Eurovision Greatest Hits: The Big Five’s Best Songs
While it still divides opinion amongst people of all ages, it cannot be argued that the Eurovision Song Contest is firmly established as a cultural phenomenon.
That is certainly the case in the competition’s biggest markets – the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain – who are given a free pass into the Grand Final each year.
Each country has won Eurovision on more than one occasion, but which song proved to be their biggest hit? Read on as we take a closer look.
Save Your Kisses for Me – Brotherhood of Man – United Kingdom – 1976
According to a recent Betway study, Save Your Kisses for Me by Brotherhood of Man is the biggest selling song from the Eurovision Song Contest ever in the UK.
The song received 164 points, a whopping 80.4% of the maximum points it could have achieved, and went on to sell more than six million copies worldwide.
Save Your Kisses for Me was the UK’s third Eurovision winner – only Bucks Fizz (1981) and Katrina and the Waves (1997) have finished first since then.
Ein Bisschen Frieden – Nicole – Germany – 1982
Ein Bisschen Frieden (A Bit of Peace) was performed by 17-year-old German high-school student Nicole Hohloch at Eurovision in 1982.
She secured Germany’s first win by a record margin of 61 points, setting a new record for the largest winning margin that lasted until 1997.
Nicole’s uplifting song remains the only Eurovision entry to top the sales charts in every territory it was released in.
Eres Tu – Mocedades – Spain – 1973
Just six points separated the top three at the end of Eurovision 1973, with Spain sandwiched in between Luxembourg and United Kingdom.
Their entry was not without controversy, with critics suggesting the song was merely a copy of the Yugoslavian entry of 1966, Brez Based performed by Berta Ambroz.
Despite this, Spain finished just four points off the top spot and two ahead of UK entrant Cliff Richard. He had previously finished second behind Spain five years earlier.
L’oiseau et L’enfant – Marie Myriam – France – 1977
Sung in French by Marie Myriam, L’oiseau et L’enfant (The Bird and the Child) became her country’s fifth and most recent Eurovision success in 1977.
It received 136 points to finish 15 clear of UK duo Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran who performed the piano-driven Rock Bottom.
Myriam’s music career was unremarkable thereafter, although she did make an appearance at the 50th anniversary Eurovision concert in Copenhagen in 2005.
Non Ho L’eta – Gigliola Cinquetti – Italy – 1964
Cinquetti became the youngest winner of the contest when she stormed to victory aged just 16 years and 92 days in 1964.
She held the record until 1986 when Belgium’s Sandra Kim claimed the top spot aged 13. With the current rules stating participants must be 16, Kim’s record is unlikely to be broken.
Cinquetti won’t be too concerned, having romped home by one of the widest margins of victory ever witnessed in the competition.
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