Yes, dear reader, its that time of the year when your truly enjoys vacation and has obviously lots of time on my hands, enough to browse youtube and discover what was happening on Eurovision in all these years when we remember only winners - my own favourites never won, by the way - I actually have really good time going trough various competitions and discovering songs and performers that somehow slipped by. Back in April I covered years from 1972 to 1985 and unfortunately now I must go into decade that is probably my least favourite, as I lived trough crashing synthesisers of 1980s & 1990s and don't feel nostalgic about those years at all. But I will try to find at least one interesting song per year.
E de det här du kallar kärlek? (Is this what you call love?) by Monica Törnell & Lasse Holm
Swaggering 1986 duet between Swedish pop stars that is actually not bad at all, its just that its not so different from the rest of 1980s pop music around that time. It is a good time song that I can imagine being played around bars and the only one from that particular year that I actually liked.
Shangri La by Gerard Joling
This solid 1980s pop song didn't break any records at Eurovision but was big hit at home and I remember hearing Joling a lot in bars around Amsterdam (but at that time I had no idea what am I listening). He is actually very good singer who continued very successfully to this day.
Vi maler byen rød (We're painting the town red) by Birthe Kjær
Lady who was at the time more talked about for being veteran amongst spring chicken but her turn is actually just fine and not embarrassing at all. It is a sweet, happy little ditty that cheers you up and I tap my foot to it, obviously showing my age and preference for upbeat, sunny songs.
Bandido by Azúcar Moreno
I actually remember this performance very well, Spanish duo came on stage and had some unfortunate technical difficulties in front of international audience, but even so the song was actually very good and was often played at the time. And I still smile at introduction lifted straight up from James Brown live album, that was genius.
Kan (Here) by Duo Datz (Orna & Moshe Datz)
Irresistible duo from Israel - I have already noted that most of the time pop music from Israel really appeal to me and there is something intoxicating in melodies they offer. This is just one of the excellent tunes that invite for singalong although I have no idea what they actually sing about, but its great.
Monté La Riviè (Go Up The River) by Kali
Of course, Eurovision was always about diversity and various countries had already sent representatives with their own particular twists on local music but in my opinion it was Spanish duo Azúcar Moreno who really made splash two years earlier and perhaps inspired France to send this unusual singer with his completely off the wall ethnic song that is really memorable. Oh wait, French singers Joëlle Ursull and Amina were already there. In any case, France showed surprisingly interesting choices.
Under Stjernerne På Himlen (Under the stars of the sky) by Tommy Seebach
I always loved this happy little song and was heartbroken to find out that Seebach (who already performed on Eurovision previously) was heavily criticized and ridiculed at home for not placing better - it resulted in his alcoholism and unfortunate death soon afterwards which is terrible shame and it shows dark side of this competition. Song is actually adorable and I don't care what they say, I honestly love it - ABBA's guys composed very similar tunes and everybody loved "One of us".
Dincolo de nori by Dan Bittman
1994 was actually extremely strong year on Eurovision and I still can't get over how many interesting songs were competing that particular time - I counted at least ten favorites - of course at that point I was right in the middle of war in Croatia so Eurovision was absolutely not my priority and I don't even think I watched it but looking back today I think it was one of the best years. Its only because I have worked with so many Romanian colleagues that I somehow have soft spot for Bittman but there were also several other excellent artists that year, like Tublatanka and magnificent Edyta Górniak.
Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet? (To whom can I tell my sins?) by Friderika Bayer
OK so I decided that I simply have to add wonderful Hungarian singer Friderika Bayer in here even though I already placed Romania above for 1994 - Bayer had such a lovely song that I suddenly realised I know next to nothing about Hungarian pop music. Its just loveliest acoustic ballad that absolutely stole my heart and it was kind of Norah Jones a good decade before Norah Jones.
Dvadeset i prvi vijek by Davorin Popović
Up to this point I never have been very enthusiastic about Eurovision songs from my part of the world, because I always felt very strongly that we seriously lag behind music trends and always come as embarrassingly old fashioned (even though we actually won once) but when this singer came from besieged Sarajevo this was something to pay attention to. Not only that Davorin Popović is a music legend who means a lot to our pop music but the song was excellent and I still feel rattled about jaded audience not understanding seriousness of it all. Eurovision is a show biz circus but this is real life.
Den Vilda (The wild one) by One More Time
Hypnotic new age ballad that somehow recalls Enya and Loreena McKennitt - lovely as it was, it was just one of the many similar songs that year but I always loved it. Its absolutely beautiful, lilting kind of Celtic-pagan atmospheric lullaby but perhaps this was already done many times and audiences were attracted to something more bombastic. However, I listen music with my ears so this is my favourite of the year.
Fiumi di parole (Rivers of words) by Jalisse
I just can't get over how bad Eurovision treats Italy who had continuously sent excellent artists and besides, its such a beautiful language that personally I find indefinitely more appealing than almost anything else amongst competition. In my opinion this was one of the best songs in 1997 but jury pissed on it and Italians had enough of it, they pulled out of Eurovision afterwards for many years.
Hemel en aarde (Heaven and earth) by Edsilia Rombley
Excellent Dutch singer, kind of Ruth Jacott style and I must admit that this was absolutely smashing pop song and my absolute favorite for 1998 - I obviously went a long way since those early days when this language surprised me with its throaty sounds and nowadays I actually enjoy it. Besides I always support artists singing in their own languages.
For a thousand years by Darja Švajger
Perhaps one of the best James Bond kind of songs (that never made it to James Bond movie) this melodramatic 1999 ballad would not be out of place on some Shirley Bassey album and its great, old fashioned, bombastic ballad perfectly suited for Eurovision. Yes, it does sound as Švajger sings "I tremble in your arse" but its fine, I can live with it. 
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