Eurovision Artists That Deserved More Fame
Since 1956, the inception of the Eurovision Song Contest, we have undoubtedly witnessed plenty of memorable moments and breath-taking performances from participating artists. From ABBA to platinum-selling and multi award-winning singer Celine Dion, the ESC stage has been a career-launching platform, showcasing many talented artists worldwide.
Still, among the sea of hit songs and talented singers witnessed on the Eurovision Song contest stage, some have fallen into obscurity despite being great. Let’s take a quick time travel to see some Eurovision artists that deserved more fame.
- Edin – Ådahl
Talk about being unlucky. That was the fate of Edin – Ådahl, the two sets of brother bands that represented Sweden at the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest. The four guys performed what could be described as the only impressive ballad of 1990’s Eurovision. The band sang their hearts out, and it was an amazing performance.
But sadly, it was not enough for the judges, who gave them only 24 points, leaving the team in a poor 16th place. The truth is, contests like these sometimes involve some level of politics. In fact, one of the studies on the yearly event reported an alleged massive vote-buying far back as the 60s. In this incident, the Spanish representative was favoured over Cliff Richard at the 1968 Eurovision song contest.
- Clouseau
Let’s just say that this Belgian band gave a performance that 1991’s edition of Eurovision was not ready for or didn’t appreciate. “Geef het op,” translated in English as “Give it up,” was a Britpop-type of music, performed in Flemish. In the UK, Britpop was already becoming popular at the time, promoted massively by bands like Suede. But as earlier mentioned, the rest of Europe was not just ready for the genre of music at the time. The judges not only dropped Clouseau at the 16th position, but they also fell into an undeserved realm of ignored Eurovision Songs.
- Dan Ar Braz & L´Héritages des Celtes
Around the mid-90s, the flare for ethnic songs was real, and it was obvious at the 1996 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest as Quinn took first place for Ireland with a Celtic music genre. Sadly, the jury didn’t think the same for France’s Dan Ar Braz & L’Héritages des Celtes, who dropped an impressive performance that was everything Celtic.
- Hayko
Coming in 8th position was a big deal at the 2007 Eurovision contest because an unusually high number of nations competed that year. The contest was so competitive that 28 contestants were still eyeing the first position in the semi-final. Hayko performed an impressive, heartfelt ballad that earned him 138 points from the jury and the 8th position. It was a tough year, but it is still surprising how Hayko was forgotten.
Who’s Your Favourite Eurovision Artist?
It’s safe to say that Eurovision has shed light on some incredible musicians, albeit some interesting ones. If you wish to learn more about the history of Eurovision artists, check out this interactive map created by Betway. You’ll be able to see all of the amazing songs that made it to the top spot.