Ahead of Their Time – A Journey Following the Great Eurovision Songs That Conquered Millions Outside the Contest.
In the world of Eurovision, not every song wins the competition or even reaches the top spots. Some songs that initially seemed like failures later blossomed and became global hits. Sometimes, the Eurovision audience doesn’t recognize the true potential of certain songs in real-time, but over the years, they become timeless classics in world music. These are songs that were ahead of their time – those that failed at the moment they competed but years later achieved overwhelming success due to their innovation or because the audience wasn’t ready to grasp their message or style at the time.
Early Years: Unexpected Classics
One of the most prominent cases of a song that didn’t win Eurovision but became a global classic is “Nel blu dipinto di blu” (in English: “Blue Painted Blue”), by Italian singer Domenico Modugno. The song, better known as “Volare” (in English: “To Fly”), represented Italy in the 1958 Eurovision contest and only reached third place. However, shortly after the competition, the song became a worldwide hit and is considered one of the most famous songs written at that time. It won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, and became the most recognized Italian song outside the country’s borders, to the extent that it became a symbol of Italian music.
The song “Eres Tú” (in English: “It’s You”) by the band Mocedades represented Spain in the 1973 Eurovision contest and came in second place. Although the song didn’t win the competition, it became one of the most famous Spanish songs in history, with success in many charts outside Europe, especially in the United States, where it entered the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 – a rare achievement for Spanish-language songs at that time. Despite failing to reach first place, it became a classic and proved that its influence extended beyond the boundaries of Eurovision.
The story of “Waterloo” is particularly exceptional because despite winning Eurovision in 1974, its tremendous success came after the competition. The Swedish band ABBA, which was almost anonymous before Eurovision, changed the face of global pop with this song. Initially considered a typical Eurovision song, after its victory, it managed to rise above the competition’s boundaries and became one of the most successful songs in pop history. The real revolution that ABBA led is still considered one of the most important in popular music.
In 1979, Germany sent the band Dschinghis Khan to the stage of Binyanei Ha’Uma in Jerusalem with the song “Dschinghis Khan,” named after the conqueror of the Mongol Empire. The song reached fourth place but became one of the most identified songs with the competition thanks to its special energy and the unique combination of pop and disco. After Eurovision, the band Dschinghis Khan continued to release hits, and their songs, especially this one, remained classics in Germany and Russia. The song became a symbol of the era and even received renewed performances.
Modern Era: Redefining Success
The band Secret Garden with the song “Nocturne” won the competition in 1995, but the song is considered one of the most surprising victories in the history of the competition. The song contained almost no lyrics (25 words to be exact) and focused on string instrument playing. Although the song was not considered “popular” at the time, it achieved great success after the competition due to its calmness and artistic beauty. The song became an inspiration for many musicians and was a first step for the entry of New Age music into Eurovision.
Dana International’s song, “Diva,” won Eurovision in 1998, but its great success came later. Initially, this Eurovision song was received with a lot of doubts in some countries due to its unique style and the fact that Dana is a transgender artist, which was not common at the time. Over the years, “Diva” has become an icon not only in the gay community but also in international pop, and to this day is considered one of the most successful Eurovision songs ever written.
The victory of Lordi, the Finnish band with scary masks and costumes, with the song “Hard Rock Hallelujah” was a shocking event at the time. This song was contrary to everything Eurovision had represented in previous years – instead of glittering pop or love ballads, Lordi brought heavy rock to center stage. Although the song won first place, its true success was built over time, and it became an anthem for rock lovers around the world. This is one of the cases where the song was ahead of its time in terms of genre and approach, but only years later did it become a true classic.
“I Feed You My Love” performed by singer Margaret Berger is considered one of the most innovative songs that participated in the competition in 2013. Although the song reached fourth place, it achieved success after Eurovision as a dark electronic pop creation with post-dubstep elements – a style that was not common at all in the competition at that time. The popularity of the song spread across Europe, and it was recognized as one of the prominent works of the decade in the context of musical progress in the Eurovision arena.
In 2019, Italy sent Mahmood with the song “Soldi” which was considered one of the strong candidates to win, but ultimately reached only second place. Despite this, the song became a huge hit across Europe and the world. Soldi combines elements of contemporary pop, urban music, and Middle Eastern styles, which made it very unique in the Eurovision competition. The song achieved tremendous success in the charts and became one of the most played Italian songs in recent years, proving that sometimes the place in the competition does not reflect the true musical potential.
One of the most talked-about songs of 2020 was “Think About Things” by Daði Freyr Pétursson from Iceland. Although the 2020 competition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the song went viral on social media long before the intended competition. The song was a catchy and modern pop song that was ahead of its time and became an international dance anthem thanks to social networks like TikTok. Although it didn’t get to participate in the actual competition, its popularity continued to rise, and it is considered one of the most successful songs of the year.
In retrospect, the history of Eurovision proves that immediate success in the competition is not always a measure of a song’s potential to become a global classic. Many songs that were ahead of their time gained international recognition only after a long time when the audience and time were more mature to absorb their unique musical message or style. The ability of songs to rise beyond the Eurovision stage and influence different cultures, musical styles, and audiences is a testament to the enduring power of good music – even if sometimes it precedes its audience and its time. Eurovision, with all the immediate glory it provides, is often just one station on a long journey for many musicians, and the real test of success often comes only years after the lights of the world’s biggest stage – go out.
Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel, Switzerland, on May 13, 15-17, 2025. The St. Jakobshalle arena, which will host the competition, is expected to accommodate about 12,000 spectators for each show. The contest will be held in Switzerland following its third victory in history with the song “The Code”, performed by singer Nemo. This will be the third time the competition is hosted in Switzerland, after the contest was held there in 1956 and 1989.
