Eurovision season rapidly approaches, so there's no better time to get into the spirit and take a look back at all the amazing songs from previous years! And since 2025 is the 69th annual competition, there is a huge library of musical acts to examine. Let's revisit the songs that touched the world throughout Eurovision's long history.
What Constitutes the Top Eurovision Songs?
It would be understandable if you had the impression that the most famous Eurovision songs were only the winning tracks. But, as with many cultural events, the full impact of a thing is usually only clear after some time has passed.
So if winning isn't what guarantees a song the title of "Best Eurovision Song," then what does? The best songs are the ones that made the deepest impacts on pop culture and travelled the farthest around the world.
The songs we feature on this list conform to that type. Some are danceable and others, haunting. But they are all memorable for specific reasons. And besides, as a dedicated Eurovision fan, you likely know all the Number One songs already. No point in rehashing them.
So swipe a few party treats you'd planned for your viewing event. Nosh on them as you relive the good times these tunes brought. And don't forget to let us know which are your favourite Eurovision songs and moments via the comments section.
Gina G - 'Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit' (United Kingdom 1996)
Gina G and her ‘girls’ proved to the world that, while most of the music scene globally had phased out synthesizers, they didn’t need to be abandoned completely. Out-of-step with the rap, rock, and techno sounds that had begun to take over pop, Gina G rocked the stage with a hyper-energetic, 131 BPM Synth Pop anthem.
Sergio Dalma - 'Bailar Pegados' (Spain 1991)
After making modest waves in his native Spain as a vocal artist, Sergio Dalma represented his country at the 1991 Eurovision Contest. After landing in 4th place, he became a sensation at home and across the Latin music spectrum.
The year Sergio took the Eurovision stage, this song contest had long shed its 'ballads only' unspoken rule. However, his smouldering vocals were made to sing about love at that tempo. The viewing audience and voting core apparently felt the same way. Sergio became Eurovision 1991's breakout star.
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France Gall - 'Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son' (Luxembourg 1965)
Since its debut, Eurovision had maintained a grand air with classy, orchestral performances. France Gall smashed those standards with her ambiguously titled pop hit.
This 1965 Eurovision classic soon took on a life of its own. It hit the tops of charts across Europe, Canada, and even Japan. To this day, artists still cover this monumental hit.
Despite earning vitriol at rehearsals for being too ahead of its time by Eurovision standards, Ms Gall got the last laugh by winning that year's title.
Domenico Modugno - 'Nel blu, dipinto di blu' (Italy 1958)
Now, we reach far back in time, to Eurovision's early years: the 3rd event. Ballads and orchestras were the norm, and short songs fit the live-audience format perfectly.
You might know this tune better as Volare. Around the world, many artists have done their own interpretation of this song, Gipsy Kings, David Bowie, and notably US singer Dean Martin among them.
Beyond the performance, what makes this song so special? Domenico’s version won Song of the Year at the first-ever Grammy Awards show – in a country that doesn’t even participate in Eurovision!
Brotherhood of Man - 'Save Your Kisses For Me' (1976 United Kingdom)
In a post-British-Invasion music era filled with synth-pop and rock n’ roll, Save Your Kisses For Me was a delightfully unexpected number coming out of the UK. The sweet and simple tune simply puts a smile on your face, which makes it stand out as a happy Eurovision memory.
It hit Number 1 on charts worldwide. To date, it remains the highest-selling single of any Eurovision-winning song, making it one of the most successful Eurovision songs, hands down.
Alexander Rybak - 'Fairytale' (Norway 2009)
Sometimes, the winning song is also one of the best. Fairytale is a remarkable tune for many reasons, including its singer being young and a virtual novice in the music industry.
Alexander was just 23 years old when he took the stage. His performance earned the highest-ever tally in Eurovision history (under the then-existing voting system). It features acrobatics, fiddling, and stunning vocal prowess.
This song didn't just win big at Eurovision. His native Norway selected Fairytale for Eurovision by the greatest majority the home contest has ever seen.
Duncan Laurence - 'Arcade' (Netherlands 2019)
This heart-stirring ballad had already won accolades ahead of Duncan's Eurovision appearance. Indeed, he and his song were projected to win when he/they entered the contest.
The predictions came true; he swept that 2019’s contest with 498 points. He's the fourth Dutch act to compete and the first Dutch artist to earn the Eurovision prize since 1975.
After going viral on Tiktok in 2020, it became the first Eurovision song to climb the US music charts this millennium. By the summer of 2023, it was the first Eurovision song to reach one billion Spotify streams; it's one of the most popular Eurovision songs ever.
Jessica Mauboy - 'We Got Love' (Australia 2018)
Australia’s admission into Eurovision was a pivotal moment in the competition’s history. Thanks to the Danish King’s invitation to participate, Australia has consistently performed in the show since 2015.
Four years after getting Australia’s foot in the door to ESC with Sea of Flags at the interval show, Jessica was able to perform on the stage as a contestant. Although the song We Got Love didn’t even finish in the top 10 and was seen as ‘cliché’ by many, ultimately it serves as a feel-good anthem that continues to inspire fans.
Lulu - 'Boom Bang-A-Bang' (United Kingdom 1969)
Lulu’s song in the 1969 event had several connected events that have made it a stand-out hit.
