I’ve had ENOUGH of that insincere BS, honestly. Out of all the countries in Europe, Russia is the least qualified to sing about this specific subject. I hate them.

​

So as you can imagine when the Russians announced some conveniently attractive fembot named “Polina” with a song called “A million voice” I thought “hoooo boy, here we go agaaaaaaaa*voice dilutes into a scream of agony*”. True, the song itself was fairly inoffensive (it isn’t as aggressively hypocritical and smug as “What if” was, for instance), especially compared to the actual helldemon peace ballad of that year (die Bogus!! not literally, just ur career...x). “Good”. I thought. “I can safely ignore this song, as it will quietly float its way to maybe 8th place”.

And then the impossible happened.

Russia had sent a real person with real emotions to the contest.

Who genuinely believed in the message of her song, keeping it humble and sincere.

Who put her heart and soul into the performance and transformed it into an all-time great peace anthem. The semifinal performance in particular was a magical experience, because the audience WASN’T into Polina at first. THIS SHOT

is perhaps my favourite camerashot of the entire decade. It’s so powerful, representing the dichotomy between Russia and the more liberal, accepting western world. It however also sets the stage for a performance during which Polina shall win over the audience, starting at mostly boos and ending at mostly cheers.


It’s so easy to mock Russia’s intentions, as we often rightfully do.
It’s so easy to dismiss the politically correct for their pandering.
It is so easy to boo their entrants for fulfilling their political agenda.

None of that matters if the person chosen to sing the song is a person who is earnest in their intentions. In the face of all adversity. In the face of the odds that are stacked against them. For those three minutes, all that mattered was Polina Gagarina.

Polina conveyed pure truth, abnegation and remorse with her voice and face. She makes this performance more than anyone ever could. Her honesty grants meaning to the words that were written by the pens of the insincere. We believe, I believe in her dream. She single-handedly made me forget the flag she represents and if that isn’t worthy of praise, I don’t know what is.

 

[Preuss]

Everything about Blanche and City Lights was amazing except from Blanche’s hand movements

 

[Ana Raquel]

ABOUT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111


polina is good girl and a great singer, but a million voices sounds cold and forced to me at least, and she can do better. it's not what if levels of insufferable hypocrisy, but it's mid-table in the most overrated year of the century.





GO IVETA

 

[BorisBubbles]

03. Aminata - "Love injected"
Latvia 2015 ~ 7th place

2015 is far from my favourite year of Eurovision, but the one great thing about it is how defining it was in shaping the next 4 years of Eurovision: Australia débuted and have since become a Eurovision staple. Måns reinvented the way delegations look at staging, pushing the boundaries for 2016 and beyond. Azerbaijan took a more carefree approach, starting their morph from the worst esc country into one of the better ones. Many hapless countries, such as Belgium, Serbia, Estonia and Israel reminded Europe that they are bursting with talent. Their entries proved that anyone can do well as long as you put in the right amount of effort. But amidst all of these amazing stories however, the most epic tale remains that of Aminata Savadogo, avant garde angel and saviour of Latvia.

And I mean, what new things can still be said about “Love injected”? It is a BREATHTAKING piece of pure ART. It’s a perfectly-shaped paramour pearl of avant garde. It’s a hallmark of the indie genre. It is, simply put: a masterpiece.

Going into the year, I was obviously superinvested in Aminata, from the first moment I heard “Love injected” in Supernova. She is absolutely stunning both as a human and a vocalist. Her insane range allows her to remain fragile and introverted during the verses, giving the song the emotional gravitas it needs. During the chorus however, she lets go in all her power:

YOUR LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE
REVIVES MY SOOOOOOOOOOUL

AND I KNOOOOOOOW
YOU’LL CHOOSE IT WHOLE

OVER A A A A A AAAAALLLLLL

​

Aminata is the best vocalist of the decade, period. There is nobody who ebits the same bone-chilling vocal tone. Nobody is this capable of emulating vulnerability and pure power, simultaneously. She almost outperforms Il Volo by herself. That this R&B princess also comes from one of the most ignored countries in this decade is the whipping cream on top. Nothing gives me MORE life than a lower tier country taking Europe by storm and watching Aminata carry Latvia into greatness two years in a row is something I would call The European Underdog Dream.

