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While watching Will Ferrell’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix, you might be wondering: “Is the real Eurovision this bonkers, this beautiful, and this fun in real life?” Yes, it most certainly is!
Since 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has been uniting Europe through the power of catchy pop songs and crazy performance art. The competition was drummed up to promote goodwill amongst the European nations in the decade after World War II, but it’s since become a launchpad for pop superstars and a showcase for some of the strangest acts in the world. The key to understanding Eurovision as an American is two-fold. One, it’s a song-writing competition. That means that the goal is to write a catchy song — emphasis on the “catchy.” In a crowded landscape, Eurovision competitors try to stand out with flashy pyrotechnics, sexy backup dancers, old babushkas, and all sorts of novelties. The second important thing to remember is that it’s a Euro-centric competition. Yeah, these songs aren’t meant for the Billboard Top 40. These melodies were written to appeal to the club kids and suburban moms of Europe.
Netflix’s new Eurovision movie might pull inspiration from the real Eurovision acts, but nothing is more joyous than watching the IRL Eurovision performances themselves. While going back through YouTube archives of Eurovision performances is a truly incredible trip for fans, we’re narrowing it down to the five must-see Eurovision performances for American newbies. These performances are the ones that gave Eurovision its clout, won over the competition, and essentially explain the pure joy that is the Eurovision Song Contest.
"Waterloo," ABBA - 1974
While some Eurovision fans like to write off ABBA’s 1974 winner “Waterloo” as a fluke because…it’s a mainstream classic?…it is still incredibly representative of what Eurovision aspires to be. ABBA was Sweden’s 1974 entry and they led with an ear worm of a song that most of Europe could get united behind: a love ballad comparing falling for an ex to Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Between the flashy costumes, kitschy lyrics, and honest-to-god fantastic song-writing, “Waterloo” is a stone cold classic that remains the platonic ideal of what a Eurovision song can be.
"Hard Rock Hallelujah," Lordi - 2006
Watch Eurovision enough, and you’ll soon realize that it is a true musical buffet. Even in the midst of all the synth pop and moody ballads about love, there’s room for other genres to excel. Case in point: Lordi’s “Hard Rock Hallelujah.” I dare you to watch this 2006 winning song — YES, THEY WON! — and not break out into a smile. Hard metal influences? Check. A whole band dressed like demonic forces from beyond? Hell yeah! A feel good, catchy banger that will put some pep in your step? God damn, yes!
"Rise Like a Phoenix," Conchita Wurst - 2014
Eurovision is a format that is tailor-made for breakout star moments. No one has broken out more in the last decade thanks to Eurovision than Conchita Wurst. The Austrian drag queen chanteuse wowed audiences with her gorgeous vocals and completely sincere ballad. However, her popularity was not without controversy. Nevertheless, she won 2014 Eurovision for Austria and has since made multiple appearances on the program.
"It’s My Life," Cezar - 2013
Let’s get this out of the way: Romania’s Cezar did not win the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. That honor fell (rightly, in my opinion) to Emilie de Forest of Denmark’s “Only Teardrops.” In fact, “It’s My Life” only came in 13th place. Still, it’s remained one of the more memorable performances thanks to Cezar’s outrageous range and the theatricality of the performance. So much so, uh…it might look familiar to Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga viewers?
"Love, Love, Peace, Peace," Måns Zelmerlöw & Petra Mede - 2016
Maybe the biggest misconception about Eurovision is that the performers, producers, and audience members don’t realize how ridiculous it is. However, the Eurovision Song Contest faced this head on with a spot-on satirical song number in 2016. “Love, Love, Peace, Peace” was not an in-competition song, but has become an instant classic for Eurovision fans. Performed by 2016 Eurovision hosts Måns Zelmerlöw & Petra Mede, it is the end-all and be-all of Eurovision tributes. Satirical, fun, but above all, catchy, it’s the most Eurovision-performance in Eurovision history.
Where to stream Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