In an unusual turn of events that led to a rewriting of the voting rules, Boom Bang-a-Bang won the competition in a four-way tie with France, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Because of its ‘nonsense’ title, the song inspired a 1970 Monty Python parody. In 1991, the song was banned due to the Gulf War (apparently the name is too graphic for wartime).
Additionally, it was used as the ending theme song for the sitcom Him & Her in 2010.
ABBA - 'Waterloo' (Sweden 1974)
No guide to Eurovision would be complete without mentioning ABBA. This quartet of musical talent made history by being Sweden's first Eurovision win. Not only did Waterloo top the 1974 charts around the world, but it also made a splash outside the Eurovision viewing area.
This group's popularity made them one of the best-selling musical acts in history and one of the most famous Eurovision winners ever. At the 2005 Eurovision 50th Anniversary extravaganza, Waterloo was named the competition's best-ever song because it launched ABBA's global fame.
Rosa Linn - 'Snap' (Armenia 2022)
Although Ukraine won the 2022 event, Rosa Linn’s Snap has proven to be the song with a lasting impact. Linn’s advancement to the finals was historic for Armenia, which hadn’t even been present in the ESC since 2019 and hadn’t qualified for the final since 2017.
Although it finished 20th in the competition, it found virality online, climbing the Spotify charts and finding its way onto global radio stations. It’s the second-most streamed Eurovision song after Arcade.
Mocedades - 'Eres Tú' (Spain 1973)
Eres Tú was already a smash hit in the band's native Spain; its 1973 Eurovision exposure rocketed it to global sensation status. Everywhere, this Spanish language song earned airplay, even though the group recorded it in several other languages.
This song never claimed the top Eurovision prize. However, precisely 111 artists have covered it, in various languages. Furthermore, it has been featured in films and adverts around the world. For its enduring popularity, the EBU reference group featured Eres Tú on its 50th anniversary show.
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Lordi - 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' (Finland 2006)
After 45 years of competing in Eurovision with no wins, Finland finally secured the prize with an unlikely entry.
This winning song marked the first time a heavy metal band captured the Eurovision prize. Six days after the contest, on 26 May 2006, around 80,000 people gathered in a Helsinki public square to sing Hard Rock Hallelujah. This feat set the world record for the most people singing karaoke.
Daði Freyr - 'Think About Things' (Iceland 2020)
Every Eurovision fan knows that the 2020 contest was cancelled. However, all 41 artists set to compete had already recorded their songs, and their videos received plenty of airplay.
That's how we know that Think About Things was among the favourites to win. Daði Freyr had recorded an English version for the Eurovision stage. The song is about Daði's daughter, making it an interesting tune both musically and topically.
Vicky Leandros - 'L’amour Est Bleu' (Luxembourg 1967)
Another oldie that has reached legendary status among Eurovision songs, L'amour est Bleu was even one of the songs in the medley performed in the interim act at the 2006 ESC. The song has been covered by many other artists since, with many of these covers achieving high popularity in the charts of various countries.
Paul Mauriat's English-version cover even appeared on many television shows including Mad Men and The Simpsons, making it a pop culture icon!
Loreen - 'Tattoo' (Sweden 2023)
Loreen is a member of Eurovision royalty, having also won the 2012 event with her performance of Euphoria, which makes her the second solo artist ever to win two competitions.
The day after her appearance on stage, Tattoo was streamed 4,275,290 times on Spotify. It now sits at a comfortable 689,040,047 streams (March 2025), and is the third most-streamed Eurovision song on the platform.
Mahmood - 'Soldi' (Italy 2019)
One of the few non-English songs to make a big splash in the global music scene, Soldi was the runner-up winner in the 2019 event. It's performed in Italian and features a few lines in Arabic as well.
The song's catchy musicality has made it extremely popular across the world, garnering more than 250 million plays on Spotify.
Måns Zelmerlöw - 'Heroes' (Sweden 2015)
Another powerful positivity anthem, Heroes is known for the song itself as well as the live performance, which utilised a combination of projected lights and a digital screen to make a captivating 'interactive' effect. Although the song didn't win the televote, it won due to the jury votes, scoring the third-highest score at the time (365 votes).
Dami Im - 'Sound of Silence' (Australia 2016)
After finishing in second place in that year's ESC, Sound of Silence went on to chart in the Top 40 songs in more than 6 countries worldwide. The forlorn lyrics will resonate with anyone who has ever felt lonely, especially in situations where their loved ones are far away.
Käärijä - 'Cha Cha Cha' (Finland 2023)
Another song that deviates from Eurovision's history of mostly pop songs, Cha Cha Cha is a "metal-dance-pop fusion" track that you can't help but groove along with. Fans of the act love the weirdness and the energy, saying it really captures the vibe you can expect in a Eurovision competition.
The song topped the public votes with 367 points, which was the all-time-highest number of televotes. It topped the charts in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden, and made it to the Top 10 in several other countries; it was the first-ever Finnish-language song to chart in the Top 10 in the UK!
Eurovision has given the world many incredible songs across the spectrum of genres, and there are many other past entries to explore! You might find your all-time favourite songs in the Eurovision archives! With Eurovision 2025 approaching, we can't wait to see (and hear) what the contestants will bring to the stage this time.
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