 

[BorisBubbles]

Here it is: The moment you've all been waiting for: I am ready to reveal my favourite entry of the decade, but first: let me do a write-up about the song which almost made it.

02. Iveta Mukuchyan - “LoveWave”
Armenia 2016

All-time ranking: #12

Hey, it’s me.
Look,

I know it might sound strange but
suddenly I’m not the same I used be

it’s like I’ve stepped out of space and time and
~Come Alive~

When she touched us, the world went silent. Calm before the stormed reached us. The art in motion set off all sirens.

She took over our heartbeat - beat - beat

IT’S TAKING OVER ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God I should just stop quoting “LoveWave” but it’s stronger than myself. SHE SHOOK MY LIFE LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE YOUR FAVES COULD NE-E-VER HAVE! It, too, is a stunning masterpiece, a masterclass in seduction, an example of how everyone should tackle avant garde. Completely original- ok lmfao that isn’t true, the Aminata influence is pretty obvious here. However, unlike most other copycats, Iveta understood that imitation is best served as a form of flattery: in other words she took on a great formula and made it even better. If Aminata was the “Love Injection”, the Iveta is the “Fierceness Injection”.

or more like a LOVEwave

SPREADING LOVEWAVES AND MY HEART GOES BOOM-BA-BA-DOOM-WO-OH-OH.

At the relatively small cost of a lesser vocal performance Iveta brought us a more unfiltered, more realistic, more intense exploration of what love actually does to somebody and the result is supereffective.

“LoveWave” is edgy and dynamic beyond my wildest expectations. It absolutely shatters me from start to finish. It’s a thrilling rollercoaster that never slows down and the second you believe you’ve figured out this meandering song’s musical formula, there’s yet a new twist around the corner. Its layers unfold slowly, gracefully, beautifully like the budding rose. There is only one entry that can compete with it in terms of its innovativeness and that’s the winner of this ranking.

which means,

01. Lena - “Taken by a stranger”
Germany 2011

All-time ranking: #04

Let us start by noting that Lena is DEFENDING HER TITLE, and what a defence it is. I shan’t get ahead of myself, but know that 2011 Lena blows 2010 Lena completely out of the fucking water. Gone are the days of constipated adorkability. This beautiful introverted cygnet finally transformed into a graceful, confidence black swan.

Okay so… as it turns out, my bitching about German women and 2011 entries was only foreshadowing for the inevitable: my favourite song in this decade is the German entry from my least favourite year of the 2010s.


Of course, the fact this daring and amazing entry was sent by a country which usually doesn’t do daring, in a year which otherwise doesn’t do amazing only further enhances the spice, but there actually a more rational reason for me ranking Lena first: “Taken by a stranger” marks the first time, the first true time an avant garde entry was taken seriously in modern Eurovision.

Remember what I said about the original source always being the best? We are here. “Avant-Garde Eurovision” is Lena City and we’re all living in it. Before “Taken by a stranger” novelty entries were either greeted with mockery (Silvia Night, Pas de deux, Divine, Visionary dream) or as flukes, anomalies within the system (Sanomi, Dancing Lasha Tumbai). Critics saw them as shallow gimmicks and little more.

“Taken by a stranger” reinvented the way casuals and critics look at experimental music and did it with great style. Lena proved that weird can be accessible, that quirky can be high-quality and that artistic can be enjoyed. She proved that ‘different’ has a place in Eurovision.

Incidentally, she also proved that giant condoms make perfect dancing costumes:

Without Lena, we have no precedent for “LoveWave” or “Love Injected” or “Rhythm inside” or “Midnight Gold” or “Skeletons”. Without Lena laying the groundwork and being greeted with praise, some of the greastest, most innovative entries in Eurovision may have been brushed off like “Telemóveis” and “The Social Network Song” were.

Now, I understand that “Euphoria” arguably set the same precedent as “Taken by a stranger” did and that’s definitely a valid point. However two counterpoints: One: Loreen came after Lena and therefore only expanded on the foundation that Lena already had established the year before. Two: I love “Euphoria” dearly but each time anyone in my vicinity praises it for being unique, a masterpiece, … a great… song I just *yawn* suddenly becooome *yawn* soooo tiiiiiiired, :snore:. “Taken by a stranger” is the true unsung hero that shaped the contest in what it is today, and remember, unlike Dina Garipova I always reach out to those who need it the most.


