Sunday 17 May 2020

'Waterloo' voted GREATEST Eurovision song ever!........REALLY???

As part of the substitute fayre we were offered to replace the annual camp-fest, the Eurovision Song Contest, this year cancelled for the first time in its 64-year history (due to you-know-what) U.K. viewers were offered the chance to vote on what they considered to be the best ever song from the contest - though we were given a choice of only 19 of the previous winners, thus ruling out dozens of non-winners which in many cases were, in my opinion, superior to those that came top in given years. 
The selection of these few songs - which included no less than four of the U.K.'s five winners ('Puppet on a String' strangely not making it) - were decided  by a panel of 'experts' and celebrities, many/most (all?) of them far too young to having watched the original presentations going back to 1956, unlike myself.

Anyway, the winner was predictable. Though I've been a lifelong ardent fan of ABBA, I do still recall how disappointed I felt way back in 1974 when this came out on top. And in all the years since then my view hasn't changed. There's no doubt that the song made a bigger 'splash' than any other Eurovision song in the contest's history, and did more for the performers than anything else ever did - nothing else comes even close - but as for being a 'great' song I must take issue. In ABBA's own subsequent canon it rates, at best, as only 'middling' and I've never been able to understand why it won. 
However, to be honest, it's been very rare when what I rated as the best song was the one that was the ultimate victor. The last time that happened was Norway's 'Fairy Tale' performed by Alexander
Rybak's boy-faced, hottie fiddler in 2009. But more often than not I'm left flummoxed, sore, and even a bit angry, at the choice of winner.


Out of the 19 songs offered which could be voted on I'd have given mine to the U.K.'s 'Brotherhood of Man's 'Save your Kisses For Me', also, incidentally, the most successful Eurovision song of all time in terms of record sales.


Having stated my view that 'Waterloo'was not a worthy winner for the 'greatest' Eurovision entry, it's only fair that I offer a couple of my own nominations for that title -

'L'amour est bleu' which finished a relatively lowly fourth for Luxembourg in 1967 - an instrumental version under the title of (what else!)  'Love is Blue' reached #12 in the U.K. in 1968 but actually topped the American Billboard charts for a full five weeks in that same year. 

'Hallelujah' from Israel's group 'Milk and Honey' in 1979 which, although it won, wasn't deemed by the panel of being of sufficient merit to be included in those which could be voted on.

'Tom Pillibi', France's 1960 winner.

And I nominate one which will ruffle a few feathers, but it's honest - for the U.K., Cliff Richard singing - no, not 'Congratulations' - but 'Power to All our Friends', which finished a very respectable 3rd in 1973, the top three in that year being very close in score - and a song being, I think even now, one of the 'greats', knocking spots off most other entries both before and since. Unfortunately, when it came to the actual performance in contest, Cliff distracted from the song by his unintentionally comic leg movements. But it really was a classic song.

There are perhaps another score or more of songs I could offer for consideration, most of them non-winners, but got to draw the line somewhere. 

And having got all that off my chest, I feel better now - though could still do without having to listen to that infernal 'Waterloo' ever again!




23 comments:

  1. Well, I know it's not my favorite, that's for sure. 🤷‍♂️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's become almost sacrilege to say it, but tough titty to that!

      Delete
  2. Great minds etc. I remember waiting for Love is Blue to come up on the shortlist last night. I have loved it since I first heard it, and even have a 45 record of it. Also loved 'Go (before you break my heart by Gigliola Cinquetti, 'Un banc, un arbre, un rue' by Severin, none of which featured. But then it is all subjective isn't it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If my list of should-have-beens had continued the next one mentioned would have been 'Un banc.....' - and since I wrote the above I've already thought of several more.
      It hardly needs saying that everyone's list would be different but some omissions are so glaring they just cry to be pointed out.
      Sometimes I tell myself that I shouldn't get so worked up about what is only a bit of froth, but I can't help but get involved in a serious way.

      Delete
    2. Yes, I thought of several more after I'd posted. There was a couple of years I think when Luxembourg won it two years running, can't remember both but there was one called Beautiful Dream by Anne-Marie David. I think I'm obviously a ballad person. There was another I think from Norway which was almost entirely music with only a few words, can't remember the name of it now though. It is a bit of froth, but we are allowed opinions just like the people who set up the shortlist

      Delete
    3. I've tracked down the entries you mention, both available on YouTube.
      Anne Marie David's Luxembourg song, although I don't recall it, actually made it into the British Pop charts, reaching #13 in 1973. I should have remembered it.
      The Norwegian entry in 1995 was called 'Secret Garden' with vocals only at the start and finish, otherwise all orchestra. Do play them.
      I'm sure there are many other Eurovision gems still available on YouTube. Your lead will get me a-searching them.

      Delete
    4. I will, I may even have the Ann-Marie David one on a 45 somewhere!

      Delete
  3. I can't with ABBA so .....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're by no means alone, and that's okay. But I just can't with that friggin' song!

      Delete
  4. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, abba! YUCK!

    "love is blue" was SO overplayed here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ABBA and you - 'nuff said.
      We had just the right amount of exposure to 'Love is Blue'. I dare say that if we'd been subjected to endless plays of it I'd be feeling as you did.

      Delete
  5. I love ABBBA...but Waterloo? That's one of my least favorite of theirs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Precisely. The only positive that came out of it winning in 1974, for me was that it made everyone sit up and take notice of ABBA. So in that sole sense it was a worthwhile irritation we had to go through to discover the real riches beyond. Pity, though, that THAT song continues to plague us.

      Delete
  6. You know, I've never followed Eurovision. I don't know why. But, Waterloo? Couldn't escape if I wanted to.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thems on this side of the pond pay no attention to this ritual but they know Waterloo was at the Song Contest. They could not name another. I guess in a weird way that makes it the best as the most enduring?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know that in the U.S. ABBA had only the one #1, ['Dancing Queen'] while over here they had no less than NINE - and a dozen or more of other Top Tens entries. But I suppose that as 'Waterloo'was their breakthrough song worldwide it'll be the one that's forever most associated with them, despite its being far from their later best.

      Delete
  8. I'm rarely in line with the popular vote.

    Sassybear
    www.idleeyesandadormy.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've found that too, on just about any subject - and it increases as one gets older. Still, I keep telling myself that in time they'll find out that I was the one who was right.

      Delete
  9. Not my favourite either.....
    I love many of the Israel entries

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose I've had to console myself that if 'Waterloo' had never happened, so wouldn't have ABBA - which would have been unthinkable.

      I deem that France churns out the most consistently good entries, though Israel I'd place not far behind. However, the execrable, though winning 'Toy' recently, ruined their record for me.

      Delete
  10. Oddly, I heard 'Waterloo' yesterday, and damn if that earwig didn't stay there all day long. I was not a fan of it back in the '70s, but I've actually come to appreciate it. ....which is more than I can ever say for "Dancing Queen".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'Waterloo' has never qualified as an 'earwig' song for me, thank goodness, but I still fail to appreciate it and why it turned out to be their 'breakthrough' song, though I'm glad that something was. However, I do very much like its delicious downward slide on "And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way" (and on the same spot in the next verse). Ooooh, it sends pleasurable shivers down my spine. But only that feature.
      'Dancing Queen' was their biggest international success - and, as I say above, their only American #1. I still like it after all these years and wouldn't like to give up hearing it - especially with its title's double-meaning for gay guys, which was rather petulantly dismissed by the two guys who wrote it, but even so.

      Delete