However, that’s the theoretical backstory behind “Stranger” winning my ranking, what about the practice? What about the live? Does it hold up to the placement I gave her?

The answer is a resounding YES. “Taken by a stranger” is a shining example of an excellent, near-flawless perfomance: Lena takes the microphone with mad confidence, gets absorbed by her song’s dark, psychedelic energy and delivers an A+ singing and miming effort. Her soul-piercing stares into the camera are chilling beyond the bones.

The story told here is immersive (the quirky beat), credible (Lena’s faces), humorous (dancing condoms) and entertaining (all of the above), all at once. It unfolds like a neo-noir audiobook. I can only think of a handful other entries that hit a similarly wide spectrum of great eurovision qualities with the same killer accuracy as Lena did, all of which (lovewave, euphoria, love injected, city lights, etc) made it deep into the ranking.

Over the years, I’ve patiently waited to see whether anyone could replace Lena as my favourite of the decade. Over the years many came close, but never were great enough to dethrone her. The act which came the closest was indeed Loreen, but with “Statements”, not “Euphoria” and we all know how that journey ended. Perhaps its for the better. In her two iconic stints Lena proved that both chartable hits AND avant garde novelties can be worthy Eurovision entries, paving the way for Eurovision’s renaissance into a contest everyone takes seriously again, which makes her, in my humble opinion, one of the most, if not the most, important people to ever participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.

ALL HAIL THE DOWAGER EMPRESS OF THE 2010S:

THUS ENDETH THE RANKING. Jesus christ this took me about two months to finish but IT'S FINALLY DONE!!! I will complete my country rankings, um, sometime, when I feel like it I guess. In the meantime, observe the overall list:

All the write-ups have either been pasted or hyperlinked in this thread, if you want to relive them. My work here is done, have fun in life, na na na na hey hey hey, GOODBYE!!!

 

[Preuss]

Mikolas Josef 2nd to last gosh

 

[Ezio]

Taken by a stranger is a worthy winner. My favourite of 2011 and certainly in my Top 5 as well.
The more I think about it, the more I agree. TBAS is the superior song of this decade. It's funny how Germany dominated the early decade, and then started to bomb in 2013 and not to recover until 2018.

What's also funny: Lena paved the way for Loreen, whose song really may be more accessible but not as good, and Loreen inspired Germany to send Cascada. What a twist lol. And in 2014 along came Sanna Nielsen and took her lighting concept.

TBAS really should have won in 2011, there was no better song and yet the result of 2011 is complete garbage with so many middle of the road radio pop songs and lukewarm gay appeasers.

Aminata in the Top 3 makes me also very happy. It is my anthem of love for my relationship too. This song gives me life and love.

LoveWave is no surprise, although for me the song is not really accessible and I don't listen to it casually neither.

I am very disappointed that Tinkara Kovac is Top 5 here. Round & round for me is the WORST slovenian entry of this decade. However, I think Slovenia deserves a spot in the Top 10 or even two spots with Maja Keuc and Maraaaya. I also like their 2017, 2018, 2019 and especially 2012 entries a lot. Even 2013 is superior to me than Round and Round. 2016 not so much but slightly. But Round & round is an abominal song that I always skip. I can't bear listening to it, it is just soooo bad to my poor ears.

And Polina, overrated tbh. Russia is an expert in bringing to stage very dated sounding pop with an epic show. She is a great vocalist and maybe she was a sincere performer and this song my even be my Russian number one of this decade. BUT, it is by far not my favourite song of 2015, which was a great year, and she is not an a-list female performer at Eurovision for me neither. Her sobbing did not get me wrapped around her finger. I pity her being booed, but it was just another tepid manufactured attempt to win Eurovision by Russia. Shallow as the Frisian coast.

Well done, Bobby. I wish I had the stamina to compile such a list. But I am a lazy sloth.

 

[Ana Raquel]

the top 3 is great, all of them in my top 10 (with Iveta in my top 5 of 2016 and in my top 30 of the 10s), any of them winning would be deserving.


i somewhat agree with most of your ranking despite placing ultimate legend florin cezar ouatu too low

 

[LastDreamer]

Anmary only at # 192. 1